MIDNIGHT PRINCE: Empire of Sin

As it was… It was way more complicated than he thought it would be.

A few hours later, after resting and calming himself down from that traumatic episode, Adam joined the party just as it started.

The atmosphere and ambiance Yui had set for her bar was not one for young people to jump and dance like there was no tomorrow. It had a more refined feeling to it, a certain grace that only a place with a certain standing would have.

It was clear that her target of audience was set for a very high class of customers. So to say, this bar was not open for those without an invitation.

When Adam saw the people attending the opening party, he immediately understood that this was just on a whole different level compared to anything he could even dream of.

Beautiful women wearing all kinds of extravagant and designer clothes, trying to outdo everyone else at the party.

He even wondered if all the robes, the purses, and the jewelry gathered in this place just may be enough to take care of his mother and her medications for two to three years or more.

The lights illuminating the bar were a beautiful mix of pink and red. The dim lights of gentle illumination allowed the guests to slightly hide their expressions from everyone. It added a subtle sense of intimacy and secrecy to every individual, promoting a mysterious and romantic ambiance.

On the stage, a young handsome man wearing a long white shirt was singing as he swayed with the tune. Meanwhile, another man, with features not paling in comparison to his singing companion, was playing the piano next to him with a gentle and harmonic rhythm.

The voice of the singer was calming and sensual and the pianist was a professional who could easily match, accentuate, and even enhance the tempo of the singer.

It didn't take long for the women to feel at ease with the atmosphere of the bar and form groups as they discussed in hushed voices. It was a gathering of femme fatale.

It was then that the true magic of the <<Wild Hunt>> began to be displayed to the participants of the bar.

Handsome men ranging from their twenties to their thirties working as waiters or hosts moved into the room in a seamless and ordered stream, making sure that the women constantly had a drink half-filled and were having fun but insightful discussions.

Arts, music, entertainment, industry, law, economy, and so on. No matter where he looked this was more like a high society socializing event than a party at an extravagant bar.

It didn't just stop there. If it seemed like a woman was getting bored by one of the hosts, either that host would swiftly change the topic, or they would move out and be replaced by another in such a seamless way that it was almost uncanny.

Standing on the balcony and watching everything happen before his eyes, Adam had to admit that he had severely underestimated this job.

Yui never did things half-heartedly and that could be perfectly seen enacted here. What he was witnessing was a machine slowly and carefully placing its gear to obtain the greatest possible efficiency from all of its parts. It was beautiful, mesmerizing, awe-inspiring, and yet equally horrifying.

The gears that were deemed worthless were replaced and put in less important places where they still had their uses in one way or another. No resources, not even one, were left without use in this mechanic whole.

At the heart of everything, located in the center of the room, was Yui. Like a queen with her entourage.

She was wearing a black Chinese dress that showed off her naked back to the admiring world. On her back was the tattoo of a black coiling dragon that seemed to be alive. It was a mesmerizing sight, to say the least.

Her face bore no makeup and she was all the more beautiful because of it.

Adam nearly had his breath taken away from him when he first set glances at her from afar. Until now, she had always been that funny and boyish big sister to him. But he realized then that she was a very desirable woman in her own right.

Sadly, this did not change the situation he was in.

Adam was lost about what he had to do right now.

"It's beautiful, right?"

His musings were interrupted as a young woman, wearing a set of clothes that made her resemble a professional butler more than anything, came close to him and whispered those words as she also set her eyes on the scenery beneath.

She had short red hair and beautiful blue eyes that perfectly complemented her boyish charm.

'Who the hell is this woman?'

His confusion must have been clear to her as she smiled and stretched her hand for a handshake.

"Sorry. My name is Nikola. I am the coordinator of this party, so to speak. I joined the Wild Hunt not long after you left."

Her hand was encased in stylish black gloves and her lips formed an embarrassed smile when she noticed Adam looking at her gloves, "Sorry for the gloves. My hands are quite ugly, so I do not like showing them in the open."

Adam nodded and responded to her offer of a handshake. The woman was polite so he had no reason to refuse the handshake just because of a pair of gloves.

"I am Adam."

"Adam Gospel. I know you. In fact, everyone knows you. You wouldn't believe how much the Boss loves to talk about you."

Her smile was still there but Adam could feel a certain edge to it, as he could distinctly sense her strengthen her handshake ever so slightly. But seeing as Adam did not reciprocate, she simply sighed and let go of his hand.

"You know. As you can see, today is a big day for the Boss. A very important day for her to finally cement her authority around these parts."

Nikola pointed at one of the women speaking to two young men, "See that woman, she is the big sister of the District Attorney. The man is very respectful toward his big sister so you can clearly imagine the influence she holds in her palms."

She then pointed at another woman in the back silently sipping from a glass that seemed to be champagne, "This one and the few around her come from political families. They have practically seen it all. Short of being an actual president, they have taken up positions in all the major roles in the political world.

That one over there, the one who seems like a foreigner, is actually a princess in Saudi Arabia, coming for a few moments of fun in our country. You wouldn't believe the number of favors the boss had to call in to make her come here."

She shook her head before looking down once again before finally setting her glances at Adam… There were no smiles on her face anymore as she spoke in a rather condescending tone,

"To prepare for this day, the boss fought tooth and nail like there was no tomorrow. But imagine my surprise when she suddenly told me that some dude that was once part of her gang would suddenly participate. Haha."

She placed a hand on Adam's shoulder, "Look, I don't care why you are here. Everyone has a sob story. Whether your mother croaks or not is your problem alone.

So let me give you some advice. Stay here, don't move from this place. Then just go home when everything is over. Because I swear, if you fuck this up, I will make sure to end you myself."

"You finished?"

Nikola looked up at his eyes and was surprised to see the complete indifference settled inside those eyes of Adam's, "You think this is the first time I faced a threat from some overzealous bastard here?"

He chuckled and swatted her hand that was placed on his shoulder away before straightening his suit, "Do you know what happens to mad dogs who try to bite everyone because of some false sense of superiority born from their loyalties?"

Adam approached her ear and muttered calmly in a whispery tone, "They get put down."

Adam was not shaken up by Nikola's actions. In fact, he could even perfectly understand them. After all, there was no one who wouldn't be pissed if all the work they put in may just potentially be destroyed by the arrival of some random dude.

But did this mean that he would let himself be threatened without a word?

No way.

Adam knew the rule here very well. The moment he showed weakness, they would swarm around him like sharks ready to tear him apart.

Adam had been quite shaken up by the events of the last 24 hours. He had no knowledge of the supernatural until now, after all.

But right here, right now?

This was a world he perfectly understood. The world he thrived in.

"You don't have to fear me fucking up anything and I have nothing to report to you. You aren't the boss. So don't try to act more than what you are."

Adam turned around and began walking down the stairs. He needed a drink to calm down his strained nerves. Nikola's emotionless eyes never left his figure as he slowly walked down the stairs.

As much as Nikola had acted like a stupid prick. She was right about one thing.

He couldn't fuck up.

He also realized once again just how much risk Yui was taking by letting him join the party without any formal training.

Nikola had named none of the women surrounding Yui, so it wasn't hard to deduce that they were even more important and influential than the rest of the people combined.

The machine was slowly but surely accelerating as each gear found its place.

But what would happen if he suddenly entered the place?

The most likely outcome would be a jam. The only thing out of place that fucked up the whole mechanism.

If he wanted to impress Yui without causing any trouble, he had to find a careful balance. But he would never find it by staying upstairs and afraid of acting.

He needed to take some risks.

This was what he thought as he prepared himself to observe a little more before acting his part, but he was surprised when a beautiful and plump woman stepped in front of him without any sound or warning.

"My, my, you are quite the charming young man. I didn't see you until now. Who might you be?"

"Adam, Adam Gospel."

Adam immediately switched gears in his head as he took her hand and gave a small kiss on the back of it.

"Heh, such a polite young man. You may call me Bridget. Bridget Bishop."

Her smile as she looked down at him and licked her lips was like a predator finally finding its prey.