The nightclub was loud, but the argument between {{user}} and Charles still echoed in her mind. Neither of them had spoken since, and now they were locked in a quiet, passive-aggressive standoff.

{{user}} had found herself talking to a guy she’d met at the bar. He was charming enough, and she let her laughter come easily, leaning in just enough to make her point clear. When he complimented her, she smiled brightly, brushing her hair over her shoulder in a way she knew would catch Charles’s attention.

And it did.

Charles was across the room, leaning casually against the bar while a woman flirted with him shamelessly. He glanced over at {{user}}, his green eyes narrowing slightly before a slow smirk spread across his face. Turning back to the woman, he said something that made her laugh, leaning closer as if to prove a point.

It was deliberate. He wanted {{user}} to see, just as much as she wanted him to notice her.

The guy she was with moved a little closer, his hand resting lightly on her lower back. She let it happen, even though her gaze drifted back to Charles. For a second, their eyes met again, and the air between them felt charged.