Page 89 of Goldsin

He gives me a slow once-over before a smirk greets me. “Don’t worry. No one will even notice.”

The SUV comes to a sudden halt, and the car behind us honks while Julian exits, leaving me to scramble quickly out behind him. His words circle back and forth.

I’m out of the car when I spot a neon purple sign reading “Lavish Eden” glowing down at me, and I immediately understand what Julian meant by “no one will even notice.” This isn’t one of those typical posh restaurants.

Julian is the first to walk inside, and I’m just behind him, hyperaware of the guards as they look me up and down. Maybe I underestimated this place ...

As we push through the curtains, low purple lights blind me.

Oh, I definitely underestimated this place.

Different shades of purple adorn every inch of the club. Long velvet couches and sleek glass tables with matching drapes frame the stage, where poles are fixed to the ceiling, stretching to the floor.

I can almost taste the sensual atmosphere. Feel the expensive furnishings.

On the right is a row of doors. I guess those are the private booths for when someone pays extra for a moment of intimacy.

Lavish Eden is a stunning strip club. The opposite of tacky.

The excessive purple could put anyone off, but there are soft lights casting shadows all over the place, leaving it dark, mysterious and exciting.

This isn’t a kid’s dream. This is an adult’s fantasy.

Eleanora would love this place.

A crowd is already forming at the far end of the room. Everyone is dressed in their own way, all very formal, but not in the dress code typically expected of an Inferno Consortium function.

“Welcome, everyone, to Lavish Eden!”

We all turn toward the voice onstage.

A guy the same age as Adrian, twenty-nine or so, stands with his hands in his black pants. His face is slightly concealed by the shadows dancing across it, but I can see the sharp line of his jaw and the playful smirk stretching his lips.

“Is that the new member?” I murmur to Julian.

He narrows his eyes a little as he tries to see the guy’sface. “Yeah. He arrived last night. We still haven’t been introduced.”

Last night? He set up a business from afar?

“Impressive.”

“Aurelia,” Julian breathes. “Don’t provoke me.”

My lips part as I feel his words caressing the side of my neck. The act leaves a confused sensation in my stomach, and I ache at just the thought.

“Tonight,” the new member continues, “we celebrate the opening of our newest location, Lavish Eden. I invite you all to indulge. Let the night be filled with your wildest fantasies!”

The crowd erupts into cheers. Everyone applauds as the curtains drape closed and the night finally begins.

I smile at his words, the cheering of the crowd leaving me excited for Lavish Eden to bringmywildest fantasies to life. If I knew what those looked like.

My attention flickers to Julian.I know who it involves.

“Let me know when you find Victoria,” Julian says, then he leaves me for a conversation with a group of Lucian’s friends.

“What? I thought we were doing this together.”

It’s useless—he’s already gone before I can finish my complaining.

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