The moonlight streamed gently through the tall windows of the penthouse, casting a silver glow across the sleek marble floor. The room was quiet, tranquil, wrapped in a midnight hush. She sat before the grand mirror, slowly brushing her hair in long, thoughtful strokes, the silky strands gliding through the bristles.
"Sage!" she called out.
He appeared behind her almost instantly, as if summoned from the shadows themselves. With a graceful motion, he bowed slightly, his tone respectful and still.
"Yes Blue."
"Where's Freya?"
"She's not back yet."
"I'm back!" a voice rang out, light but assured.
She stepped in with confident steps, her presence warm and familiar. The girl in front of the mirror smiled softly, their eyes meeting through the reflection. A smile was returned before the brush was gently taken from her hand. Freya began brushing her hair, the rhythm slow, intimate.
"She took the bait?"
"She definitely did."
"I think I will have to help out a little to make things easy for her."
"Making things easier for her makes it more fun."
"Right Freya!" she said, smirking at their shared understanding.
Freya chuckled, watching the thick strands of hair pass through the brush with ease.
"Your hair grew so fast within a year. It's almost reaching your waistline."
"It's almost 2 years now and I have been taking care of it perfectly."
"Looks cool!"
There was a soft pause. The air shifted slightly as her expression turned calm but calculating. She leaned back slightly, her voice carrying a deliberate weight.
"Which day shall we prepare for my enemies?"
"The day that the moon shines the brightest. Outside, we lit a torch for them to see their footsteps."
She smiled faintly, her eyes narrowing with curiosity.
"I wonder how many are bold enough."
"As much as you can imagine Blue. Only those who do not respect the name."
"Oh Freya! Petty people tends to make the most mistakes! Jealousy makes you impatient and you lose your focus and composure, greediness will sway you away from your right and your wrong feels like the right motivation! Money? It is not the root of all evil but the root of all directions."
Her voice rose slowly, her reflection staring back at her with fire behind the eyes. She stood up, letting the brush fall softly onto the vanity. Her tone turned sharper, stronger.
"Where does money direct you to? It deepens your ego as a human and what type of human are you? A good human? A bad human? Callous? Strict! Irrational or stupid."
She began pacing slowly, one step after the other, her hands gesturing to emphasize her rising intensity. The room seemed to pulse with her words.
"Money direct you to your right energy! The energy of being a good human and being good to others, being callous and making life hard for everyone around you, being irrational and making wrong decisions or being stupid enough to look down and trample on others or being greedy enough not to use your brain at the right time at the right place with the right person and fall into my trap!"
She stopped and burst into laughter—sharp, triumphant, and bitter. The sound echoed across the room like a warning bell.
"Oh Gianna! You are stupid and greedy and it will lead you right back to me so you can pay for my children's life!"
Silence fell after her laugh, thick and loaded. Freya stood still, her eyes narrowed with satisfaction. Sage remained composed, arms crossed, watching her with unwavering loyalty.
The trap had been set.
The lounge buzzed with anticipation as sunlight poured in through the tall, velvet-draped windows. Perfumed smoke curled in the air, and girls flitted about with curling irons, makeup palettes, and sequined costumes. The atmosphere felt electric, like the air before a thunderstorm—wild, giddy, and loud.
"Our party starts today!!!! Ohh!! I'm so excited," Violet squealed, twirling around with a bright feather boa in her hand.
"Violet, you are making noise," someone groaned from a nearby couch, rubbing her temples in frustration.
"The party starts officially today. Are you guys not happy?" Violet clapped her hands, eyes wide with enthusiasm as she bounced on her heels.
"Of course, we are, but you don't have to disturb everyone for the party, okay?" another girl snapped, adjusting her corset in front of the mirror.
"Oh no! You guys are so boring," Violet huffed, flopping onto the chaise lounge in mock despair.
"Boring? You ain't spending more money than us today and you think we are boring?" a voice snapped back sharply.
All eyes turned as Olivia strutted into the room, her heels clicking confidently, bracelets jingling with each step. She wore a smirk like a crown.
"Here comes Olivia and flaunting money. Stop oppressing me," Violet groaned dramatically, throwing her arms over her eyes.
"You always oppress me too because I have no companion."
"Just wait till I have more money than you do!" Violet challenged, puffing her chest.
"In your dreams! Even if you serve here for the next 10 years, you can't earn my net worth. My 5 years of being a noble courtesan—you will need 50 years to meet up with that."
"Yah!" Violet stood up, glaring.
"Yes, me! I served the president and minister of finance. You can't get any of the two till you leave here."
"I'm gonna kill you, Olivia, I swear!" Violet lunged, but someone held her back.
"Try!"
"I am a noble courtesan."
"So?"
"You are not allowed to disrespect a noble courtesan. You are a regular."
"Huh!" Olivia scoffed, flipping her hair. "Even if I'm no longer a noble courtesan, you still can't touch a hair on my head. Moreover, once a noble, forever a noble."
"Damn you!"
"Keep it down, guys!" a calm but firm voice echoed through the hall as Fransisca entered, her heels clicking authoritatively. All chatter stopped. Everyone quickly scrambled to sit properly, straightening their backs.
"Madam," they all said in unison, voices subdued.
Harper trailed quietly behind her, watching the chaos simmer down.
"Why are you guys disturbing the house? The noble courtesans don't have any courtesy anymore?"
"Sorry, madam."
"The first thing in here is manners. Don't throw away your manners wherever you are! Show courtesy and lay a good example for the people behind you. If the noble courtesans are behaving this way, how will you regulate the regular courtesans? How would you expect any respect from them if y'all are ill-mannered and fight every now and then?"
"We are sorry, madam," they chorused again.
"I don't want anyone flaunting money on each other's face here or anyone boasting with their positions as a noble courtesan. There's a punishment for looking down on your fellow courtesans."
"We are sorry, madam."
"Blue has some words. That's why I called the meeting." Fransisca gestured for Harper to step forward.
She walked gracefully toward the center, calm yet firm. A soft smile touched her lips as she looked at the girls gathered before her.
"Hello, ladies! I'm Blue Walker, and I'm hosting the strippers and seductress nights for the first time. As we all know, during nightlife an issue always arises one way or the other—there can be an issue with the companion's case of fighting or thieves trying to break in and steal from the house."
Some girls exchanged wary glances.
"There has always been tight security in the courtesan house as a whole, but we are going into the Shield Hotels Grand Hall to give everyone their space and to create more chances for dancing and having fun. Tonight, we will be at the pool, and the party might not go for long, so there might not be any issues."
She paused, gauging their expressions.
"Tomorrow is the second day. Things might get busy, so for preventive measures: do not walk alone without your escorts. Always keep your pistol with you. If you're a courtesan who do not walk with a gun before, please take one from the courtesan house for your own security. When it's time for the party, please stay at the party. And when it's time to leave, everyone can leave together. Then we continue the next day. As for today, let's have fun to the fullest and forget our worries."
"Yay!! The party begins tonight!" Violet and a few others clapped, the mood lifting again.
"Yes, it begins," Blue smiled, nodding before quietly stepping away from the gathering.
As she turned the corner toward the hallway, she bumped into someone.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't look where I'm going to!" Angel gasped, her eyes wide.
"It's fine, sister."
"Harper? I was trying to go look for you!" Angel said eagerly, holding her hands together, smiling nervously.
"What's wrong?"
"You called me sister!" Angel's eyes sparkled with emotion. "She said and smiled sweetly."
"Are you not one?"
"Of course I am! I never knew that I would get to hear that from you ever."
"It's nothing," she said quietly, glancing away.
"I heard that you will be hosting the seductress nights."
"Yes."
"Are you not feeling sick anymore?"
"I'm fine now."
"Your tummy doesn't hurt?"
"It's been two weeks now. I don't feel anything anymore. I'm just fine now."
"I'm so sorry, Harper. I didn't mean for this to happen."
"It's not your fault. You did nothing wrong. The pregnancy was not your fault. It just happened due to another reason."
"It wasn't my fault?"
"At all! You did nothing wrong."
"Oh my goodness. I thought it was because of me. I hate myself for that."
"It wasn't because of you. I didn't lose my babies because of you. Don't take it to heart and be fine for me."
"I will be fine! I will definitely be fine soon. The doctor told me that I will soon be fully healed and I can stay with you."
"I'm so glad to hear that."
"After I'm healed, I'm gonna stay with you. I will stay with you here forever."
"Alright. Sincere—I hope you will."
"I will surely stay with you."
"During the nightlife, please stay indoors. Do not come outside till the party is over."
"I should stay indoor?"
"Yes. It's gonna be dangerous out there, and you are one person who can be used against me, so I want you to stay home. If anybody comes to your front door, do not open the door. Always check the camera before opening the door, and if the camera doesn't work, just know that something is wrong. Don't open the door, please."
"I will listen to you."