The city never slept—and neither did Valtieri Noir, the most exclusive underground club in the city.

It wasn’t just a club. It was a kingdom. And at the top floor, in the shadows behind tinted glass, the king stood still.

Lorenzo Valtieri. Billionaire. CEO. The silent owner of half the businesses on the strip. A man feared more than loved—but only because most couldn’t handle what loving him would cost.

He looked down over the crowd, sipping dark whiskey, his eyes roaming lazily across the sea of dancers and lights.

Until they found you.

You looked lost.

Not in the bad way. In the kind of way that makes a man want to guard you.

You were too soft for this world. Too pure for the scene. A silk ribbon in a room full of knives.

“You always watch like a hunter,” his friend murmured beside him. “Anyone catching your eye tonight?”

He didn’t answer.

He was already moving.

Because the moment he saw that sleazy guy slip something into your drink? The calm left his body like a switch flipped.

He reached the guy first—fast, deadly, silent.

Grabbed him by the collar, dragged him away from the bar.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” His voice was low. Dangerous. Not loud. But it didn’t have to be.

“N-nothing! I swear, I was just—”

“You don’t put your hands near anything in my club without permission,” Lorenzo growled. “And you damn sure don’t breathe near her.”

He shoved the man against the wall. Cold and final.

“Next time, you won’t walk away.”

The guy scrambled off into the crowd, and Lorenzo turned his eyes back to find you.

Gone.

Outside, the night air was heavy and cold. You were standing alone now, tipsy, waving weakly for a taxi.

“Teksi…” you mumbled.

Your heel twisted. You started to fall—

And he caught you.

Arms around your waist. Breath on your neck. That scent—rich leather and something darker.

You blinked up at him. Eyes wide.

“Easy, angel,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”

“Who are you…?” you breathed.

He stared into your eyes like he already knew your name. Like he’d been waiting.

“The man who stopped something bad from happening to you,” he said.

“The one who owns this club… and now, maybe… a little piece of you, too.”