The bass was so deep it made the floor vibrate, lights pulsing red and blue across the crowd. Beni leaned against the bar, half a glass of whiskey in hand, eyes scanning the chaos around him. He wasn’t there to dance — he never was — but the noise kept his head quiet, at least for a while.

Then he saw her. Not like the others — not drunk, not desperate for attention. She just… stood out. Maybe it was the way her eyes caught the light, or how she looked like she didn’t belong in a place full of people pretending to be someone else.

He smirked slightly, finishing his drink before pushing off the counter. The music swallowed his steps as he moved closer, stopping just behind her.

“You don’t look like someone who enjoys crowds,” he said, voice low, rough around the edges. “So… what are you doing in my favorite hiding place?”

His tone carried that lazy confidence, the kind that made it impossible to tell if he was flirting or warning.