Chapter 39

There is something not right about this place...I note to myself as we walk around the reception hall greeting and speaking with random people who somehow know Alexander and me. The party is like what I expected it to be...lots of people dressed to the nines holding glasses of wine here and there making efforts at small talk. Alexander holds me by my waist as he converses with a boring-looking old man who seems to be very interested in what he has to say.

Dressed in a floor-length X-cross back, Grecian neckline, black dress with kitten heels on my feet. My lips are painted a dark red colour to complement my dark shadowed eyes that Adam helped me apply, my hair is swept to the side in soft curls and held in place with a long silver hairpin. He even made me wear contacts.

Looking around the room, I can subtly tell that this is not your typical function, with the strange uptight presence everyone here seems to carry themselves with and the strange men in suits that lurk around every other exit give me a sense of deja vu. This aura that I'm getting from everyone here reminds me of the auras at child slave auctions held by Peter Killingsworth who was and probably still is one of Europe's top human trafficking bosses, but then again it could just be me being paranoid.

After what happened in the hotel room, it's expected that I'm jumpy. The nap allowed me to rest my overwhelmed mind and it's clear to me now that I'm being watched. Stepping away from Alexander with the excuse that I'm going to check out the spread of mini foods on the other side of the room, I smile politely to other guests who return my smile. The pictures are proof of that. With the guards I know Mr Lee has around his estate it should have been impossible for anyone to take those photos but somehow they did.

I have a slight hunch on who ordered the pictures to be taken but the theory of it just doesn't add up to me.

"Excuse me," A server appears at my side just as I am reaching for one of the mini cheesecakes, holding a tray with a champagne flute and a folded piece of paper.

"I'm sorry," I smile softly holding my hand up to the nervous waiter in decline. "I didn't order a drink."

"That man over there ordered this drink for you," He replies quickly, his eyes darting in the said man's general direction as he holds his silver tray to me.

Glancing over in the direction the waiter's eyes went, my heart skips a beat when I see Eugene leaning against the wall by the floor-to-ceiling windows that give the room a skyline view of Taiwan. Staring back at me with a smirk on his face, he tips his glass of amber-coloured liquid in my direction telling me to take the flute and note before me.

What is he doing here?

With a forced smile on my lips, I turn back to the waiter to take the champagne and the note. Disappearing with his tray, I place the champagne flute on the dessert table to open the note, my lips form a straight line when I read his note.

Grabbing the drink on the table, I head in his direction with a smile on my face, pushing my way past some people who either apologise for being in my way or just ignore me. Straightening up once I'm near him, Eugene clinks his drink against mine.

"Cater Logans is here," He says softly before he takes a sip of his drink, eyeing the crowd over my shoulder. "He's the secondary host of this function. Did Alexander tell you what this event is?"

Following his lead, I lift and tip the flute at my mouth, not drinking the liquid, shaking my head in response to his question. My eyes watching the crowd from the reflection of the window, looking out for Carter Logans's familiar physic.

"Isn't he known as Edward West in the legal business world?" I ask him, scanning the crowd behind me.

"Yes, he is and he'll be wearing a disguise as well. You know what he's like," He winces at his own words, realising the meaning of his words. "I didn't mean that. This event is a charity event for orphans. Ironic isn't it?"

"I'm sure the funds are used to fund Sangue Nero's drug cartels," I murmur, turning my attention to his face. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here because apparently, I got an invitation as well," He responds uncomfortably, shifting his weight on his feet. "This event is usually held in America so I've never gone and from the looks of it, Alexander doesn't either seeing how the other guests are fawning over him."

This is getting even more suspicious by the minute. The gears in my head turn wildly as I try to make out a reason why both Alexander and Eugene would be invited to this faux charity event which both of them have never attended before.

For Alexander, it's probably because he has money and was in town at the time but for Eugene...it just doesn't make sense to me.

"Mrs Holt, Mr Holt has asked me to inform you that he is waiting for you in the ballroom," a man in a tuxedo informs me curtly, his hand outstretched in the direction of the double-doored entrance of the ballroom.

"Oh...alright...," I stutter as the man guides me towards the ballroom.

If my mind weren't full of possibilities of why Eugene might be invited here tonight, I would have noticed that the reception room was still full of people conversing and drinking. If my mind were clear I would have noticed Alexander still speaking to the old man.

But...I didn't.

The second I entered the ballroom, I noticed the change in atmosphere. Standing on the stage at the other end of the ballroom is Cater Logans. My first instinct is to head for the door behind me but after a few tugs on the handle, I find that it's locked.

Crabs...

"Mrs Holt...Ah, I really cannot see myself ever calling you that," He chuckles over the microphone, his voice making my skin crawl. "Ms Ootori. Yes, that is much better. Ms Ootori, how nice of you to make an appearance tonight."

Balling my fists by my sides, I begin walking along the length of the ballroom, avoiding the tables. The thick carpet floor eats up the sound of my heels against the floor causing the room to be eerily silent.

Standing a few meters away from the stage so that he can hear me without me having to shout, I gauge the distance between me and the table nearest to me to be about two arms away making it accessible in the event that he pulls out a gun on me.

Dressed in a white shirt with a black blazer and dress pants with black leather shoes, he changed his hair colour to midnight black but what changes his appearance exceptionally is the prosthetic nose and cheeks. He's also used coloured contacts to change his blue eyes to a dark forest green.

"I could say the same about your appearance, Mr Logans," I say steadily, meeting his eyes. "Well done on the prosthetics. If you hadn't opened your mouth I wouldn't have known it was you."

Placing the microphone on the speaker stand with a loud squawk, he steps off of the stage chuckling amusedly as he makes his way towards me. My nails dig into my palms painfully as every step he takes brings him closer to me.

"I expected more from you, Alastora," He sighs, stopping right in front of me, his hand tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. "You fell so easily into my trap. I thought you were more observant but I guess I thought wrong."

"How do you know I fell into your trap?" I ask him back, my voice low and threatening. "What if I wanted to see the face of the man who is trying so hard to get my attention?"

A short burst of laughter comes out of his mouth as he wags his finger in my face as if I just told him a very good joke but he stops abruptly, narrowing his eyes on me as he says gravely, "Don't fool yourself, darling. You know you fucked up the second you stepped into this ballroom."

Crab... Hesitantly, I look over his shoulder to see four beefy men in suits walking in my direction, examining their surface appearance I grind my teeth when I see guns by their sides in holsters. The short-range kind but they still could do some damage if they hit vitals.

Turning my eyes back onto Carter Logans, I swear softly under my breath when I see the horrible smile spread across his face. Gathering the skirt of my dress in my hand, I turn on my heel and run towards the doors of the ballroom.

"Got you, bitch," Someone growls behind me as a large hand lands tightly on my shoulder just as I reach the doors.

As if.

Grabbing the hand, I twist it as far back as it can go, jumping lightly I slam my knee on the twisted arm, breaking it cleanly in half so that he can't use it.

Using the tip of my foot, I kick the back of his knee so that he loses his balance and is on one knee on the floor. Quickly letting go of his arm, I raise my other leg to kick him in the gut but he catches it, easily throwing me backwards.

My butt hits the floor with a heavy thump and I scramble to get back on my feet as three of the four men come charging at me with full force. The glint of a blade in the light of the ballroom catches my eye and let go of my dress to stop the blade from striking me.

"Are you that much of a coward that you can't fight me yourself?" I shout tauntingly to Carter Logans as I transfer the handle of the blade into my hand, slashing the man's cheek as I turn to face his friend who appears beside me.

"Just making sure the product is good before I invest in it," Carter taunts back as he watches me fight his beefy guards. "Don't want a faulty buy now do we?"

Channelling my rage into my blade, I slice the blade cleanly through the air, hitting his jugular, and spurting warm crimson liquid in my direction. The man steps back from me in shock as he holds his hand to his neck in an attempt to save as much blood as possible.

Seeing the man bleed out before I flick a switch in my head and when two of the last two standing men come at me at the same time, my hands shake as the scent of iron fills my lungs with every breath I take, but regardless I am ready for them. Jerking the one closest to me forward using his shoulder I slam the blade of the already bloody knife into his throat causing him to stumble backwards with the blade lodged in his neck.

Hearing the simple click of a firing pin being pulled back, I stop short of turning around to face my final assailant. The barrel of the gun pressed into the back of my head making the hairs on my arms stand as Carter Logans watches amusedly.