THE NIGHT CLUB — Episode 3
“Heat in the Darkness”
The music downstairs changed again—harder, hotter, more provocative. From the balcony, Judith could see bodies grinding to the rhythm, the club glowing in shades of crimson like a heartbeat gone wild.
But up here… everything was colder.
Maria’s whisper still lingered in Judith’s ear like a poison:
“I want everything.”
Judith tried to steady her breathing, but Mack and William standing opposite each other like two wolves ready to kill didn’t help.
“Judith,” William said first, his voice soft but trembling with anger, “you don’t have to stay in this madness. Let me take you home.”
Mack stepped forward. “She’s not leaving with you.”
William scoffed. “And you think she’s leaving with you?”
Mack didn’t blink. “She kissed me.”
“It was a game,” William snapped.
Judith swallowed. “Stop… please.”
But the two men weren’t listening.
William moved closer to her, brushing his thumb gently along her hand. “Judith, I’m not trying to rush anything. I just want you safe.”
Safe.
Warm.
Comforted.
His touch was careful, respectful, almost protective.
Then Mack’s hand landed on her waist—firm, demanding.
“You’re safe with me too,” Mack murmured. “But I won’t pretend I don’t want you.”
A shiver ran through Judith—his touch was hot, possessive, the kind that made her legs weaken.
William’s jaw tightened. “Judith, you don’t owe him anything.”
Maria leaned against the railing, smiling wickedly. “Actually… she owes all of us something now.”
Judith turned sharply. “Maria, what do you want from me? Why are you doing this?”
Maria walked toward her… slow… graceful… almost seductive.
She circled Judith, her fingers lightly brushing Judith’s shoulder, making her shiver.
“Because, darling,” Maria whispered, “you walked into my club looking like a fantasy… and you kissed the one man every woman here wants.”
Her lips curled.
“And the one man every woman fears.”
Judith felt Mack stiffen behind her.
“And William…” Maria continued, eyes shifting to him, “sweet, perfect William. Do you have any idea how many girls here pray he’ll look at them just once?”
William exhaled sharply. “Maria, enough.”
“No,” Maria said, her voice low and dangerous. “Judith needs to understand the stage she stepped onto.”
Maria’s face softened—almost lovingly—but her eyes remained sharp.
“When two men like Mack and William want the same woman, Judith… the whole club watches.”
Judith shook her head, voice cracking. “I didn’t ask for this.”
Maria smirked. “But they did.”
Judith turned—both men were staring at her like she was the only thing breathing in the room.
William’s eyes—warm, steady, longing.
Mack’s eyes—dark, burning, hungry.
Judith felt heat run down her spine.
“Enough talking,” Mack said, stepping closer. “Judith, come with me.”
William stepped in front of her instantly. “No.”
Mack’s voice dropped lower. “Move.”
Their faces were inches apart.
This wasn’t just tension.
This was a storm waiting to explode.
Judith felt panic rising—she didn’t want anyone hurt because of her.
She grabbed both their hands.
“Stop! Please. Both of you.”
Their attention snapped to her.
Judith’s voice trembled.
“I just wanted to forget my breakup. I didn’t come here to choose between anyone. I don’t even know what any of this is.”
William’s expression softened instantly.
Mack’s eyes narrowed, hurt flashing for a moment—quick, almost invisible.
Maria sighed dramatically. “Fine. If you children won’t choose, the club will.”
Judith blinked. “What do you mean?”
Maria pointed down at the dance floor.
A crowd was gathering.
A circle opening in the center.
And the DJ’s voice echoed:
“ROUND TWO OF THE MIDNIGHT GAMES… THE SLOW-BURN DANCE.”
Clara gasped. “Judith, oh my god…”
Hope covered her mouth. “This is bad.”
Judith’s heart thudded.
“What’s the slow-burn dance?”
Maria leaned in, smiling like the devil.
“It’s simple, darling. You go down there… and dance.”
Judith frowned. “Dance with who?”
Maria answered softly—
“With whoever claims you first.”
Suddenly, the lights in the club shifted to deep red.
The DJ shouted:
“Judith… come to the floor.”
Judith froze.
The club was chanting her name.
Clara grabbed her arm. “You don’t have to do this!”
Hope whispered, “Babies, this is getting too dangerous.”
But Mack’s hand was already on her waist.
“Judith,” he said quietly, “if you go down there… I’m dancing with you.”
William stepped beside her.
“So am I.”
Judith’s breath caught.
“B—but the game… only allows one partner…”
Maria’s smile grew.
“Exactly.”
Judith felt the world closing in.
Two men.
One dance.
One choice she wasn’t ready to make.
And the entire club waiting.
Her legs felt weak as the spotlight found her again.
Clara whispered urgently, “Babies… who are you going with?”
Judith opened her mouth—
—but before she could speak, Mack stepped down the stairs first, heading toward the floor like a predator claiming his prize.
William gently took Judith’s hand.
“You don’t have to follow him.”
But Judith’s body…
her heart…
her heat…
were all pulling her somewhere she didn’t understand.
She looked at William.
Then at Mack below.
Then at Maria watching with sharp eyes.
Judith swallowed hard.
“I… I think…”
Her voice shook.
“I think I need to follow where my body is pulling me.”
Her fingers slipped from William’s hand.
She stepped toward the stairs.
Her pulse raced.
Her body tingled.
Her breath hitched.
And she walked down…
Straight toward Mack.
William’s heart broke silently.
Maria smiled in triumph.
And Mack turned around the moment he felt her presence, eyes dark and victorious.
The game was no longer a game.
It was a war.
And Judith had just chosen her first side.
Follow for more on Heart's Whisper
“Heat in the Darkness”
The music downstairs changed again—harder, hotter, more provocative. From the balcony, Judith could see bodies grinding to the rhythm, the club glowing in shades of crimson like a heartbeat gone wild.
But up here… everything was colder.
Maria’s whisper still lingered in Judith’s ear like a poison:
“I want everything.”
Judith tried to steady her breathing, but Mack and William standing opposite each other like two wolves ready to kill didn’t help.
“Judith,” William said first, his voice soft but trembling with anger, “you don’t have to stay in this madness. Let me take you home.”
Mack stepped forward. “She’s not leaving with you.”
William scoffed. “And you think she’s leaving with you?”
Mack didn’t blink. “She kissed me.”
“It was a game,” William snapped.
Judith swallowed. “Stop… please.”
But the two men weren’t listening.
William moved closer to her, brushing his thumb gently along her hand. “Judith, I’m not trying to rush anything. I just want you safe.”
Safe.
Warm.
Comforted.
His touch was careful, respectful, almost protective.
Then Mack’s hand landed on her waist—firm, demanding.
“You’re safe with me too,” Mack murmured. “But I won’t pretend I don’t want you.”
A shiver ran through Judith—his touch was hot, possessive, the kind that made her legs weaken.
William’s jaw tightened. “Judith, you don’t owe him anything.”
Maria leaned against the railing, smiling wickedly. “Actually… she owes all of us something now.”
Judith turned sharply. “Maria, what do you want from me? Why are you doing this?”
Maria walked toward her… slow… graceful… almost seductive.
She circled Judith, her fingers lightly brushing Judith’s shoulder, making her shiver.
“Because, darling,” Maria whispered, “you walked into my club looking like a fantasy… and you kissed the one man every woman here wants.”
Her lips curled.
“And the one man every woman fears.”
Judith felt Mack stiffen behind her.
“And William…” Maria continued, eyes shifting to him, “sweet, perfect William. Do you have any idea how many girls here pray he’ll look at them just once?”
William exhaled sharply. “Maria, enough.”
“No,” Maria said, her voice low and dangerous. “Judith needs to understand the stage she stepped onto.”
Maria’s face softened—almost lovingly—but her eyes remained sharp.
“When two men like Mack and William want the same woman, Judith… the whole club watches.”
Judith shook her head, voice cracking. “I didn’t ask for this.”
Maria smirked. “But they did.”
Judith turned—both men were staring at her like she was the only thing breathing in the room.
William’s eyes—warm, steady, longing.
Mack’s eyes—dark, burning, hungry.
Judith felt heat run down her spine.
“Enough talking,” Mack said, stepping closer. “Judith, come with me.”
William stepped in front of her instantly. “No.”
Mack’s voice dropped lower. “Move.”
Their faces were inches apart.
This wasn’t just tension.
This was a storm waiting to explode.
Judith felt panic rising—she didn’t want anyone hurt because of her.
She grabbed both their hands.
“Stop! Please. Both of you.”
Their attention snapped to her.
Judith’s voice trembled.
“I just wanted to forget my breakup. I didn’t come here to choose between anyone. I don’t even know what any of this is.”
William’s expression softened instantly.
Mack’s eyes narrowed, hurt flashing for a moment—quick, almost invisible.
Maria sighed dramatically. “Fine. If you children won’t choose, the club will.”
Judith blinked. “What do you mean?”
Maria pointed down at the dance floor.
A crowd was gathering.
A circle opening in the center.
And the DJ’s voice echoed:
“ROUND TWO OF THE MIDNIGHT GAMES… THE SLOW-BURN DANCE.”
Clara gasped. “Judith, oh my god…”
Hope covered her mouth. “This is bad.”
Judith’s heart thudded.
“What’s the slow-burn dance?”
Maria leaned in, smiling like the devil.
“It’s simple, darling. You go down there… and dance.”
Judith frowned. “Dance with who?”
Maria answered softly—
“With whoever claims you first.”
Suddenly, the lights in the club shifted to deep red.
The DJ shouted:
“Judith… come to the floor.”
Judith froze.
The club was chanting her name.
Clara grabbed her arm. “You don’t have to do this!”
Hope whispered, “Babies, this is getting too dangerous.”
But Mack’s hand was already on her waist.
“Judith,” he said quietly, “if you go down there… I’m dancing with you.”
William stepped beside her.
“So am I.”
Judith’s breath caught.
“B—but the game… only allows one partner…”
Maria’s smile grew.
“Exactly.”
Judith felt the world closing in.
Two men.
One dance.
One choice she wasn’t ready to make.
And the entire club waiting.
Her legs felt weak as the spotlight found her again.
Clara whispered urgently, “Babies… who are you going with?”
Judith opened her mouth—
—but before she could speak, Mack stepped down the stairs first, heading toward the floor like a predator claiming his prize.
William gently took Judith’s hand.
“You don’t have to follow him.”
But Judith’s body…
her heart…
her heat…
were all pulling her somewhere she didn’t understand.
She looked at William.
Then at Mack below.
Then at Maria watching with sharp eyes.
Judith swallowed hard.
“I… I think…”
Her voice shook.
“I think I need to follow where my body is pulling me.”
Her fingers slipped from William’s hand.
She stepped toward the stairs.
Her pulse raced.
Her body tingled.
Her breath hitched.
And she walked down…
Straight toward Mack.
William’s heart broke silently.
Maria smiled in triumph.
And Mack turned around the moment he felt her presence, eyes dark and victorious.
The game was no longer a game.
It was a war.
And Judith had just chosen her first side.
Follow for more on Heart's Whisper
