As her thoughts came to a halt, with a smile gracing her lips Allea took out some dollar bills from her cutch, placed them on the counter along with the abstained wine glass, she stood up to leave.

Walking past her guards she gestured them to follow, her brows lowered when she spotted Aris Salvadge's security right where she left them. Although Allea surely knew where his private room was, on which floor, and room number, but she preferred the security -once again- guiding her. She was doubtful that they might not be going there as on the other side of the club, goes the west party of guests who don't like to be seen, some upper businessmen and women, politicians, actors or esteemed people around the city. Allea's skepticism didn't last long as leaving the crowd behind, she entered the familiar lavishly designed corridors, where not a single soul could be seen but she knew better, the doors she was passing held crowds of their own. They entered the secluded elevator, which took them to the third floor, as Allea stepped on it, the dimly lit floor welcomed her with its darkness and calmness, which certainly didn't look like a part of a club. The wide space in front of her only had one room, the rest was furnished as an expensively extravagant open space.

As they approached the room, opening it with a card, the security stepped aside and let Allea directly enter. While doing so, she gestured her guards to stop outside and pushed the door lightly. The moment she stepped inside -the darkness that drowned the room was replaced with a fair brightness. In an instant, her eyes roamed around the exorbitantly spacious room and it didn't take long to realize that there was no one in it.

Her face was impassive as she closed the door behind her, thinking that because she has appeared three hours late from the opening of the cub, Aris Salvadge might have left, she had no doubts; that man waits for no one. Not minding the absence of anyone, she leisurely glanced around the room, taking in its simple interior but no less valuable. A few sofas were resting in the center of the room, with a crystal chandelier hung right above it. On one wall, different shaped decorative mirrors were hung which were reflecting the whole room along with Allea in it, at the end of the wall where it meets a full floor-to-ceiling window was a considerably large bar for a room. The window meets the other wall with a double door, also the side opposite of mirrors wall had various valuable billiard balls exhibited along with other art collectives, and an antique pool table was placed in the corner.

Allea walked toward the full glass window through which whereas lights were flickering inside but the soundlessness of the room stood opposite whatever happening down there. Her gaze fell on the collection of wines displayed in the bar and halted there, with an impressive look and after few moments of studying them all, she turned her head and lowered her eyes toward the scene, she walked out a few minutes ago.

Her eyes once again traveled toward where she sat for about an hour, but now it was occupied by someone else, the gloominess she drowned that place in with her presence was replaced with the harmonious laughter of the person who sat there now. Placing her clutch on the counter, she took out her iPhone to capture something, zooming in toward the particular place, which was clear from where she was standing, she clicked the picture. When her gaze fell on the result, suddenly a smile formed on her face unlike any other time, she took her clutch purse and turned to leave.

The click-clack of her stilettos hasn't reached further when it was drowned by the creaking of the double door which opened behind her. Feeling the soundless steps that advanced inside, she paused and looked sideways over her shoulder.

Her eyes met the ones which were already on her, dressed in the darkest shade of gray three-piece suit, as always looking top-notch from head to toe with tiniest of details fully focused on his appearance, Aris Salvadge looked like walking straight out of a meeting room full of executives into the night club. Seeing his appearance, Allea might have considered the same possibility of him arriving here from a business meeting as he wasn't here in the room when she entered.

Allea fully turned toward him, he had his hands in the pockets, gazing straight at her, on the front his face was pretty much blank as he stood there alone staring at Allea walking toward him with her utterly feigned subtle smile. Standing in front of him, she didn't delay to offer him greetings, "Hello, Mr. Salvadge."

A few seconds later, she heard him breaking his silence, "Miss Ciarve," he returned her greeting in the way they have met before, and after another pause added, "I hope I didn't make you wait longer."

Although Allea was way late than the unsaid designated time, with the thought he just came here, she unhesitantly retorted, "A little."

Neither Allea expected him to say anything in return nor he did, instead, with an insignificant nod he gestured toward the sofa for Allea to sit there and himself walked toward the bar. Her face turned cold and blank, the moment he walked away from her, as she sat on the sofa, she noticed him pouring wine in two glasses and carrying it toward her. The few steps he took, if not for his eyes that were fixed on her, she would have thought he was calculating each of his movements, the distance between his feet and the rigidity of his body yet the elegance in the way he soundlessly paced, his stance aloof but unidentified vigilance like his father was visible to Allea's eyes. He halted right above her, she raised her eyes to meet his darker ones, and careful not to touch his hand, she took the offered glass of wine with not the intention of drinking from it no matter how worthy a single sip was.

He made no effort to sit beside her or anywhere else, instead just stood there after taking a step away. The silence in which they settled, as he sipped his drink, Allea in the next second broke it, "You're a busy man, Mr. Salvadge," She started, her words and gaze calculative as she placed the wine glass on the mirror table under his watchful eyes and stood up to reach his level, "So am I. It makes me wonder the leisure you called me in."

Allea was never the one to waste her words on futile things or formalities with others, so it was no surprise that she didn't keep in her blunt words of questioning his intentions of inviting her here.

"My name, Aris, you can call me by that."

He got no acknowledgment in return, as this was not what she urged.

Ignoring the way his face turned cold and body stiff at her silence and an unwavering gaze that met his. If someone else would have been at Allea place, long he might have been suffocated under the intimidation his presence emits. But Allea, without a single flicker in her stance, she mirrored his indifferent expressions, and suddenly smirked slightly, bent down to take the wine glass she placed on the table, giving it a stir she raised it to feel its fragrance.

"Grand Cru..." Mumbling the identification of the wine in her hand, she raised her eyes away from it and met the man's gaze in front of her, continuing with a hint of cold-ridicule she uttered, "What should I call this," Instead of a question her words sounded like an affirmed statement, as she raised her left brow and suggested, "A coincidence, that I'm given the wine that I drink the most."

It might just have been a concurrence that he took this one out of all the rarest collections of wine, but Allea thought otherwise. She did not doubt that the man who was reflected in her eyes, could find anything about anyone, he had a lot of means at hand. Allea was never the one to keep such details about herself hidden, which she considered worthless, but what was of importance for her, no one could get wind of it. She waited for Aris Salvadge to break his silence, but what she got in return threw her off-guard for a second.

He smiled. A full-blown smile escaped his lips showing his white teeth, his stiff cheeks raised as a deep chuckle threatened to release his lips.

Allea's eyes widened slightly, but the next second they narrowed in impassiveness. She saw his smile with her own expressions changing from indifferent to startled, and then to the former, taking in the dazzling smile he gave her. The man whose eyes seconds ago were filled with coldness was shinning as she saw her reflection in them, his face molded in the alluring and unusual eloquence she or anyone has never witnessed.

"Miss Ciarve," The moment his smile faded, he whispered her name barely audible, but as Allea was standing near him, she could clearly hear. He continued, his voice neither too low nor high, "You sure deserve where you stand and much more."

In the same instant, Allea's expressions too returned to their previous blankness, when she heard his untimely words of neither denying nor agreeing with her, her brows grimaced. She didn't acknowledge his compliment because deep down she found it hard to accept but when she spoke her voice held no uncertainty but unfaltering confidence, "Thank you Mr. Salvadge for evaluating my worth."

The ridicule in her tone was clear, but the man whose eyes held an amused glint didn't dim, not minding her words, he calmly asked, "Why does Miss Ciarve presume, I have parsimonious incentives for requesting her here?"

"I would be quite glad if Mr. Salvadge could make me think otherwise."

His dark eyes stared solemnly at her as if wanting to look past the shield of pretended smile she put one, and enunciated just two words, that sounded casual, "I can't."

Allea's smile widened a little, and for a few seconds, she didn't say anything. His direct response was an affirmation that he did have motives to meet her. The wine glass was still in her hand, moving her gaze away from the man in front of her, she took a step forward just to walk past him and reach the glass window. She leaned against the counter, her one hand resting on it as she placed the glass on it and stared outside the spectator she unexpectantly found pleasing to the eyes. Not minding the man to whom her back was turned, after a moment of utter silence she broke it.

"I'm curious, a man like yourself, what could I possibly give that you already don't have."

No matter what this world has stored in, Allea was aware that nothing of it was short to him, if not money can bring him that then his resources are enough, but one way or another Aris Salvadge can have everything he desires. Allea couldn't see his movements or eyes but could feel the soundless steps that turned to face her back and vague silhouette in the window as she raised her eyes toward it.

"Stand beside me."

Although his proclaimed words were vague, Allea partially got the meaning behind it, which made her doubtful, wanting him to say directly what he required, she sneeringly countered, staring at his shadow through the window, "Do I look like a prop to you Mr. Salvadge?"

Not seconds later she heard him directly putting forward his words.

"Let's date Miss Ciarve, be my girlfriend."

Now it's Allea's time to laugh -the second his words ended and she processed what he stated, after momentary bewilderment, her laughter rang in the whole room. The voice that vibrated lacked any amusements or a harmonious hint, just full of naked ridiculousness.

This time when she spoke, her voice held sarcasm but one couldn't ignore the seriousness in her tone, "Believe me when I say, men like you don't want women like me as their girlfriends."

Like she didn't want the man to answer her statement, she continued carelessly, "But, your suggestion, what's the reason behind it?"

Her eyes met the darker ones through the silhouette, which she could see were fixed on the back of her head. His wine glass held in one hand and heard each word she uttered with full alertness.

"I'm yet to meet a woman suited than yourself."

Listening to his response, Allea made a 'tch' sound, "You have disappointed me, Mr. Salvadge." Her blank tone stood contrary to her words, but when she spoke again after a pause, the tone went too demeaning, "Perhaps an accomplished man has to be a narcissist."

The room fell in absolute stillness, the man behind her turned gravely silent. If not for Allea turning her head away from him, perhaps, she would have been able to see his face turning colder than ice and so does his sharp eyes, which threateningly narrowed on the girl turned her back toward him. His one hand clutched around the glass and the other in a fist, his sharp jaw shut tightly, body stiff.

Before the glass turned into pieces and they could continue further with their play of words, the interruption came knocking or more like banging on the door, from where Allea walked inside but now she had her back toward it. Because of the interruption, the air turned a lighter and for the first time, the man moved his eyes away from her.

As the door opened with a bang, hearing the voice that followed, without even looking Allea pretty well knew to whom it belonged.