name," Yves noted.

"I am quite the man," Azriel smirked.

"Of course," Yves said hurriedly," Jasmina only speaks praise of you. Meeting you, I now understand why."

Interest sparked in Azriel's eyes then as he locked gazes with her, his smile widening.

"Oh, did she now?" he drawled.

Jasmina only offered him a shy smile in reply, Azriel stopping in place a moment after. They had been climbing the stairs and crossing hallways for a while, but had arrived at their destination now. The charity event was being hosted at a tower which functioned as a hotel and now, in the evening on the higher floors, it also functioned as an outlet for the rich and elite.

Azriel took a key out of his pocket, placing it in the lock of the fifth door in the hallway. He turned it and went inside, Yves following slightly hesitantly. Low laughter filled the quiet hallway for a moment, before disappearing entirely again as Jasmina closed the door behind her. The room was dark and smokey, the round table in the middle of it filled with cards and only lit up by the candles around. Though shadows danced across all the faces of the people playing, Jasmina didn't need to see them to know who they were.

Sure enough, as they turned around to the new visitors, recognition lit up their eyes too, and then someone spoke her name, in that voice of his that always demanded attention.

"Jasmina, why is Yves with you?"

Her father's thick brows had pulled down in a frown, her mother sitting beside him not looking nearly as bothered. She waved at one of the tall, muscled men standing behind all of them to come closer and with a few whispers he pulled up new chairs and placed them between Hakim and Mahsati. Azriel sat down beside her father as Yves took a place in the middle, looking genuinely nervous at the sight of her parents.

"Jasmina?" Hakim said, voice a bit annoyed now she hadn't answered his question.

"Now now, darling," Mahsati cooed," I'm sure our Jasmina has a reason for this, but let's start a new game first. Luckily for you all we just finished."

"She's back together with Alan," Yves blurted out.

"Oh my," Mahsati said, placing a hand before her lips.

Hakim however looked like his irritation was only skyrocketing, dark eyes flicking to Yves.

"I wasn't aware you were my daughter, Yves," he said coldly, causing Yves to flinch. His attention turned towards Azriel then, the slight confusion in his eyes at the sight of him immediately disappearing once Azriel's magic set in. With a nod he acknowledged him. "Azriel, glad to see you."

Yves picked up on the change of attitude immediately and it settled sourly on his tongue. Jasmina was about to say something when her mother pulled her closer, her sweet voice of sugar and poison dancing around the room along with the smoke of the cigars.

"Are you planning something, Jas, darling?" she purred," I know that look you have right now."

"Of course not, mother," Jasmina answered innocently," I'm just trying to help father's business."

Mahsati seemed amused by her answer, but didn't pry further, instead leaning back in her chair and taking the cards that were pushed towards her. The guy shuffling the cards passed them around, taking a place on the table after and blowing smoke up in circles. One of the men standing around placed a stack of chips before her, doing the same for Azriel once he gave his card. Yves however paled, patting his pockets nervously as the realization he didn't have his wallet on him dawned.

"Uhm," he said," before we can start, I think I may have to head downstairs to grab my cards."

"You don't have money on you?" one of the guys at the table said, voice amused.

"We aren't playing kid's games here, Lewis," a girl purred," perhaps you should go downstairs - and not come back."

"Ah, no," Yves stammered," I know that -"

Hakim sighed, but even though he didn't say a word that seemed to be enough to cause Yves to wince. He looked around at the people staring at him, Azriel's calculating look and the soft giggles that rose up around the room, but before he could even do something Jasmina leaned in, whispering in his ear.

"Just put one of your houses as a deposit," she said," you have around eight, don't you? And you can buy it back easily after, when you have your cards. You're amazing at poker, aren't you?"

"What is one house?" Mahsati added, warm eyes more akin to a scalding fire than summer days," Hakim uses more money than that on the daily."

Doubts flashed through Yves' eyes, but he finally nodded, murmuring that he had to make a quick call. He stood at the side of the room for a few moments, whispering, until coming back with a few documents on his phone. When he showed it to the men around, they let him follow in another room, coming back a few minutes later with the printed version and a mountain of chips.

"I see I wasn't wrong about you," Azriel said as Yves sat down," you are one of the big players after all."

"We'll see about that," Hakim said.

"Give the man a drink," one of the guys laughed, shoving a fifty in the man's hand as he nodded and placed down a silver liquid in front of Yves.

"What's this?" Yves asked.

"Have you never seen expensive liquor before, Lewis?" Azriel said amusedly.

"No, I mean, of course," Yves said quickly as he placed the glass to his lips," cheers."

"He looks like he's drunk enough, actually," Mahsati whispered to Jasmina," but I'm sure you've seen to that, daughter dearest."

"I would offer you a drink as well," Jasmina smiled," but I know you're sober."

"What can I say?," Mahsati shrugged," drinking is a bore. I prefer to stay sharp at all times."

"Makes one of us," one of the guys at the other end of the table said, laughing loudly as he downed his glass.

"Well then," Jasmina said, looking around slowly before she settled her gaze on Yves," let's start, shall we?"

Her father might have been the man who taught her business was more important than anything else, but her mother had taught her all her tricks and poker was one of them. Still, she lay low, Azriel and Mahsati dominating the game. Yves' chips started dwindling as fast as the air in his lungs, red blemishing his cheeks and ears as he gave his Rolex for the second round. Once he lost that one too Jasmina was pretty sure he was going to throw the table, but Hakim's presence kept him from acting out just yet.

"Azriel," Yves said, turning towards him," why don't we leave to talk some business?"

"I don't like talking business before I finish playing," Azriel answered, eyes bored," and honestly, if you quit now, Lewis, I'm not really that interested in saying anything at all. It doesn't promise much good about your business capabilities after all."

Jasmina had to suppress her smile at how easily manipulating came to Azriel, somehow finding it way more attractive than she knew she should have. His gaze flicked to her for a brief moment, like he could hear her thoughts, and then one of his curled in her mind, a charming pur of his voice.

"A couple who plots together stays together."

"Is something going on with you and Azriel, darling?"

Her expression didn't change as she glanced at her mother, her usual smile still in place.

"What do you mean?" she said," he is one of our business associates, I'm merely talking to him."

Mahsati's eyes were calculating as she looked from Azriel back to her, but Jasmina knew her mother wouldn't do anything about her suspicions just yet.

"You never looked that way at Alan," her mother said," and honestly, your father surprisingly loves him. I haven't seen Hakim this talkative in years."

Surprisingly so she was right. Somewhere along the game Hakim and Azriel had started talking business, their conversation flowing as Yves tried to keep up, her father looking impressed even every time Azriel won. She knew Azriel was happy about that from the tone of his voice, which sounded more sincere than usual, and honestly, all it took to win her mother over was to be cunning, so he had that in the pocket as well.

"You sound like a good businessman," Hakim said to Azriel as he tapped his fingers on the table," I haven't spoken to someone with common sense in a while."

"I'm not complaining," Azriel chuckled softly," people not having common sense is what I rely on when I make my deals."

Hakim laughed, a booming sound which startled even the other people sitting around the table. Yves hadn't missed it either, his gaze flicking away from the man he had been discussing his new deposit with. When it became clear that Yves wasn't up for putting down another house and didn't have anything else, Azriel's attention settled on him.

"Lewis, my new friend," he smiled," I think I have a great proposition for you to keep playing. What do you say I lent you some money? I don't often do so, but I have the feeling we have a good future ahead of us."

"Really?" Yves said, eyes widening as he immediately nodded," I'll pay you back as soon as I have my cards."

"That's fine," Azriel nodded, before adding casually," but you don't mind signing a contract about it, do you? I have gotten scammed a few times before, so I'm a bit hesitant, but you would earn my trust completely for the next time."

"Of course," Yves said," I understand. Contracts are everything around here."

"Follow along then," Azriel said as he rose from his chair, gesturing towards the door leading to another room," I'll have the contract drawn up quickly."

His low voice ran a chill through the room when he spoke next, even though it wasn't anything but charming.

"Are you ready to make a deal with the devil?"