Page 32 of Goldsin

Bloodcurdlingly beautiful.

Adrian parks the Cullinan on a gravel driveway nextto a sleek sports car. A few other vehicles are parked haphazardly around the driveway, as if the guests couldn’t wait any longer to get to the party.

We step out of the car, and Adrian leads me down the stone-paved pathway lined with flowers the color of night.

“Wait until you see the inside,” he says, still not so thrilled about being coerced into coming here.

“Thanks again for bringing me, Adrian.” I give him a sincere smile in the hope of warming him up a little.

“Let’s just get inside.” Without looking at me, he leads the way to the front door.

The faint thud coming from the music extends to our ears as we approach the door. But it’s not until we step inside that the complete contrast from the serene exterior strikes me.

Chatter booms, along with the low bass. The cabin is buzzing with people, the music thumping loudly and echoing off the walls.

The atmosphere is intoxicating and charged with a hint of ... sweat.

The dim red lights cast an almost sinful glow over the guests scattered throughout the space.

Turning to look at Adrian, I catch him unbuttoning his white shirt.

“What are you doing?” My hands extend on their own to stop him.

“Look around, Aurelia.” He tilts his chin at the other guests, and I follow his line of sight, only now noticing how everyone is dressed—or rather, undressed.

Nearly every guest is almost bare.

The guys are wearing nothing but black pants, while the girls are clad in black lingerie, some topless with only nipple covers adorning their chests.

And they’re all wearing masks, making it impossible to identify them.

The outfit Julian picked out for me is starting to make a lot more sense.

Slowly I shrug off the trench coat, revealing the lingerie set I’m wearing. A more revealing choice than the modest black lace teddy Julian picked out for me.

If he wanted me to be discreet and obedient, he should have showed up.

Adrian’s eyes linger on my body, taking in the intricate lace design of petals covering my nipples, down to the intersecting thin strips of satin that form two X’s: a big one at the navel, and a smaller one closer to my midriff.

But my favorite part is the sheer gauze—the same color as my skin—that leaves little to the imagination.

“Come on.” He finally breaks the silence, eyes back on the guests. “Let’s get this night over with.”

I feel exposed yet oddly confident.

Eleanora won’t believe me when I tell her about tonight. Especially the part about me going to this kind of party with Adrian.

Swaying my hips with every step I take, I follow him further into the party.

I scan the faces of the masked guests, searching for any hint of familiarity—or even just someone willing to help me blend in by lending me a mask.

Why didn’t Julian tell me about this part of the dresscode? I would have brought one. Especially since I have to go unnoticed while I search around the place.

Although, the deeper I navigate through the sea of naked bodies, the more I notice how everyone is too busy grinding on one another to notice me.

This strange sense of exhilaration mixes with my uneasiness.

This party is a far cry from the usual high-society events I’ve attended in the past. Despite my determination to see my plan through, I can’t help but feel the intoxicating air affecting my senses.

---