A Midnight Encounter

From his vantage point in the dimly lit, exclusive second-floor booth, Bennett's dark eyes locked onto Margot the moment she walked into the bar wearing a stunning, elegant black floral dress. The dark fabric hugged her silhouette, making her stand out effortlessly in the chaotic room. Beside him, his close friend, Justin Newton, noticed his sudden fixation on the beautiful woman downstairs.

Justin chuckled and teased him, leaning against the glass railing. "Oh wow, Big Mister Bennett finally has his eyes on a woman. Have you fallen for her? Want me to go get her number for you?" Justin squinted through the flashing strobe lights, his smile fading. "Wait a second... Is she sitting with Silas Vane?"

Bennett's brow furrowed in deep suspicion. "Silas Vane?"

"Yeah," Justin nodded. "The notorious playboy vice president of Azure-Luxe Corporation. You know how mysterious and powerful that company is. Silas is basically their public face." Justin clapped his shoulder. "But Ben, you're way out of his league. You could easily steal her."

"You talk too much," Bennett replied icily. He took a sip of his drink, his dark gaze still piercing through the crowd. Margot had only been in Oakview for two days. How could a supposed country girl already be close friends with someone as influential and elusive as Silas?

Downstairs, Silas pushed his chair back and excused himself to go to the restroom. Almost immediately, a heavily intoxicated, sleazy man approached Margot's table, leaning in aggressively.

"Hey there, pretty," the man slurred, waving a half-empty glass. "Wanna be friends and grab a drink together?"

Margot coldly rejected him without even looking up. "I have friends."

The man's face stiffened. He forced a greasy grin. "Come on. Let's be friends. I'll pay for your drinks. How about it?"

"No."

The man's face darkened with sudden anger. He sneered loudly, demanding the attention of the surrounding tables. "Stop playing hard to get! Why else would you wear such an attractive dress to a bar if you aren't trying to hook up with a wealthy man? I'm rich. Tell me, how much money do you want?"

Watching the tense scene unfold from upstairs, Justin anxiously nudged his friend. "Damn it! Ben, hurry up and go down there to play the hero!"

Bound strictly by his father's orders to protect Margot, Bennett reluctantly stood up to intervene. However, before he could even take a single step toward the stairs, he froze in sheer astonishment as a dramatic scene played out below.

As the drunk reached out to grab Margot's arm, she moved with blinding speed. She grabbed a heavy glass wine bottle from the table and mercilessly smashed it directly over his head.

The bottle shattered into pieces. The loud thud cut through the thumping bass. The man collapsed to his knees, clutching his profusely bleeding forehead in terror.

Although Bennett was too far away to hear her voice over the loud music, he could clearly read her lips as she leaned over the groveling man and whispered with terrifying coldness.

*I have no need for your money. Can I take your life instead?*

Silas returned from the restroom at that exact moment. His sudden presence instantly caused the terrified drunk to scramble to his feet and flee the bar with frantic, pathetic apologies.

Her mood thoroughly ruined by the encounter, Margot grabbed her purse, bid Silas goodbye, and stepped out of the bar into the cool night air to wait for a taxi. She pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and blew a thin stream of smoke into the dark sky. A wave of rare vulnerability washed over her as she quietly asked her late father in her mind if he was doing well up there.

Tires hissed on the asphalt. A sleek, black luxury sedan suddenly pulled up to the curb right in front of her. Assuming it was the taxi she ordered, Margot stubbed out her cigarette, opened the back door, and prepared to slide inside.

She froze in complete surprise when she saw Bennett sitting in the back seat, dressed in a sharp black suit.

She stammers, her hand gripping the door handle tightly. "I'm sorry. I must have gotten into the wrong car." She paused, her eyes darting over his imposing figure. "Wait... why are you here?"

Bennett looked at her indifferently. "Get in."

Pushing aside a strange, sudden flutter of guilt in her chest, Margot slid in beside him. She tried to break the heavy silence by casually mentioning her night. "What a coincidence. I came to the bar with a friend. Were you there for the same reason?"

Bennett merely nodded without looking at her.

As Margot turned to look out the tinted window, her mind raced with questions, intensely wondering if Bennett was inside the bar the entire time and saw everything she did.