Marcus was still busy explaining to the possible investors what Alexander was talking about when he offered them some shares in his new company.

"If you would like to hear more about it, I will surely get back to you, Sir," Marcus told one of the men that Alex introduced to him earlier.

This day was supposed to be about partying and having fun. Instead, he ended up working for his friend's plans.

Marcus hated his friend at that moment for leaving him to deal with his business. However, it was his birthday, so he had no choice but to forgive him this time.

Alex had major plans, and one of them was to reach the top of the business world. He knew what he wanted, and nothing was going to stop him.

Marcus admired his friend's determination. He swore that together, they would build his empire.

"We will surely keep in touch with you, Sir." He assured the Count, who was the initial target of Alexander in the first place. Alex wanted his uncle's money, and Marcus would make sure that the Count would be investing in the company soon enough.

Not even the celebration of his birthday would stop Alex and him from exploring opportunities. Instead of taking it easy, they used this gathering as an opportunity to get their message across. That was, they were open for business.

"I will be looking forward to that." The Count responded positively to his proposal.

Marcus finally made an excuse to leave as he looked around for Alex and Tyra. However, he could not find any trace of them. He concluded that they went somewhere where nobody could find them.

Eventually, Marcus gave up on them and searched for Jacky instead. However, he found Dani instead on the dance floor dancing with someone he recognized from the last time he was here.

He never liked Edward, especially the way he was dancing with Dani. But it was not his business who Dani danced with or whether Alex should do anything about it. But he wondered if Alex knew about it since he still could not find his friend.

"Have you seen Prince Alexander?" He asked one of the guests, but he only said no.

Once again, he turned around and scanned the place again for Jacky. Eventually, his eyes landed on her. Just like Dani, she too was dancing with a man. This time, he did not recognize who he was. Or maybe he had seen him before but not met him yet, since his face looked a bit familiar.

He was about to cut in, but when he looked closer to the two of them. It would seem that Jacky was having a great time with the guy. In a way, his initial response did not sit well with him. He did not like the way his mind and body felt about her being with another man.

He suddenly noticed that he was reacting foolishly, behaving like a jealous boyfriend when he was nothing close to that. He realized that he should not be acting like this around her.

He had to act rationally and logically before things got out of hand, and he completely lost control of the situation. Instead of going to Jacky, he turned around and looked away.

He found himself staring at another woman who was giving him all the signals he needed. It was the perfect distraction for him so that he would not crave Jacky's attention.

He believed that he just needed another woman in his bed. To take the itched off and moved on. It would seem that it was a big mistake that he took Jacky along on this trip. Now, he had to deal with her for the whole week that they were here.

He just hoped that she would not turn into this demanding woman that he usually avoided. If that happened, then he would have no choice but to end everything between them. It would be hard because he had genuinely enjoyed her company, but he could not let her believe that there could be more. That was not what they had agreed on.

"You want to dance." The girl, who was looking at him, made the first move. He did not mind at all as he welcomed her company.

She entwined her hands on his arm and pulled him into the dance floor. The way she moved her body against his only confirmed what he had suspected earlier. This girl wanted something more, and he was not about to say no to that.

When he turned around as they danced, he saw that Jacky was still with the man earlier. He quickly removed his gaze from her. He had to concentrate on the girl in his arms. He should not be distracted by the way Jacky had her hands around the man's neck.

He tested if she was indeed into him. He started roaming his hands around her back until it ended around her bottom. When she seemed not to protest but seemed to be enjoying his ministrations, he was sure he hit the jackpot. He was not about to let this slipped through his fingers.

"Do you want to get out of here?" He whispered into her ears, confident that he had the signs correctly.

When she nodded, he pulled her out of the dance floor and out of the ballroom. "Shall we go to my room?" The women asked him as they walked in the hallway.

He did not care where they did it, so he just nodded at her. She pulled her to the long stairway and into the second floor.

The palace had hundreds of rooms in different wings. Many of the guests tonight had opted to stay for the night. So, he was not surprised that this young woman had a room somewhere in this massive place.

When they reached the room, he immediately pulled her into him and attacked her lips. "Are you sure about this?" He finally asked when they both tried to catch their breaths.

"Yes." She breathily responded as she started removing the buttons of his clothes. She wanted him from the moment she saw him.

He temporarily stopped her hands from completely removing his shirt. He had to make sure that they were on the same page. "I just want to make sure that you know that this is a one-time thing."

"Of course, I know what a one-night stand is." She answered him, continuing where she had left off.

"I'm glad that we have an understanding." He told her as he also started working on her dress.

He was a man, and a willing partner was hard to resist. Besides, he needed this. He kept telling himself. He had to make sure that he had not fallen for her.

"Just stopped talking and kissed me." She demanded as she started removing his pants.

It was what he needed to snapped him from his unwanted thoughts. He just needed another woman to put him back to perspective. He was not ready for a commitment. One woman for him would never be enough. Jacky certainly was not the one who would make him changed his mind.

He looked at the girl that was almost naked in front of him. She was indeed beautiful and willing, a perfect combination in his book.