Chapter 2

Lilian woke up the next day. She decided to take it easy today. Went down for breakfast and as she ate, she properly personalized the phone. It was leagues ahead of her old one. She had transferred all her vital information and decided to put her old phone up for sale.

Soon after she finished eating, her landlord came knocking at her door. "Hello, there Steve. Lovely morning, don't you think?" she said in an airy mocking voice. She loved messing with him anytime she got the chance.

"Screw the pleasantries, Lily. I've come for my..."

"Your rent, I know," interrupted Lilian. "Gimme a sec. I've got it right here." She brought out an envelope and handed it over to Steve. He counted it and looked at her bewildered.

"But this is..."

"It's the month's rent," interrupted Lilian again. "I got a job recently that pays well."

"Well, thank heavens! Anyway, I'd better be going now." And with that, Steve took his leave.

"Don't squander it all at once!" Lilian called after him. She closed the door and went to the living room for some well-deserved TV time. She thought about the night before and wondered how long it took for the people at the bar to realize that the snake was fake. It was a classic con.

She watched some news. A popular celebrity was trending. She never really cared about the elites, unless she was stealing from them. She continued listening with zero attention until she heard a blurb about an upcoming gala. She listened carefully. This would be an amazing score.

"All those rich people in one place," she thought. If she could pull this off, she'd never have to steal for a week or more. She spent the rest of the morning planning and scheming. She wasn't going to lose this job. But after a while, something began to tug at her thoughts.

"Don't you think this is risky? You just hit a big score, and the place would be loaded with security. You could be arrested," said one voice in her head.

"When have you ever been caught? It will just be a quick job. In then out. It's not like you're robbing a bank or anything," said the other voice in her head.

Lilian wasn't a professional, but she was good at making quick steals and fast exits. She had taken a free parkour class once but never really needed any of those skills. Seems they were going to come in handy if she decided to pull this off. After a while, she opted to go, but what to wear? She went upstairs to see if she had any fancy enough clothes for the occasion. She pulled out a sleek red dress and held it against herself. It would look nice on her. She was very beautiful and curvy in all the right places but looked a bit scruffy. She wasn't bothered. Alas, where would beauty get her? On a pole dancing for drunk losers? Nope. She wasn't going to be anyone's plaything. She didn't believe in love anymore. Her last boyfriend called her around to watch him have a threesome and then broke up with her. Men, to her, were a waste of time. If she needed sex, she could get it, but it was important to keep aside feelings. They weren't worth it.

After hemming and hawing over different dresses, she opted to blend in with the common folk to attract less attention to herself. She decided to get dressed and go have a look at the venue for the gala. She wanted to be armed to the teeth. Jobs like this required much attention to detail. It wasn't like petty stealing from a bar or shoplifting. She headed out and took a cab. She tried to keep her head cool and calm. She would do groceries after; she needed a proper meal. The cab drove smoothly along as she took in the unfamiliar scent of New York City.

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Damian's plane didn't land until about 8:30 am, New York time. There was already a car waiting to pick him up. He felt right at home in bustling New York. He first stopped by the office. As usual, he was greeted with smiles and pleasantries, and as usual, he waved them off. His relationship with them was business only. Things like this, to him, were unnecessary. He sat down in his office and got some work done. He sent all these earlier typed memos and letters and gave orders for new stocks to be brought in. It was Friday, but the way he ran his business, every day was Monday. Everyone was hot on their toes. After he had made sure things were running perfectly, he called for the driver to get the car ready for him to go home.

Before long, he reached his home. A stunning mansion, with a beautiful compound. It was furnished with everything. Swimming pool, fountain, green grass, the works. It was anyone's dream home. He got inside and saw that the place was spotless, as usual. It smelled of his favorite scent, "expensive dark chocolate," and almost everything was in his favorite colors of dark red and black. The chandelier was bright as he made his way upstairs to his room. The maids had freshly changed the sheets and bedding. He ordered dinner and closed the door. Nothing felt better than being in your territory. He sprawled on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. The pattern work and engravings were masterfully done. The room was cool, and he could see a new moon beginning to rise. He gave a deep breath and proceeded to take a shower. As he got dressed, he admired himself in the mirror. His beard was always neatly trimmed, he was tall and muscular with broad shoulders and chest. He had breathtaking abs and was seriously packing down below. He was every lady's dream, and that was all they would get, dreams of him and nothing more. Just as he finished, he heard a knock at his door.

"Excuse me, Sir, but dinner is ready."

"Tell the maid to bring it up."

"Right away, Sir."

Damian ate in silence. He never admitted he liked the meals, but he knew his chef always did a great job. Of course, he would never tell his chef that. It was unbefitting of someone like him. He finished up and decided to prepare for his meeting the next day. He got his suits in order – they were always well laundered – and prepared his presentation, not that he needed to, but for formalities' sake. He went to the balcony and looked up at the gleaming moon. He rarely called anything beautiful, but the moon was just exquisite. The breeze was cool and refreshing, his guards were on duty, and he was alone and relaxed, and this called for a drink. He went to his cabinet and took out a bottle of Billionaire Vodka. He took a sip and let the warm feeling envelop him. This was better than any holiday. As he listened to the sounds of New York, he let his thoughts wander far. Thoughts of the gala did hit him, of course. He would discuss that with Adam the next morning, he thought. But right now, the silence was what he needed.

Saturday morning came. Damian was dressed and ready, as always. He had a quick breakfast and headed out. He always drove to work in his Chrysler. As he arrived, he took a minute to make sure he looked professional. Not that he cared about his looks, but he thought it necessary to indulge in some necessary vanity. He walked out majestically and headed for the building. He went straight to the conference room, and the meeting started almost immediately. He didn't like waiting around. After about 2 hours, it was all done. Nothing particularly interesting. The business wasn't supposed to be interesting. He had a coffee and talked about the gala with Adam.

"I honestly don't want to go. I see it as unnecessary. I'd rather be at home, fucking hard."

"Sir, don't you think the press would be..."

"Do I look like I give a damn about the press? They can write whatever makes them happy, and besides, there are other rich people there they can write juicy gossip columns about. Anyway, I'll go. I might find a girl there that intrigues me."

The conversation ended. Adam dared not to speak. He got Damian's schedule and added the gala to it. Adam disliked Damian. He was a sour personality, but he ran his business well. And good business meant he got his paycheck. The day dragged on, and Damian attended to other matters.