A Dance of Fire and Silk

The twinkling city lights of California at night were always mesmerizing. From the 8th floor of the Elysian Art Gallery, Annabelle Cristie, the 30-year-old gallery owner, stood by the glass wall, her silhouette blending with the shimmering glow outside." She fiddled with the wine glass in her hand, her breath heavy as she stared ahead. The woman in the sexy red dress was the owner of the building known as Elysian Art Gallery, an art gallery that was quite new, but its network was unquestionable. Within 5 years, since Anna set foot in this gallery, she started to print her name along with the gallery's name to an international network that was able to make her gallery the target of the world's billionaires and investors who craved the art world in their hands, more precisely, those people did business with the art world and she provided a place for them. A soft knock sounded on the door, bringing Anna out of her thoughts. "Miss Anna," the voice of Eva, her secretary, rang out, followed by the sound of her hurried footsteps. "I have prepared the guest list for the gallery's fifth anniversary celebration, please check it." The woman with clear glasses placed a folder on Anna's desk. Anna slowly turned around, returned to her desk, and reached for the black folder after setting down her wine glass. Her beautiful eyes carefully scanned through each page of the document, until when she reached the third sheet, her delicate fingers paused, then reached into the drawer for a red ink pen. In the next second, she marked two names. Bastian Laurent and Celeste Montgomery. Eva frowned in surprise at her superior's actions. "Miss, would you like to remove them from the guest list?" Anna's grip on the pen tightened, she closed the folder in her hand before slowly lifting her gaze to her secretary. "Celeste..." A soft, scornful voice escaped her rosy lips. "You know that top model, right?" Eva nodded. Who didn't know Celeste Montgomery? That woman ruled social media with her popularity. "She's my husband's mistress..." Anna continued to hiss. Her face hardened for a moment. Eva flinched at this, but didn't dare say much. Anna exhaled, her documents tossed aside. Behind her calm demeanor, there was a flash of disgust in her dark eyes. Every time she imagined her husband with Celeste, she was disgusted, disgusted, and angry. But she had no choice but to endure it because their marriage was a business from the start. It had been 5 years since she played her husband's perfect wife in public. Samuel was used as a trophy, in return, Anna got money and power, and what Samuel gave her, Anna made permanent. And Anna wasn't about to give up everything she had worked for just because of a cheap affair. She grabbed the wine glass with half of it left and took a sip. "And... Bastian Laurent?" Eva asked again. Anna swirled the wine glass in her hand, her eyes turning darker, her tongue suddenly feeling loosened to say. "He's my husband's son. My stepson." After that, Anna placed her glass gently onto the table. She leaned back in her chair, her eyes staring at Eva completely blankly. "And yet... he’s far more dangerous to me than my husband ever was." *** The rhythmic tapping of the black diamond-embellished heels seemed to create its own rhythm when it met the shiny marble floor that reflected the golden light of the crystal chandeliers hanging along the ceiling of the hallway, which was the main characteristic of Hotel Le Victoria, that it exuded luxury in every corner of the room. The elegant black dress wrapped around the woman's body accentuated the seductive curves of her perfect body. Her beauty makes men endlessly adore her, but no one is brave enough to seduce her because she holds the title of being the wife of Samuel Alexander Laurent, a man who lives a life wrapped in wealth under the network of large medical companies he owns. With a straight face, Anna stopped in front of the two-leafed door at the end of the hallway. The doorman bowed respectfully to her. "Mrs. Laurent..." he greeted with a polite smile, which Anna nodded in return before she stepped inside. Anna's gaze darkened as she entered. Her nerves scanned the person seated at the far end of the room and directly overlooking the large glass wall with a fantastic night view from the height of the 60th floor where Anna was now standing. It was Bastian Carris Laurent, her stepson. The one who managed to get her to cancel her important meeting with a foreign investor and run here to meet him. "What was the meaning of the message you sent me?" Anna asked matter-of-factly as she arrived behind the burly back in the black suit. Bastian slowly turned his body around. His abdominal muscles were clearly defined underneath his shirt that had a few buttons undone. He stepped onto the sofa at his side, then pointed to the opposite sofa with his chin. "Have a seat, my special guest." She smiled faintly, a smile that did not reach her eyes at all. There was a smile on his handsome face as his gaze fell on Anna, who was now seated in front of him. "I'm sure you get the gist of my message, Stepmother," he finally spoke before sipping the wine in his glass slowly. Anna frowned. "I don't have time to mess with you." A sneer formed on the man's lips, then he placed his glass on the glass table beside him. His gaze sharpened as he took a step closer to Anna. "Give me back my mother's gallery, O Stepmother," his voice sounded low but full of scorn. Anna at that moment froze. Her blood seemed to run so fast that her emotions rose to the top of her head. "Wh-What? Say it again!" She tried to maintain her composure. Bastian chuckled at Anna who was almost out of control. "You heard me, I want the Elysian Art Gallery." Anna hardened her jaw. "The Elysian Art Gallery has grown up under my name. I won't give it to anyone!" A sardonic laugh escaped Bastian's thin lips. "So you now truly consider it yours?" His sharp gaze traveled up and down Anna's sexy body. "That gallery my father built as my mother's birthday present, he asked me to manage it. Don't pretend like it's all your hard work," he said in a subtle but mocking tone. Anna clenched her teeth, her eyes already burning with anger. This bastard only knew how to talk without knowing what I had been through! "I brought the gallery to success. I worked my ass off to build connections, attract investors, and turn it into the most respected gallery in the country! And now you want me to give it to you?" Anna's eyes sharpened like knives ready to tear into the man in front of her. Bastian nodded at that, as if he truly understood her struggle. "I knew you would refuse." He crossed his arms over his chest and continued, "Therefore, I came with a gift I prepared for you long ago." Anna's face stiffened even more at the word gift. She snorted sarcastically as she held one of her thighs in her lap, highlighting her sexy smooth thighs. "Just tell me, what are you going to threaten me with this time?" Bastian pulled out his cell phone, typing something on the screen before turning back to Anna. "You know what journalists like the most?" "So what is it?" Anna raised her eyebrows, then smiled playfully crookedly. She understood where this was going-he wanted to threaten her! "News that will shake up everyone in the country. Like... a little evidence about... the manipulation of the Elysian Art Gallery's financial statements." Anna suddenly squeezed the side of her dress. As she had expected, Rafael had many plans behind him. "Are you kidding me?" Anna laughed grimly. Bastian chuckled. "You think I came all the way here to joke around? So which do you prefer? Do you want your name to appear tomorrow with the money laundering story, or... with the illegal art smuggling story you're doing?" The calm face she had been trying to maintain crumbled in the end. This man was investigating her! With a gasp, Anna rose from her seat, stepped in front of Bastian, then bent down and grabbed him by the collar with trembling hands. "Don't mess with my gallery, Bastian. I will not stand idly by!" Bastian didn't move in that position, instead cupping Anna's hand around his collar with a low laugh. "The gallery's anniversary is only a month away. I hear you're preparing for a big event." Bastian grinned, moving his face forward to narrow the distance. "You know what? I have the power to ruin that special day." "I won't let that happen... I swear...." Anna hissed. The event was going to be the highlight of her gallery's golden age, for which she had prepared six months in advance. Roughly, Anna released her grip on Bastian's collar, causing the man to be pushed backwards. Bastian's playful face disappeared in a few seconds, replaced with an expressionless cold face. "How much does that gallery mean to you?" Anna closed her eyes for a moment to control her emotions, then opened her voice again. "Elysian Art Gallery is a part of my life. It's a testament to my hard work that I've made my name known to foreign billionaires and climbed the ladder of the elite class in the eyes of the world. Investors are flocking to me. If I lose that... I lose my life. I'm serious, Bastian...." With a meaningful look in his eyes, Bastian observed Anna's expression. He moved from his seat and stood right in front of Anna. "What if you traded it for something else?" His eyes intensely traced every curve of Anna's body, then his gaze stopped on her lips. "I have a great offer for you." Anna lifted her gaze, tracing the handsome face that was currently almost expressionless. Not much different from Samuel. Bastian was just as cunning as him. And those ambitious eyes-Anna hated them. Those eyes that seemed hell-bent on taking the gallery he'd made his name in at all costs-and she wasn't going to let that happen. "What's the offer?" Bastian smiles faintly. "Sleep with me. Give your body to me tonight, I promise I'll forget the previous threats. I won't bother you until the gallery's anniversary." Anna's body froze completely as his words hung cold in the air. Her breathing was ragged with anger. She could have slapped Bastian and rejected him. However... she knew Bastian never messed with his words. Anna, fully aware, would choose his gallery and maintain the reputation she had spent years building. Without answering, Anna threw the bag in her hand onto the sofa. Her slender hands unhesitatingly moved down her dress, exposing her pale skin under the dim light of the crystal chandelier. Her heels clicked lightly as she stepped slowly, approaching the man who was now sitting on the sofa with a triumphant gaze. Bastian leans back casually on the couch, his sharp eyes traveling over every curve of Anna's now partially exposed body. His lips curl up in a smirk that looks so sickening in Anna's eyes. "Clever," he murmurs lowly. "You know how to play, Anna. I like it." Anna didn't answer. Without saying much, she climbed onto the couch and slowly sat on Bastian's lap. One hand reached out to touch the man's shoulder, then caressed it with her fingers. Bastian held his breath, his body tensing at the touch. His large fingers moved to Anna's waist, gripping it before pulling her up until their chests were pressed against each other. "Look at you now. How pathetic, trying to hold on to something that shouldn't be yours," she whispered in a dismissive tone right in Anna's ear. His heavy breathing hit Anna's neck, creating a strange sensation running through her. Bastian's grin widened watching Anna's seeming surrender. Slowly, the man's hands began to move down, trailing along Anna's bare back. His fingers played at the bottom line of her back. Anna's intoxicating scent seemed to break down Bastian's control. The man's vision begins to darken, his large hands moving more and more wildly to explore the beautiful back. Then his fingers stopped in mid-air, as a cold 'click' suddenly entered his ears. In an instant, the metallic chill is so clear Bastian feels under his chin. The man froze. His grin fading, he straightened up. But instead of surprise, the man's eyes flashed a glint that was more dangerous than ever. Anna lifted her gaze, returning the deep look Bastian gave her, along with the smile that slowly rose on her lips. "Instead of giving you my body, what if I trade it for something else?" she whispered softly. Bastian's eyes, which had been glued to Anna's black eyes, dropped to the gun under his chin. Anna pressed the gun deeper. "I have a good offer for you." Bastian was silent for a few seconds before the corners of his lips finally lifted. "Interesting," he murmured softly. "But... do you think a gun is enough to make me back down?" Anna smiled faintly. She shifted her sitting position slightly, righting herself in Bastian's lap. "Of course. I didn't just come with a gun," she said calmly. "I also brought valuable information." Anna smiled, then moved her face forward until their foreheads almost touched. "I'll give you information you can't trade for money." Bastian gave a small chuckle. "Don't beat around the bush, Anna. So, what can you offer?" Anna slowly lowered her gun. A sly glint flashed in her eyes as she pulled back her face. "An underground auction in Paris. I can give you access." Bastian's gaze became sharper. Unconsciously, he squeezed Anna's waist as interest flashed across his face. "Go on." "As the owner of Elysian, I have access to the world of high-end art, including transactions that are not recorded in official history. Do you know how many billionaires buy art to launder their money? I can pave the way for you, giving you direct access to these transactions. You know very well, this kind of network you can't get with just money." "And you think I can't get it myself?" he asked, a playful tone in his voice. Anna chuckled along with the slight sneer in her voice. She tilted her head, letting her hair fall to her shoulders. "Of course you can. But it takes time, and time is your biggest enemy, isn't it? If you want access to it right away, I'm your fastest way." Bastian lifted his chin. The sharp glint in his eyes slowly turned colder, a similar expression he used to show when he discussed his work. "And what guarantee do I have that you're not setting me up?" Anna moved closer. Her cold fingers trailed along the man's jaw, giving him an intoxicatingly soft touch. Her lips almost touched Bastian's ear as she whispered, "Because if I trap you, I'll fall too." His fingers continued to trace Bastian's jawline, savoring the muscles that tightened on the man's face. "We both have something to hide, don't we?" He pulls away slightly, letting their eyes meet, and then smiles faintly. "So, Bastian... forget your damn threat just now. And don't touch my galleries." Bastian did not answer immediately. He just sighed softly. After a moment of silence, he finally tugged at the corners of his lips, giving Anna a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "One month," he murmured. "I won't touch your gallery until the anniversary is over." Anna held her breath. She gently withdrew the hand that had been touching Bastian's jaw. "Promise me." Bastian lowered his head slightly, his fingers tracing Anna's wrist before he reached for the gun, lowering it completely from Anna's grasp. "I promise," he said in a low voice. After that, a low laugh escaped his lips, so cold and dangerous sounding. Just when Anna thought it was over, Bastian pulled her closer until their bodies intertwined. "By the way..." He swept Anna's face with a look that was deeper and darker than before. "I'm not just after your gallery." His sharp eyes traced the curves of her face, then in a husky voice he added, "I'm after you, too."