3. THE CLUB

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As I pushed through the heavy doors of the club, the pulsing lights and bass-filled music made me squint. Army was already waiting in the VIP lounge, lounging back with a relaxed grin. I walked over, feeling my irritation grow at the sight of his smug, carefree demeanor.

"There she is," he said, standing up to pull me into a hug. I stepped back, avoiding the embrace.

"Don't act so clingy," I muttered, crossing my arms.

Army just chuckled and signaled the bartender. "Come on, have a drink. Loosen up a bit."

"No thanks," I replied, giving the drink a hard stare as he pushed it toward me.

He shrugged, sipping his own before diving into the topic. "Look, I wanted to meet because I'm going to Bali soon... with my girlfriend," he added, grinning wider than necessary.

I rolled my eyes. "So what? You don't need my blessing to go on a vacation, Army."

"Well, it's not just that." He leaned in, his tone turning serious. "I'm giving you temporary control of the club while I'm gone."

I scoffed, pushing his offer away as if it were the drink he tried to hand me earlier. "Yeah, right. I don't want your little empire, Army. Find someone else to babysit your business."

He chuckled, clearly amused by my reaction. "Once, I know you too well. You need this. You'll have total control here for a while, and it's not like you'll be alone-you know the team, they respect you. This could be good for you."

I shot him a cold glare, but he didn't back down, matching my gaze with that annoyingly patient look. "You've been looking for something, haven't you? A way to channel all that frustration?" he pressed.

"Army, you don't know the first thing about what I need," I replied flatly, my voice dripping with annoyance.

He ignored my tone, his expression softening. "You're my cousin, and I care about you, whether you like it or not. Look, just give it a chance. If you hate it, I'll find someone else when I get back."

I let out a frustrated sigh, unable to shake him off. He always knew how to get under my skin and somehow manage to make sense. Begrudgingly, I nodded. "Fine. But don't expect me to do this again."

A grin spread across his face as he held out his hand. "Deal?"

I gave a curt nod, ignoring his outstretched hand and turning to leave. "Just go to Bali and enjoy yourself," I muttered.

As I walked out of the club, I couldn't shake the strange mix of irritation and excitement brewing inside me.

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