Ace of Tonight

(POV of Eliza Claire Gold)

‘Damn! It looks magnificent.’

I mumbled as I entered the vast hall of the VIP floor. It was more extravagantly decorated than the ground floor. A famous pianist was playing a gentle piano tune as some luxuriously dressed couples were swaying their bodies along with it. 

‘I should go and find Mr Hogg before anyone else recognises me here,’ I thought to myself as I paved my way through the crowd. Instead of taking the left, I turned right in the direction of the confidential area. 

That floor was specially reserved for the elite guests of the party so the security was also very strict there. The moment I tried to enter the corridor of the guests’ rooms, I was stopped by two guards who blocked my path, “May we see your ID card, Mam?”

“Sure, one minute”, I pretended for a moment to search inside my handbag. 

Then I flashed them a disappointed smile as I answered in my honeyed tone while playing with a strand of my hair, “I am so sorry. I just forgot it in the room.”

One guard replied instantly, “You can’t have access to the private lodgings without an ID, Mam.”

“But, I don’t have it with me right now. Do you just want me to stay in the hall the whole night,” I tried to sound as convincing as possible though I had a backup plan if they wouldn’t let me enter inside. 

The guards were stubborn indeed. They didn’t move away from the door. Instead, they suggested, “Mam, you can just call any of your acquaintances and ask them to bring your ID. I hope you have your mobile with you.”

“But the key to my guest room is also with me. How will they get hold of my ID?”

“I am sorry, Mam,” the guard insisted, “No ID card means no access to the VIP lodging. We can’t break our protocol. We can’t help you in any way.”

I sounded annoyed as I claimed, “What kind of behaviour is this? You can’t just let your VIP guests suffer in this way? Why don’t one of you accompany me to my room and check-”

“Impossible, Mam. We can’t let you enter at all.”

“That’s just clear disrespect. You can’t treat your guest like that,” I complained in a louder voice while trying to look as pitiful as possible. 

The guards were determined, “Pardon me, Mam. We can’t go against the rules. Unless you show us your ID, we can’t allow you to enter-”

“What is this commotion!”

The guard was interrupted by a deep and hoarse voice from behind. 

I turned my head promptly and I recognised the person. Mr Hogg was standing behind me in a grey tuxedo with a glass of whiskey in his hand. His fat face melted into a buttery smile as he approached me, “Why is such a beauty like you so annoyed? What is troubling you, Young lady?”

Flashing my most beautiful smile, I answered in a pitifully sweet voice while playing with the lustrous strands of my hair, “Just because I have forgotten my ID card in my room, they are not letting me enter, Mister.” Stealing an irritated glance in the direction of the guards, I mumbled helplessly, “What do I do now? I can’t spend the whole night in the hall at least. Should I return already?”

Mr. Hogg’s face enlightened with a wide grin as his hawk-like eyes scanned my seductive appearance intently; his gaze lurked on my perfectly shaped curves for a little longer. Approaching me, he claimed in a friendly voice, “I can’t see you suffer, Lady. May I offer my help to you?”

My eyes instantly sparkled as I answered, “Sure, I will be extremely grateful to you then.” After a little pause, I added coyly, “Only if it will not be a bother for you.”

He signed the guards to move aside as he answered me in the same polite tone, “No no, no need to be grateful. Would you like to join me?”

“Umm… Join where?”

“We are having a private party in the gambling den. Are you interested in poker?”

I shook my head in denial, “I have never played poker before but a private party sounds fun. Will it be okay if an outsider like me joins?”

“It will be more than okay.”

Mr Hogg chuckled proudly as he claimed while leading me to the poker room through the vast corridor, “Young lady, the host himself is inviting you to join the party. What will be not okay here?”

“Host!”

I pretended to be ashamed of the misunderstanding, “My bad! You are Mr Hogg. Really?”

“Yes?” He smirked, tilting his head in my direction.

“Pardon my ignorance, Mr Hogg. I didn’t recognise you.”

He removed his golden, glimmering masquerade mask, revealing the other half of his face, “I blame this silly masquerade theme. In the private room, you don’t need to follow any theme. Why don’t you remove it too? Let me see your pretty face.”

His eyes were focused on my face as he leaned a little closer while sniffing the tempting scent of my perfume. He was indeed very curious to see my face though he was already attracted to my body.

I returned him an enchanting smile, revealing my drop-dead gorgeous face. I was nervous but my face had that professional and perfect expression. My rare purple eyes glimmered like the cheerful lavenders of a sunny morning. 

There was both delicacy and strength in my face which could bewitch any male. While playing with my long golden hair like strands of lustrous glass, I looked up at him and mumbled in a seductive tone, “Will there be many important guests?”

“Not many but yes, all of them are big shots.”

“Is it really okay if I join? I am feeling kinda insecure, Mr. Hogg,” I asked, looking at him with my doe eyes.

A contented smirk brightened his chubby face as he leaned forward and fixed a strand of my hair gently, “Of course. I have barely seen a beauty like you. Your presence will be profitable tonight.”

Maybe, that was the reaction I was expecting from him. Now I didn’t need to worry about the securities and entry pass anymore, that guy was going to be my ticket to my goal. Pretending to act clueless, I asked, “Profitable? How so?”

He chuckled noisily while opening the door of the poker room, “You will get to see soon.”

‘Sure, it will be an extremely profitable party. But, for me only, Mr. Hogg,’ I thought to myself as my eyes began scanning my surroundings. 

The poker room was also colossal and it had a very sophisticated interior. Groups gathered around the boards, gambling and giggling cheerfully. I saw numerous familiar faces there. Most of them were celebrities and renowned industrialists of the Werewolf Kingdom. 

The moment they noticed Mr. Hogg, they greeted him warmly and some of them even crowded around him. Though I had a very pleasant smile on my face, I was observing each of them silently. Any of them could be part of a secret conspiracy against the Werewolf world.

Most of them left one by one after talking for a while except for a gorgeous lady with blonde hair and sharp eyes. It felt like she was close to him.

“Who is this girl, Mr. Hogg? I have never seen her before,” that gorgeous lady asked in her seductive tone while studying me from head to toe. Her golden dress was glimmering in the bright light.

Mr. Hogg’s face lit up in a wide smirk as he answered mysteriously, “My Ace of tonight! I am winning the bet, Juliet.”

I knew that he had an evil intention to use me that night. However, that hunter was unaware that he was going to be hunted that night by his prey. Turning to me, Mr. Hogg asked gently, “Would you like to have a drink, Young lady?”

“Mmmm, sure,” I smiled innocently, “A mojito will be perfect.”

Juliet giggled as she commented, “Mojito! She is so cute!” Pushing against Mr. Hogg’s shoulder, she added, winking playfully, “Red Wine for me, Waiter.”

It was clear that Juliet had a very friendly relationship with him. He left like an obedient kid to get our drinks, leaving me with Juliet.  

Juliet was a mysterious female though her werewolf aura wasn’t that strong. Coming closer to me, she asked in her tempting tone, “So, what is your name, Young lady? What do you do?”

“My name is Lily. I am working as an intern right now,” I answered casually.

Juliet frowned slightly, “Which company?”

“Zen Company.”

It was my fake identity to conceal my profession as a honey bee. 

Juliet smiled mysteriously as she leaned closer, “Oh! That company is also our partner. You work under me. You better follow all my orders, Young lady?”

She flashed a teasing smile at me. Even in her late thirties, she had a bewitching beauty. It was hard not to look at her.

I returned her smile, “I should be very cautious around you then.” She was wearing a very sweet perfume, “Your perfume smells so good, Mam. What is the name of the brand?” That praise slipped my tongue. But, Juliet was a very friendly lady, maybe kind.

She suddenly grabbed my wrist and sprayed that tempting fragrance there as she replied gently, “It’s called mystic dew. Have it.” She just shoved that fancy vial in my hand. I was hesitating to take it but that sweet fragrance was indeed tempting. 

I felt attracted to it as if I wasn’t getting enough of it.

“That’s- Wait! That’s Sasha!”

My eyes widened instantly as I noticed Sasha running through the crowd in a hurry. Hastily, I took a step back as I blurted out, addressing Juliet, “Give me a moment! I need to use the washroom.”