Billionaire's Attraction [𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐃.]

𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐕𝐄𝐑. 5 | red carpet royalty

FINAL SAMPLE CHAPTER

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𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐕𝐄𝐑.

𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐙𝐎𝐍.

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The white fur shawl covered my shoulders as I made my way down the red carpet, shielded from the blast of cold New York air. Usually, I would avoid high profile events in order to be kept out of tabloids but in Viktor's case, I couldn't risk the chance of missing out. Lights flashed from all directions, blinding me, another thing I tremendously despised. My smile was mastered, my cheeks aching at how broad it was, and my head spun as I climbed up the stairs to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in central Manhattan.

My hand felt sore after how much I waved at the parasites with cameras attached to their hands, waiting to find their latest victims. Luckily for me, and by no surprise, Viktor's charity event required masks, and therefore everyone's identity was hidden behind a thin layer of dainty fabric, bedazzled in jewels and luxurious embroidery.

From the corner of my eye, I caught Calix as he smiled charmingly to an interviewer, whilst Kira and Xander exited their car, arms hooked through one another's, laughing amongst themselves as if they weren't planning to shed blood this beautiful evening. Kira's porcelain skin was illuminated under her velvet black dress, and her flaxen hair caressed the exposed part of her back where her dress dipped down to just above the bottom of her spine.

Touching my earrings, I fixed the earpiece hidden underneath my hair, and saw Kira do the same. Training my warriors in field-op was essential. They learnt all the ways to communicate with or without an earpiece, reading the signals and body language of their teammates. It was one of the key skills taught at the Manor, in order to prepare them for dangerous and complex operations such as this.

Unlike Kira and I, Xander and Calix went without earpieces, and had to solely rely on any actions that we made throughout the night. Calix had seen the subtle hair fix I did despite the distance, and began to separate himself from the interviewer, heading up the stairs, only a few meters behind me.

The Mandarin Ballroom was one of New York's most renowned venues. Thousands of square feet of ground were festooned with golden banners and majestic fairy lights, which illuminated the balloons floating above us. Three-quarters of the walls were windows, and I almost gasped at how stunning New York appeared at night, glittering with life and light.

As soon as everyone entered, I could feel the room still, mesmerized by the three elliptical chandeliers that were, without a doubt, the showpiece of the venue, creating a shore of crystals that twinkled across the ceiling. If only tonight was under better circumstances, I would have enjoyed my time but alas, it was very rare that beautiful things led to good times. And I had no doubt that a lot of money was invested in this event, but all for the wrong reasons.