Next couple of weeks, Sawyer and our days had gone busier with the advertising campaign.

We had only one month left till the product launch so our sales department was on fire.

Tireless moments were spent throwing hints of the latest features of the car model to willing buyers, distributing leaflets, and selling pre-orders.

All the while dealing with regular customers all day long.

I barely had the time to sit down on the counter and take a second to breathe in the chaos.

Sawyer was the busiest among us all.

He had to often run errands in the office building, meet up with the marketing and advertising team as well as take care of the showroom buzz.

But one thing was constant during all this - his magic smirk.

Sawyer managed to keep up with his uplifting energy despite sporting tired golden eyes.

And, that was an admirable quality of a leader.

But that also meant we had less time for scheming. Not to mention, Sawyer's weird habit of playing cards during the free lunch hour.

How did I know that?

Because I was his partner in each of those closed-door gambling rounds.

He didn't tell me the reasons but I figured this was related to our next mission. Otherwise, Sawyer wouldn't have bothered with cards whilst dealing with high waves of advertisement rush.

Another possible reason could be that Sawyer didn't want to take the chance as he did with the soccer game.

To this day, I was mortified that he had to find out about my lackings of sports knowledge in a such horrible way.

I could have ruined his plan that day had cops didn't save it.

"Hayes, you want to stand or hit?"

I flinched out of my thoughts with a frown at his voice before realizing what he meant.

We were playing Blackjack. Here, 'Stand' was defined as sticking with my given cards for the round. And, 'Hit' was a chance to get better cards.

I looked down at my cards - it was a Nine and an Ace.

Hmm... So, I had 20. Not bad for a Soft Hand.

I looked up at Sawyer.

He was resting his elbows on his desk, looking at his cards. His face-up card had a Queen, and his other card was a face-down.

Sawyer's somber look betrayed nothing, though. He never gave out his expressions while playing cards.

And, he always won.

But not this time, Buddy!

In basic Blackjack strategies, it was always safe to assume that as a dealer Sawyer's face-down card would be a 10.

So, it was either a win or a tie for me this round.

I bit my lips to stop smirking and leaned back on the metal chair.

"Stand." I slapped my cards on the table.

Sawyer looked at my cards for a moment before resting his ones on the desk.

My eyes bulged out at his cards.

A Queen and An Ace! Straight 21. Damn!

"Whoa- How? I mean-"

Sawyer let out a low chuckle and leaned back on his chair.

"You were close, Doll. This close!" He smirked, bringing his index and thumb closer, leaving a half-inch gap between them. "But missed by a pinch."

"Not fair!"

Sawyer's hearty laughter boomed loud in the closed office cabin.

I cringed, hoping no one heard that obnoxious cackle outside while gatherings cards on the table in a neat pile.

"By the way..." I glanced at Sawyer as he sat straighter. "Be ready by evening. You got a flight to Las Vegas."

My hands stopped.

"Flight!" I frowned. "What flight? That too so suddenly... What will I tell Yuvan? What about-"

"Hey, relax! Chill. Everything's fine. Yuvan knows."

My eyes bulged out.

What!

"What do you mean Yuvan knows? And, when did you even talk to him? He didn't say anything in morning and I-"

"Alright, Hayes. Deep breaths," Sawyer took a long sniff for the show.

"But-"

"Deep. Breath." He wiggled his fingers at me, a motion to follow him.

I sighed with a frown, pressing my lips tight.

And, closed my eyes.

I breathed in the air, sucking in the all the tension from around and let them float in my brain.

When I released the pressure, everything inside me turned calm and I was able to think with a clear mind.

Not to mention, that looming panic-attack-waiting-to-happen was gone too.

And, I had Sawyer to thank for that.

But the questions kept nagging my mind.

"Better?" Sawyer smiled, leaning forward.

I nodded, looking down.

He sighed. "I talked to Yuvan yesterday. He was okay with the weekend you'll be spending at Las Vegas."

What?

"That's two days! Who'll be taking care of him?"

"Who took care of him when you flew to LA?" Sawyer raised his brows.

I huffed. "That was just for one day and I returned by the next flight. This is not the same case, Sawyer."

He smirked. "So, you finally said my name in the office."

I deadpanned.

Sawyer clicked his tongue. "Alright. He'll be staying at my nonna's-"

"But Miss Jensen-"

"Is out of town to look after her sick sister, yeah, Yuvan told me. So, I've already arranged his visit at nonna."

"But, Sir. This is wrong. Yuvan can't stay your place. What will Ms. Vienna even think? And-"

"Too late. Yuvan is already my nonna's place as we speak."

What!

"But-"

"No buts or butts, doll. Your brother will be safe with Nonna. Plus, she doesn't mind. She knows what we are doing and what is at stake here so she gladly volunteered to take Yuvan under her wings for a few days. Even Yuvan is okay with all this. Any other objections?"

Vienna Romanov volunteered to look after my Yuvan.

The Vienna Susan Romanov!

"This is unbelievable..." I grabbed my head looking away.

My mind was already whirling.

He sighed. "Cool. Now, let's get back to-"

Sawyer's phone buzzed, grabbing his attention.

"Well, looks like lunch hour's over," Sawyer looked up from his phone and stood up with a smirk. "Off to the work, Hayes. Oh, and take this."

I was about to stand up when Sawyer opened his drawer and pulled out something white.

The flight ticket to Las Vegas.

Sawyer stretched his arms toward me and wiggle the ticket before my dead face.

I suppressed a sigh and took it from his hand.

"Thanks."

I ignored Sawyer's wink and moved to walk away.

"One more thing."

I turned my head at his voice.

"I won't be coming with you this time." Sawyer put his hands in his dark jean pockets.

So, it was a solo mission then.

It was better, I guess.

I nodded. "Alright."

Sawyer smirked in response as usual. Only this time, his twitched lips lacked mirth for some reason.

***

It was a hot and humid evening is the city of the sin.

My dark blue skin-hugging gown with plunging sweetheart neckline had my skin itch with sweat. However, I stood still beside my rented black limousine.

Was it even rented, though?

I didn't know. It could be one of Sawyer's or his nonna's secret properties since he had been the one to arrange this for me along with my five-star hotel expenses and transportation costs.

This was a business trip according to Sawyer and no partner of his should bother with meager things as long as he could afford it.

When I learned about this yesterday before getting into the airport and tried to deny this over the phone, he pulled out his ex-CEO card and told that he was used to doing things in this way even when was in charge of Trexon Empire so I should better shut my mouth and keep moving.

That infuriating man!

I casted a swift glare at my black branded purse, carrying the fake invitation card within-another one of Sawyer's 'useful gifts'-and looked ahead at the looming mansion.

With white marble stone walls and tall arched glass windows of Victorian-style structure gave the mansion timeless look.

James Sutherton had old money, a rich heritage with a long lineage of businessmen and investors from England. Of course, he would have incorporated that little detail in his summer home in Las Vegas.

The lush lawn of this property had a curved concrete pathway that was now lined with sleek cars and limousines.

There was a fountain on our left where a naked mermaid was sitting on her tail, looking down. Multicolor water rushed down her long wavy hair which barely covered her ample bosom and pooled into the square tub of the fountain.

Farther into the left, there was a hedge maze and an orchid garden where a few couples strolled and lingered for privacy.

I glanced at the arched black iron gate behind me, contemplating how faster I can make a dash out of here if things went south for some reason.

This was not a dingy bar in New York. I didn't have my car. There was even no Sawyer to pull me out of here.

All I had was myself.

"Miss, you coming?"

I snapped my head toward the guard in a dark suit who had his beady eyes narrowed at me-clearly watching me take in the surroundings like a beggar looked at the palace for the first time.

I cleared my throat and fixed my black lacy butterfly mask.

"I'm sorry," I offered him a smooth apologetic smile. "I was just admiring the place for a while and got carried away. James always had a way to mesmerize the onlookers."

"You know him, huh?"

Of course, Idiot. Why would I be here with a fake invitation and a plan to snatch a shareholder deal if I didn't.

I offered him a coy smile and nodded-giving him the impression I know more than his taste in house decor which I kind of did-while pulling out the card for him to check.

He placed the crimson with golden cursive edges card under a scanner.

A scanner... A damn scanner!

It was a tough job to keep my tensed muscles loose.

Of course, James Sutherton now would have a damn scanner to check the authenticity of the guest. Where was the flush-faced boy who used to lend notebooks to underclassmen without a second thought?

What if the scanner detects the invitation false?

What if they kicked me out?

What if I never see James again and the shareholder contract-

"Lillian Silverra."

I couldn't help but flinch and swooped up an instant smile.

"Welcome to the party." He handed me the card.

"Thanks." I took the card with smile and put it back inside my purse, sneaking a glance at the scanner.

It flashed green for a second or two longer before going blank.

Sawyer indeed planned the whole thing to the tee.

Good.

I let out a discreet breath and sauntered inside with the grace of a confident woman who didn't remotely felt anything of the sort.

My jittery nerves didn't let rest for a single second. My senses were on high alert. My skin prickled with a foreboding feeling of dread.

I took a couple of deep breaths as I crossed the wide lobby.

Crimson carpet and golden lighting from the glass chandeliers above accompanied me all the way to the wide, open double doors ahead.

I got a glimpse of the white living room from here and soon enough, the whole space lay spread before my eyes.

The room was buzzing with people's smooth laughter and lithe gestures. Easy chatters, coy smiles, and knowing smirks was thrown like free cans of soda. And cards.

Cards dominated every important surface of the room. The glass table before the beige L-shapes sofa in the middle. Separate tables scattered around for Poker, Blackjack, even a booth for machine games on the corner of the room.

This was a more of a casino chamber than a living room of a wealthy businessman. A gambler's literal wet dream.

Guests followed the dress-code accordingly to match the theme. The men were in tailor-fitted crisp suits and the ladies were in strips of clothes so revealing that my deep neckline and backless gown would feel like a nun's attire compared to them.

Even the servers moving around the room had dressed the part: Shirtless waiters with only black slacks, boots, and a bow tie. Red-lipped and down-haired waitresses clad in silk red lingerie, flimsy black skirts that barely reached their thighs, and black high stilettos.

There was another thing common among them, though. Everyone in the room was wearing masks.

After all, it was a masquerade casino party for a devoted casino lover's birthday. How fitting, wasn't it?

I scanned the room for the desired man and found him with his head thrown back with laughter.

He was wearing a crisp white suit with silver wolf mask. He was sitting cross-legged in a black leather couch.

One of his arms were spread across the low headrest of the three-seater. Another one of his hand was holding a champagne flute as he talked with the men around him.

Each of those men were holding cards and drinks within their grasps.

I flagged down a waiter who was passing by me and grabbed a glass of champagne.

With practiced twitch of my red lips, I sashayed my way toward the wolf in the room.

"That fold was too fast." James laughed, shuffling through the cards.

"Not everyone can risk going over the limit." A man beside James huffed with mock frown on his face.

James smirked. "High risk, high reward."

"Spoken like a true poker master."

Piercing brown eyes of the wolf looked up at me. His head tilted to the side as I smiled.

"And who is the beauty I've the grace to meet?"

As smooth as ever.

"Livia. Livia Paulines." I extended my hand to shake his.

James took my hand with a delicate touch and pressed a soft kiss on my knuckles, instead.

A familiar shiver trickled through my skin.

Even after all these years...

"James Sutherton, Miss Paulines," his lips smiled against my skin as he met my cold eyes. "The lucky host."

"Figured as much." I moved my hand from grasp, hoping he didn't notice the slight tremble in my motion and looked around. "Since this lovely estate could only belong to a man of taste."

James let out a warm chuckle and leaned back against the couch.

My mind instantly traveled back to a warm afternoon in our backyard. The gentle summer breeze was rustling the leaves of the old banyan tree as a pair of soft lips melted against each other.

"Gentlemen, I'll see you then." James offered a soft smile toward the men around him.

They nodded at James and scurried away soon enough, offering me curt smiles along the way.

"So..." James waved at the seat beside him. "How about a round of poker?"

"Thought you'd never ask." I smirked, taking the offered seat with practiced ease.

Mirasol Hayes might have never aced the poker but Livia Paulines was a seasoned pro according to her profile.

And tonight I had to convince James that Livia could hold her ground. At any cost.