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Nyx crosses her arms. "If this arrangement affects your work in any way, or if it causes drama, or if it distracts you by causing problems for the staff, you're both out of here. Understood?"

"Understood," Ekon says.

Nyx's gaze shifts to me. "Yue?"

"Understood," I say through gritted teeth.

Eos claps her hands together. "Well, now that that's settled, let's celebrate! Drinks on the house."

"No," Nyx says. "We have work to do."

"Come on, Nyx. They just told us they're mates. That's a big deal."

"It's a big deal that I'll celebrate after we finish inventory."

Eos rolls her eyes but doesn't argue. Ekon takes my hand again, and I let him, even though I want to punch him in the face.

"Thank you," he says to the twins. "We appreciate your support."

Nyx doesn't respond, but Eos grins. "Anytime. And Yue? Congratulations. You finally got yourself a good one."

I force a smile. "Yeah. Lucky me."

The rest of the night is a fucking blur, like I've drank copious amounts of alcohol. Ekon doesn't leave my side after he dances on stage. Even when he's giving ladies a lap dance, he keeps his eyes on me. After them, he holds my hand as we walk through the club. The jackass pulls me into his lap when we sit at the bar. Then he kisses my temple, my cheek, my neck with small touches that make my skin burn and my pulse race.

Everyone notices, especially the main guys. Adwin congratulates us with a wide smile. Ashari makes a joke about how he knew we'd end up together. Desmond offers to buy us drinks. Even the guests seem to pick up on the shift, their eyes tracking us as we move through the club. By the end of the night, I'm exhausted.

Ekon walks me to the door, his arm draped across my shoulders. "You did great," he murmurs.

"I didn't do anything," I say. "You did all the talking."

"You stood by me. That's enough."

I pull away from him and cross my arms. "You shouldn't have told them without warning me."

"I know."

"You made it sound like this is real, Ekon. Like we're actually mates."

"We are," he says, and there's something in his voice that makes my chest tighten. "As far as they're concerned, we are. My parents are bound to come here before and after I get off work. They’ll want to meet our coworkers."

I shake my head. "This is a mistake."

"It's not."

“It is. What do we do once your parents leave?" I slam my hand on my chest. “What about me?”

"It’s not a mistake. Besides, once my parents leave… I’ll quit." The last part lands in the air heavily.

“Quit?” I murmur.

He steps closer, his gray eyes locked on mine. "Yeah. I’m invested in finding my mate, so please, trust me, Yue. This is going to work. I won’t let it backfire onto you."

I want to believe him. But as I watch him walk away, I can't shake the feeling that I've just made the biggest mistake of my life.

Chapter 12 Ekon

We enter Midnight Embers the next night, hands locked together until we arrive at the bar. No one is around, and Yue pulls her hand out of mine like I've burned her.