Chapter 4 — The Bartender’s Challenge

Emma

The bell above the door jingled as I stepped into Sam’s Bar, my heels clicking against the scuffed wooden floors. The air smelled of whiskey and leather, underscored by something faintly earthy and worn-in. The dim lighting and mismatched furniture gave the place a kind of unpolished charm—definitely not my usual scene. But that was exactly why I was here. This wasn’t a social visit.