Chapter 1 Charm Club

Charm Club was one of the most high-end nightclubs in all of A City, favoring a ground-shaking sound system and dancehall atmosphere where passionate men and women grooved from dusk to dawn. This was a place where everyone got what they craved-total permission to feel elation and the sort of bond that was denied in the coldness of the outside world and beyond.

There were two girls sitting in a corner, a sight which seemed contradictory to the place. This was the first time Shirley Jiang had come to such a place; she preferred a quiet time at home instead of all the noise here. Her eyebrows furrowed with concern as she watched her friend, Chloe Ai, gulping down a few shots of tequila in succession. "Chloe, stop drinking. I think you've had enough for tonight."

"Shirley, you should drink as well! Alcohol is actually a good thing. It can make you forget all your troubles. Cheers!" Chloe was already so drunk that she put a bottle of brandy into Shirley's hand, despite her complaining, and opened another bottle nonchalantly. "You know, guys are stupid. I won't fall for his lies anymore. Bad...guy...I will never love..."

Shirley sighed, as she felt sorry for her poor friend who was trapped in a vicious cycle of love. Why was their path to love so difficult? Chloe resorted to alcohol to heal her freshly broken heart from a failed relationship and the man Shirley had feelings for, was to become her brother-in-law in less than 24 hours. If this was God's plan for the both of them, he was really good at playing tricks on people. If those men weren't meant for them, then why did God allow them to cross paths in the first place? Shirley raised the glass and gazed at its contents, wondering if it could really make her feel better. Would it really work? What if she got drunk for once? Would she forget all her troubles? Dismissing all the questions in her head, Shirley took a deep breath and gulped down the brandy in her glass. Then, she poured herself another drink.

Time flew apace, and the music never stopped, while a continuous stream of people walked in, presumably seeking the same thing as them-some solace from their heartaches. After they had gone through all the bottles they had on the table and Chloe's incoherent slurring stopped making sense, Shirley realized that it was time to go home. Shirley grabbed the table with both hands and somehow stood on her feet. However, when she tried to help Chloe up, she felt a sudden head rush, which forced her back to her seat. Dizzied, she shook her head without a conscious thought, hoping it would sober her up. Then, a familiar figure appeared at the nightclub. Shirley looked up at the person in disbelief, eyes squinting to get a better look. Perhaps she was starting to imagine things because she was drunk.

However, when she closed her eyes and opened them again, she saw his handsome face again and her heart fluttered. Stunned, she wondered if it could really be him. What was he doing here? After all, he was supposed to get married tomorrow. Of all the places in the city, why did he have to be there? The thought of him becoming her brother-in-law reignited feelings of sadness and despair inside of her.

Isaac Su was ensconced on the sofa, dressed sharply to match his dashing good-looks. He took a glass of wine from his friend and responded with a smile that lit up his handsome features.

"Isn't it great how happy events have a way of keeping people in high spirits?

Look, our friend, Isaac here has been snickering all night. His smile is such a rare sight to see! In fact, I'm his friend and even I don't get to see it as often. We are truly blessed to behold such a momentous occasion in our lives!" Zachary Han knew that he wouldn't get many opportunities like this to tease his friend, so he made sure to make the most of it. However, when he thought about one of his closest friends getting married tomorrow, he couldn't help feeling excited.

Isaac, however, remained cool and aloof. "Really? Rare?"

"Come on, don't be such a killjoy. I'm giving you a compliment. Why can't you just take it?"

Sitting on the sofa across them both with a giddy smile on his face, Wilson Lu chimed in. "I didn't expect Isaac to be the first one among us to get married."

"Wilson, are you sure that you don't want to be the next in line?" Charles Luo, who was flirting with a beautiful woman in his arms, turned away from the woman and winked at Wilson playfully.

Wilson quickly responded by playfully kicking Charles and said, "People say that marriage is the grave of love. I have no intentions of sending myself to an early grave!" He felt a pair of cold eyes on him as soon as he finished his sentence.

With a dangerous look in his dark eyes, Isaac stared at Wilson and said, "Are you trying to say that I am going to an early grave?"

"Well, Isaac, you will go to heaven. I give you my word!" Wilson laughed sheepishly, begging for mercy with his apologetic eyes.

"Everyone knows that your word has no value."

They all roared with laughter while Wilson huffed out of annoyance.

Zachary sat down next to Isaac with a cocktail in his hand which he had mixed by himself. "Come on, man! Let me propose a toast to you. This is my gift to you on your last night as a single man. Have a drink with me!"

Without hesitation, Isaac took the glass from Zachary and slugged it down. Despite his usual reserved demeanor, he seemed quite happy.