The restaurant doors shut behind them with a soft click, sealing away the warmth of steam-filled bamboo baskets and the faint aroma of soup dumplings.

The quiet street outside greeted them with a cool breeze. Neon reflections glimmered across wet pavement as Macau continued pulsing with its usual nighttime heartbeat.

Katarina inhaled deeply and stretched her arms lightly above her head.

"Well," she said with a small exhale, "that hit the spot."

"It really did," Liam smiled in agreement.

"So, champion of the casino… what's next for you tonight? Conquer another table? Cause a small economic crisis for another casino house? Or gather a group of girls for an all night orgy?" She turned to him and asked, with her eyes filled with curiosity.

Liam laughed under his breath and replied, "Actually… clubbing."

Katarina laughed in a warm, disbelieving sound, when she heard Liam's response.

"Clubbing? You? What, to celebrate your two hundred million?" She asked.

"No. I just want to experience it. I've never been to a club before," Liam said, genuinely amused.

Katarina froze mid-step and her brows lifted slightly.

"Never?" She asked in slight surprise.

"Never."

She squinted at him, leaning forward as if trying to see a lie hiding behind his eyes.

"You're joking."

Liam only shrugged.

Realization flickered across Katarina's face. She stepped back and laughed openly in an elegant, melodic sound that turned a few passing heads.

"You're serious," she said, touching her forehead. "My god. You really meant it."

Liam gave a honest, relaxed smile, neither being defensive nor embarrassed.

"You sit at a table with killers, sharks, and multi-millionaires—not flinching once—and this is the thing you've never done?" Katarina asked, shaking her head slowly.

"Apparently."

She looked up at the sky as if trying to understand what kind of creature she had spent her evening with.

"Amazing," she muttered. "Absolutely amazing."

Liam chuckled, letting her enjoy the moment.

After a moment, she exhaled. "I'd go with you. Really, I would. Watching you experience clubbing for the first time sounds priceless. But…" She glanced at her watch. "I have a flight back to Russia in four hours."

"Ah. That's soon," Liam asked.

"Very." She gave a regretful smile. "I flew into Macau just for a business negotiation that ended yesterday. Then I stayed one extra night to unwind." She paused. "And somehow lost fifty million dollars to a man who says he's never been to a nightclub."

"Sorry," Liam winced jokingly.

"Don't be. I can afford it. And honestly? It was worth the entertainment," she said, poking his arm lightly.

She pulled out her phone and extended it toward him. "Exchange contacts?"

Liam accepted the phone and typed in his real number. Then he saved it under his real name.

When he returned the phone, Katarina stared at the screen.

"…Liam?" she read aloud, confused. "Your name isn't Ethan?"

"No," Liam replied casually. "It's Liam."

Katarina stared at him for a long moment. Then she looked at the name again, then at him. Then laughed loudly, pressing a hand to her mouth as her shoulders shook.

"You—are—full of surprises," she said between breaths.

Liam shrugged.

She calmed down and tucked her phone away. Her eyes softened a little, carrying a kind of respect she hadn't shown earlier at the poker table.

"Do you want me to drop you off?" Liam asked politely.

She shook her head. "My guards are nearby with my car. They'll escort me."

"Then… goodnight," Liam nodded.

"Goodnight, Liam."

He turned and began walking toward his Range Rover.

But halfway there, Katarina called out suddenly, "Wait."

Liam paused and glanced back.

Her eyes narrowed, as she asked. "Are you the same Liam Scott everyone's been talking about lately?"

Liam didn't confirm or deny, and simply smiled. Then he stepped into his car and closed the door.

Katarina stood there, hands on her hips, shaking her head with a stunned grin.

"Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable," she whispered.

She looked toward the sky, scoffing in disbelief.

"Who would imagine…" she murmured. "The infamous Liam Scott—the obsession of global media and the financial—the one every government wants a meeting with… turns out to be the same man who bluffed me off a pot and took half the table's money."

Her smile grew wider.

"The world truly is full of surprises."

One of her bodyguards approached her. "Miss?"

She waved him off lightly. "Let's go. And remind me… I'm inviting him to Russia one day."

"Yes, Miss."

She gave one last glance in the direction Liam drove off, then entered her car.

***

Liam was already shifting gears onto the main road, with Macau's nightlife wrapping around him like a living neon river.

He followed the GPS through Macau's bright corridors, past glittering skyscrapers and packed sidewalks. Eventually, he arrived at one of the city's biggest nightclubs—an enormous structure pulsing with LED light panels, vibrating faintly with deep bass even from the parking area and a long queue that stretched almost around the block.

Liam parked the car and stepped out and started walking to the entrance.

Walking toward the entrance, he realized that he would have to wait a long time before he can gain entrance into the establishment.

The line wasn't moving fast. The bouncers scanned IDs slowly and turned away almost every third person.

They'll probably think I'm underage and send me home. Liam sighed inwardly.

He wasn't offended by the idea, only inconvenienced.

He considered simply slipping in using his abilities and he considered calling the family office to get instant VIP treatment.

He considered creating a fake authority entry profile. But he wanted to experience the night normally.

He was still thinking about it when something unusual happened.

The line… shifted. Actually, it was cleared.

People looked confused as the group ahead of him was suddenly ushered aside.

Liam frowned slightly and turned his head.

A young woman in a sleek modern uniform—clearly high-ranking staff—was walking quickly toward him. Beside her, a tall security guard kept pace.

They stopped in front of him and bowed slightly.

"Good evening, sir," the woman said with a respectful tone. "Welcome to Eclipse Nightclub. Please allow us to escort you inside."

Liam blinked in confusion, then he realised what was happening: they used his fake name.

So word really did spread fast.

When he thought about it, there was no way that the news of someone winning more than $220m won't spread like wildfire among establishments like this.

"Lead the way," Liam smiled.

As he followed them, he muttered under his breath, "…Money really does make the world go round."

The two staff members guided him past the entire waiting line. Dozens of eyes followed him—some jealous, some annoyed, some curious. But none dared complain.

The fact that he had walked out of the casino with over $220 million was more than enough for the club to treat him like a VIP—easily granting him the privilege of skipping a line of more than fifty people.

The nightclub entrance had two sets of doors—an exterior one that blocked street noise, and an interior one that sealed in the club's soundscape.

The exterior door opened first and a faint thump… thump… thump seeped through.

The interior door remained closed, keeping the real explosion of sound inside.

"Impressive soundproofing," Liam nodded silently in approval.

"We aim to provide the best experience possible," The woman smiled and reached for the second door.

When she opened the second door, the world changed instantly.

A tsunami of music, bass, lights, screams, laughter and energy rushed over Liam in a single overwhelming wave.

He stepped forward, eyes brightening just a little.

The club was a cascade of chaotic color, with laser lights slicing through smoky air, hundreds of bodies moving in sync with the beat, dancers on elevated platforms and chandeliers pulsing with timed lighting

It was loud, wild and alive.

A small genuine smile crossed Liam's face when he saw the scene.

This—this mess of heat, music, bodies, and rhythm—was so unlike his life, so unlike the controlled, calculated world he usually operated in.

He stepped deeper inside as the door shut behind him.

The night had only begun and he intended to experience every second of it.

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