Chapter 242 ZK

Dickson didn’t waste a second. The moment the security gate closed behind them, he straightened his shirt and walked toward Kelly with a grin stretched across his face like he’d already won the lottery.

"Kelly," he said smoothly, planting himself just a step in front of her, "I just wanna say, I’ve been listening to your tracks for a minute now. Your voice? Fire. Like, I’m talking goosebumps-every-time kind of fire. That last drop? Insane. You’ve got that star energy, real talk."

Kelly tilted her head slightly, a polite smile forming on her lips—though something about it looked... off. Like her face wasn’t sure if it should keep the smile or let it go. Her lips curled upward, but her eyes weren’t really behind it. Still, Dickson, completely oblivious to that fact, pressed on like he was on a mission from the gods of charm.

"And I gotta say," he continued, leaning in a bit, "you look even better in real life. That skin? Girl, it’s like gold-dipped chocolate. And that outfit—damn. It should be illegal to look that fine in public."

Kelly blinked once. Her smile twitched. She looked like she wanted to say something, but instead, her eyes drifted behind Dickson.

Liam.

He was just catching up, walking over casually, his presence immediately shifting the atmosphere. And that’s when it happened—her face lit up like the moon breaking through dark clouds.

"Hey, Liam," she said warmly, her voice lifting with genuine joy.

Dickson froze.

He actually put a hand over his mouth, as if to physically stop whatever curse was about to escape his lips. The betrayal hit him like a gut punch. He looked between Liam and Kelly, still hoping it was a coincidence. Still hoping he misunderstood. But the look in her eyes told him everything.

She wasn’t just smiling. She was beaming. And not at him.

"This—this can’t be real," Dickson muttered, pointing at Liam as if trying to expose a ghost. "You—you know him?"

Kelly looked at him, confused for a second, then nodded casually. "Yeah, we met a while back at a restaurant. I’ve been messaging him on WhatsApp since then, but..." She gave a little shrug, her tone still light, still full of playful energy. "He never replies."

Liam, who had just arrived within earshot, furrowed his brows. "Wait, you did?"

He pulled out his phone, thumb scrolling through his WhatsApp. Sure enough, her name was there. Kelly. 9+ unread messages. With the crazy week he has had and the general insanity his life had become recently, it was no surprise her messages got buried.

"Damn," he muttered. "I really didn’t see them."

But Kelly just waved it off, brushing the air like it didn’t matter. "It’s okay. I figured you were busy."

She stepped a little closer, her eyes locking with his. Her voice softened. "So what are you doing here? I didn’t think you were the party type."

Before Liam could respond, Dickson let out a sigh that sounded like defeat wrapped in sarcasm.

"Of course he’s not," he said, half mumbling. "He’s never even been to a party. I made a mistake dragging him along. Should’ve known better."

Kelly’s eyes widened a bit, surprised. "Seriously? This is your first party?"

Liam gave a slight nod. "Yeah. I usually avoid all this noise and crowd stuff."

Kelly looked amused now, the kind of intrigued smile that said she’d just discovered something interesting. "Well... welcome to the chaos," she said with a smirk. "You’re surviving so far."

Dickson, who was clearly still recovering from the emotional equivalent of a car crash, muttered, "I’ll let you two catch up..." His tone was bitter, but not aggressive—just pure, concentrated jealousy. He turned away, sulking like a kicked puppy, leaving the two of them standing there alone.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The music thumped around them, people danced and laughed in the background, but in that space, it felt like the noise had dimmed. Just Liam and Kelly, face to face under the soft glow of golden lights.

Kelly leaned slightly closer, her eyes scanning his face. "So... you really didn’t see my messages?"

Liam said honestly. "Things have been crazy lately. Not just busy—crazy."

Kelly tilted her head. "I figured. You’ve got that look in your eyes. Like you’ve seen too much."

Liam smirked faintly. "Maybe I have."

They were quiet again. Just looking at each other. Her mocha skin glowed in the soft lighting, her silky hair catching the faintest breeze from one of the hidden air vents. Her curves were impossible to ignore, but it wasn’t just her body that made her captivating—it was the energy she carried, like she belonged in every room she entered.

Liam wasn’t sure what was happening here.

She crossed her arms loosely beneath her chest, tilting her head as she studied him.

"You’re different," she said. "That night we met... I knew you weren’t like the others."

Liam’s gaze didn’t flinch. "You don’t even know me."

"Not yet," she said, voice dropping a little, "but I want to."

Kelly slipped her fingers into Liam’s hand without hesitation. Her touch was soft, warm—confident. "Come on," she said, flashing a small smile. "Let me introduce you to my friends."

She led him through the shimmering, dimly lit party lounge, the beat of the music echoing softly through the gold-trimmed interior. The booth she led him to sat a little deeper into the lounge.

As they approached, Liam saw them—two women sitting in the booth with drinks in their hands and expressions frozen in awe. Both their gazes locked onto him like he had just descended from the heavens. One had honey-blonde curls, her lips painted in a deep wine-red, and the other had sleek black hair with fierce cat-lined eyes and flawless caramel skin.

The blonde one leaned forward, placing her glass down as her lips parted. "You must be Liam."

Liam raised an eyebrow. "I must be?"

She giggled softly, glancing at Kelly. "Kel’s been talking about you all week."

Liam blinked, surprise passing through his face before a slow smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He glanced sideways at Kelly, who casually looked away, trying—and failing—not to look flustered.

As Kelly slid back into the booth, she leaned toward her friends, lowering her voice but keeping that teasing lilt. "Don’t you two have something to do?"

The two girls shared a look. The blonde pouted dramatically. "But we wanna stay with him too."

"He’s way too hot to just leave," the other added.

Kelly didn’t say anything, just gave them that look—slightly narrowed eyes, a half tilt of her head, lips pressed tight.

The reaction was immediate. They groaned in unison.

"Ugh, fine," the blonde said, rising from the booth while smoothing her dress.

"We’ll be back in ten," the other winked at Liam as they walked away together, giggling and waving like high school girls after a crush.

Liam sat down beside Kelly, the booth’s leather cushions sinking beneath them as the party noise dulled slightly in their little corner. Kelly looked at him, lips curled slightly in amusement.

"Sorry about them."

"I don’t mind them," Liam said casually. But his eyes flicked past her, over her shoulder, toward the darker corners of the club. "But I do mind the fact that I’m being watched with murder in their eyes."

Kelly blinked. "What?"

Liam leaned back lazily, voice low, almost amused. "Five guys. Different booths. Acting like they’re enjoying the party, but they keep glancing over here. All eyes on me."

Kelly sighed quietly. She didn’t look surprised.

"They’re ZK’s men."

Liam’s expression sharpened a little. "ZK... that rapper?"

Kelly nodded. "Yeah. He’s more than just a rapper though. He owns this place. The label. The people."

Liam tilted his head, gears turning. "I know the name. I remember his stuff from a while back. He’s big, right? But why are his men watching you?"

Kelly hesitated. For a moment, her eyes dropped to the table in front of her, fingers playing lightly with the rim of her glass. Her lips pressed together, struggling to find the words.

Then she exhaled, her voice softer. "Because of my father."

Liam stayed quiet, letting her continue.

"My dad... he used to rap. Years ago. But he failed at it. Couldn’t keep up. And he fell into a lot of debt." She looked down at her drink again, swirling the contents in a slow circle. "When I started getting popular—when people started to notice me—he saw it as a way out."

Liam frowned. "So he sold your contract?"

"In a way," she said bitterly. "He made a deal with ZK. Told him I’d sign with his label. ZK gets full rights, promotions, control... everything. In exchange, my dad’s debts were wiped clean. I didn’t know until it was too late. I was already signed."

Liam leaned forward, his elbows on the table now, listening closely. "So ZK controls your music?"

Kelly nodded. "And my appearances. My location. What I say in interviews. Even what I wear sometimes."

Liam’s voice dropped. "Sounds like a prison."

"It is," she whispered.

He looked back toward the shadowy booths where the supposed partygoers continued watching them. They weren’t even hiding it anymore. One guy adjusted his seat, his jaw tight, watching Liam with thinly veiled disgust.

"So what," Liam said, his tone growing sharper, "they’re here to keep you in check?"

"They’re always around," Kelly muttered. "To make sure I don’t do anything stupid. Or... talk to people I’m not ’supposed’ to."

Liam narrowed his eyes slightly. "And I’m on that list?"

Kelly turned to look at him, something more vulnerable flashing behind her dark eyes. "I don’t know. But ZK’s possessive. And paranoid. If he thinks I’m even thinking of stepping out of line..."

Liam tapped his finger on the table. "You scared of him?"

"I’m not scared of him," she said.

Liam’s jaw tightened. He didn’t say anything for a moment. There was too much going through his head. The calm way she said it. The weight behind her words. ZK wasn’t just a control freak—he was dangerous.

"I get that you’re signed," Liam said finally. "But this watching... this stalking... it doesn’t feel like business."

Kelly looked up at him, eyes sad. "It’s not."

Liam leaned back, eyes scanning the club again. The flashing lights, the fake laughs, the shallow music. It all felt tainted now. Like a pretty cage with gold bars.

she said quietly. "That’s not all.".