Page 54

Valeria

“ H ave you heard about Zyon having a different date of birth than his brothers?” Alice asked, munching on her fourth ghost cake. My teeth hurt from the sweetness she was able to chew.

“What?” I tore my glance from the triplets approaching the guests.

“Zyon was born minutes before midnight?” I asked, a smile tugging on my lips. He had to be special in every way.

“Half an hour, actually,” Alice replied, scanning the green slime drink. “His mother couldn’t give birth to all three of them naturally. His brothers were born through C-section.” She shrugged, changing her glass for a blood bag. “This story almost had a very tragic end.”

I looked away from her, watching Zyon shake hands with another group of guests. He was surrounded by people, and everyone wanted to congratulate him and his brothers. They spent a few seconds with everybody, politely showing their gratitude.

My eyes left Zyon’s face, glancing behind him. Before the podium with the DJ, a massive table covered with presents was set. Guests constantly brought new, perfectly wrapped boxes, bags, and baskets .

I’d given money to Tasha, who bought a present for the triplets from the employees of Vortex, but I also had something else for Zyon.

When I was absolutely sure he was my stalker, I decided to give him something more personal than a gift basket full of expensive alcohol and sweets.

But I also couldn’t give it to him in public.

I wished to speak to him, congratulate him, and discuss our situation, but seeing the crowd surrounding him, my hope dissipated. It would be a miracle if he noticed me.

Just when the thought crossed my mind, Zyon lifted his eyes and met my gaze. My heart painfully missed a beat, and my breath stuck in my throat. My body felt like it was shot by an intense bolt of electricity that made my every nerve tingle.

I stared at him as if hypnotized, unable to look away. A man in a Freddy Krueger mask approached him, but he waved him off and left his brothers to deal with guests.

It took Zyon less than ten seconds to stand before me, his dark eyes burning with happiness and excitement. His painted lips stretched into a playful smile as he watched me like a dessert he wanted to devour.

“Good evening, Valeria,” he greeted me in his typical deep voice, waking up my deepest desires. It wasn’t his usual stalker voice, but it was enough to remind me of all our encounters.

“Hello,” I breathed, holding my hand out for a shake. “And happy birthday, Mr. Zhumagulov.”

“Thank you.” He took my hand gently but firmly. My skin instantly reacted to the touch of his warm palm. My heart beat so fast it almost burst through my ribcage and jumped into his embrace. Our eyes were glued together, ignoring the world around us.

The awkward coughing broke the spell between us, and I frowned at Alice, who pretended to choke on another cake. Zyon’s delicious lips curled into a smile when he scrutinized her as she gulped the remaining drink and wiped her mouth.

“Sorry. Wrong tube,” she exhaled, rubbing her chest. “Anyway, happy birthday, Zyon.”

“Thanks, Alice,” he answered. “Are you enjoying the party?”

“Yes, it’s terrific.” She smiled, moving her glasses up with her index finger. “Ghost cakes are a dream come true. ”

“I’m happy to hear it. What about the decorations?” he continued in polite small talk with my best friend when I felt his fingers brush against the back of my hand.

It was a tender touch, as if the feather met my skin, sending shivers down my spine. I instinctively moved closer as if some magnetic force pushed me toward him, and I slowly entwined our fingers.

Zyon easily conversed with Alice, who was oblivious to what was happening under her nose.

My body was charged with electricity and desire for this man.

He chased away all the bad feelings from the last couple of days with his overpowering presence.

I felt lightheaded like someone had dropped a drug into my drink, but it was only Zyon and the effect he had on me.

I finally let go of the fear that tied me like an iron chain and allowed the power radiating off him to soothe me.

I didn’t pay attention to the dialogue between Zyon and Alice. I was too engrossed in enjoying the calmness that settled in my chest. I only woke up from my reverie when Dorian slammed Zyon’s shoulder hard and apologized for the interruption.

“I need you in the VIP, Zee,” he said, casting his older brother a sharp look. “Players want to start with one million buy-in, and Stefano Gravaldis asked for a loan.”

“Arrange the money for him,” Zyon commanded, letting go of my hand. He took the phone from the inner pocket of his jacket, checking the text messages. “Laszlo and Czaba are on their way from the airport. Our Hungarian friends will want to play. Save them seats.”

Dorian nodded, casting a fake smile at the hot woman who walked past us and flirtatiously winked at him.

“What else do you need, Dorian?” Zyon asked, sounding impatient. “I’ll be in VIP in five minutes.”

Instead of answering, Dorian turned to Alice, who blinked at him in confusion.

“Please, help the dealer prepare the table,” he said, taking the drink from her. She grimaced, evidently disagreeing with his actions, but he didn’t care. “The girl is new and has no experience with major games. I didn’t expect these players to come.”

“Okay,” she agreed, frowning at the glass in his hand. Reluctantly, she left us, heading to the other side of the spacious hall .

“Now that we are alone,” Dorian started, his usually smiling face turning too serious for my liking.

“Chester Kellerman wants to play, Zyon,” he announced, looking at me instead of his glowering brother.

“I don’t know how he got inside and from where he has so much money to play with.

Valeria, do you know something about it? ”

“If you’re asking if I gave him my invitation…” I asked in apparent disbelief. “I would never—”

“Hey, hey.” Zyon took my hand, interrupting me.

I didn’t understand why I immediately assumed the worst and attempted to defend myself against this outrageous accusation.

“He didn’t mean that, Valeria,” Zyon said soothingly, brushing his thumb against the back of my hand.

“We just need to know if you noticed something about your husband’s extracurricular activities. ”

I stared into his dark eyes, my chin quivering.

I didn’t want to have this conversation surrounded by guests at his birthday party.

It wasn’t the right time or place. I had already thought about waiting until the morning so I didn’t ruin his night, but seeing his baffled look, I knew I had to give him something.

Chester’s presence suggested trouble. He didn’t have the money for a big game against the Zhumagulovs and others. I believed he had another agenda besides beating them.

“Chester knows,” I said, squeezing Zyon’s hand tightly. “He has known the entire time.”

“Fuck,” Dorian hissed on my right side, but my eyes were glued to Zyon’s shocked face.

Not even the heavy makeup could cover the horror reflected on his face. All my assumptions were confirmed at that exact moment. He hid his identity to protect me from my husband, and knowing Chester knew about us was a tremendous shock.

We thought the same. I saw it in his glistening eyes. My husband was up to something.

“How—” Zyon started in a strained voice, but I quickly cut him off without learning what he wanted to ask.

“It doesn’t matter,” I replied, glimpsing at a nervous Dorian, who checked his buzzing phone.

“We must go, Zyon,” he prompted, but Zyon didn’t want to let go of me .

“I’m…” he whispered, barely audible. The music and chatter around us killed his quiet words.

“Go do your job, Zyon,” I said firmly. We had time to have this conversation later. “They are waiting for you.”

“We need to talk,” he uttered, tenderly cupping my chin. The familiar touch caused my body to shiver.

“We will,” I promised with a tiny smile, moving his fingers away from my skin. It almost brought me physical pain to push him away, but he had to get to the bottom of my husband’s plans.

Zyon hesitated for a moment but eventually left with Dorian. I stood alone in the middle of the room, surrounded by slot machines and guests who ignored me.

I observed the crowd for almost half an hour, enjoyed colorful drinks, and said hi to my colleagues, but my mind constantly drifted to the VIP room. I fought with myself not to go closer to the saloon where the game was in play, but my legs carried me there anyway.

My curiosity was stronger than anything. I couldn’t imagine why Chester attended this party. And one million dollars was way above his limit to play with.

Maybe he had a few thousand hidden somewhere, but he was nothing compared to Zyon and his filthy rich friends. It must have been something else that brought him here.

My heart clenched with fear when an idea popped up out of nowhere.

The last time Zyon threw a party, the Balloon room in his casino exploded.

I turned on my heels, staring with dread that clutched my insides at the people enjoying themselves.

If I was right, they had no idea what kind of danger they were in.

Finishing my glass abruptly, I felt a burning sensation in my throat when I hurried to the VIP saloon. I had to stop my husband from doing whatever he intended to do.

Two muscular security guys stood at the golden door, but when I approached them, thinking what to tell them so they would allow me to go inside, one of them opened the door for me without any question.

“Thank you,” I said, entering the spacious, gloomy interior .

A smiling girl at the bar dressed like a vampire offered me a drink and motioned behind the corner.

My heels dug into the black carpet as I walked around the long glass bar.

The shelves on the wall behind the girl contained expensive bottles of alcohol and decorative glasses, and the mirror covering the entire wall provided a secret view of the players enjoying the game.

I continued inside, glimpsing dark walls illuminated by colorful lights. I felt my heart in my throat when I walked from behind the corner and noticed my husband sitting opposite Zyon. They had piles of chips on the poker table, and the atmosphere was tense.

“It’ll be a huge game,” one spectator pointed out excitedly, clinking his glass with another who nodded eagerly. At least twenty people watched the table where Alice dealt cards with a professional expression.

I came closer to see better, spotting my unmasked husband peeking at his cards with a bored look.

He ignored the dress code but still wore a pricey designer suit I had never seen on him before.

Behind him stood a woman who could easily be my younger sister if she didn’t have her face full of unnecessary Botox.

Her red hair shone against her unhealthy white skin, falling on her naked shoulders. Her black dress was even more revealing than mine, showing off an indecent piece of her transparent bra and barely covering her wide ass. Her hand was placed on Chester’s neck, scratching him with her long nails.

My stomach twisted with disgust, and goosebumps erected all over my body. I had a hard time keeping those drinks down. I almost threw up from humiliation.

Probably everyone in this room knew Chester was married, from the servers to Alice and Zyon and his brothers. And no one said a word to me. They all kept it from me. While I stayed at home with our daughter or spent my nights at work, my husband threw our money on this fucking caricature.

I slammed the empty glass on the high table near the wall, earning a few frowns from the guests. But I didn’t care about them. I wanted to catch the attention of someone else.

Sadly, Chester didn’t look at me. Instead, Zyon noticed me and tensed, his dark eyes jumping from me to my failed copy, who stroked my husband’s shoulder. I stared at her wide plastic smile with all the hatred I was capable of, not because of jealousy but because I felt like a used rag .

Chester dared to blackmail me to live with him. He threatened to take Zara away from me. He beat me. For what? If he had this mediocre replacement, why the fuck did he torture me?

Inhaling a shaky breath to control my emotions and not make an unnecessary scene, my eyes connected with Zyon’s. I knew why I was important to my husband. I was a means to hurt his opponent.

But now, when we both knew he knew about us, the scales turned in our favor. Maybe we could use this advantage and stop whatever he planned. We just had to play it right.