Olivia brushed her hand across her forehead, wiping away the sweat that had gathered from another grueling twelve-hour shift at the hospital. the hallways were eerily quiet now, the usual chaos winding down, but her mind raced with thoughts of her mother's and younger brother, her mother's condition hadn't improved, and the medical bills were piling up. her brother, still in school, relied on her for everything.
she had no time for friends, no time for herself. she liked it that way, After all, she wasn't the type to chit-chat over coffee or worry about relationships. No, Olivia thrived in solitude it made her sharper, and kept her mind focused. she knew how to navigate the world alone using her quick wit and aggressive determination to push through any obstacle.
Yet on weekends, she transformed. after shedding her nurse scrubs, she donned a different amour. dark dresses and slick heels- as she worked the bustling neon-lit club. the throbbing music, the flashing lights, it was a world away from the sterile, quiet rooms of the hospital. here, she was a different person, serving drinks and occasionally dealing with unruly customers. it was the only way to keep things afloat.
one night, while Olivia was behind the bar, a new face entered the club.
Asher Lockwood, every woman in the room turned their heads, eyes widening at his presence. Tall, broad shouldered, with an air of dominance that was hard to ignore.
his reputation preceded him- he was the country's most eligible bachelor, a billionaire and utterly untouchable.
but there was something else people whispered about-he despised women.
Not just disliked, but outright loathed them. in his eyes, women were frail, deceitful creatures, only after power or money. Yet, Olivia couldn't care less about his presence. she had dealt with men like him beforehand, and she wasn't interested in being another person vying for his attention.
Olivia poured a perfect pint of beer, her movements fluid and practiced. She slid it down the bar to a waiting customer, her eyes scanning the room with a mixture of disinterest and habit.
she noticed someone staring at her, she scanned her eyes around the club and finally landed on Asher, immediately she locked her eyes on him she looked away, she doesn't want any man staring at her, much less interested in any guy.
after a while she felt it again- Asher's gaze, lingering on her like a challenge. She knew he was still watching her, his eyes boring into her skin like a physical touch.
Olivia's instincts rebelled against the attention. She hated being stared at, hated the way it made her skin crawl and her senses go on high alert. She had always been a private person, and the constant scrutiny was exhausting.
She deliberately avoided eye contact, focusing on her work with a fierce intensity. But she could feel Asher's gaze, a palpable force that seemed to draw her in despite her best efforts to resist.
As the night wore on, Olivia's awareness of Asher grew. She knew he was still watching her, his presence a constant hum in the background of her mind. She tried to shake off the feeling, telling herself she was being paranoid, but she couldn't deny the thrill of excitement that ran through her veins.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Asher looked away, his attention drawn to a group of rowdy patrons. Olivia breathed a silent sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing as the tension dissipated.
But as she turned to serve another customer, she caught Asher's eye once more. This time, there was a hint of a smile playing on his lips, a glint of amusement that suggested he knew exactly how much he affected her.