Love in a Maze

More of the Billionaire

He appreciated his dedication but he also felt like he worked too much and did not have time for himself. He was a friend. Hopefully he would not only help Aries but also Ace by hiring him, the man was at a job interview after all. He must be looking for a better job and Jake paid his employees very well. Walton Holdings only hired the best for a reason, and they paid the best. They arrived at their destination, the usual place for Mark to party. Some luxury clubs that were so pretentious and expensive, but the club was packed, people were waiting in lines outside.

They obviously loved the gaudiness.

Most of the girls wearing very tight and short clothes, that was the usual apparel. Men were in dressy shirts, and some were in suits, like Jake. Jake wondered why their weren't men wearing short dresses and women in suits. Now that was a thought. Mark walked to the private entrance, some people that were waiting in line yelled out at the security guards, pissed that they were still waiting to get inside.

The usual.

Some recognized Mark, and others Jake, calling out to them, some booing. Mark didn’t care about the booing, since he was use to not waiting.  He could handle it. Jake was not impressed. The music was loud, with bass and drops that were made for people to dance, which they were judging by all the writhing bodies enjoying a good time out. Mark walked them to the VIP booths that were upstairs were a balcony would oversee the people down below.

The booth was worth thousands of dollars, quickly signalling for a bottle to be brought over. Ace of spades, Mark go to starter. Jake sat down, watching the people below, dancing and drinking. He could already tell a group of three girls were staring at them from the booth next to them. The way they would lean to whisper to each other and laugh. Jake drank the entire glass, tilting his head up, the liquid tasting bitter. One shot.

Jake hated theses clubs, not because he didn’t like having fun but the people, he was with tended to get on his nerves. Groupies, or people wanting to climb the social ladder. They would try and latch on to Taehyung, like leeches. Usually they were drunk, worse yet if they were sober. They would often try and get in his personal space, flirting in their own way with him. He couldn’t trust anyone there, always had to be guarded.

He was worth billions; they could lie and pretend he had forced himself on them. He was always drilled into these ideas, by his media and press advisor. Always be careful on who you can trust. Jake didn’t trust many people, sometimes he wandered if he could even trust himself. He didn’t want to deal with those type of people wanting the media’s attention, or his money, so he never gave them the time of day. 

He knew he would not find his future partner in a club. Mark on the other hand loved parties and going to these clubs. It was a testament to Jake being a good friend that he joined him in his rendezvous. He kept him young, even though he was still full of youth. Only 26 years old.

Jake had too many responsibilities, he felt old at times and other times he felt so young and clueless. He was a complicated man, he struggled to understand himself at times. Jake could see the appeal of attending clubs and events ,they were young and rich, could do anything they wanted; however, Jake had much more too loose than Mark. He wasn’t conceited but Marks fortune wasn’t as grand as his and his name wasn’t as well known in the higher upper crust circles. He was rich, but he wasn’t rich, rich. That made the world of a difference. Certain expectations that he needed to follow regardless of his wishes. 

Jake didn’t want to be whining about and act like being rich must be so difficult. Poor him. Jake knew he was privileged, that he was born with a gold spoon, encrusted with diamonds. Aware that others suffered, while others prospered. That was just life. A random luck he was born rich. He was lucky. And unlucky. A double edged sword.

Knowing that, he knew money itself took away a lot of problems, gave him the freedom to do things many could only dream about, but he also knew money created many of his problems. The way he was constantly being watched by the media, his every moment scrutinized. He was the ice prince. Many ordinary people admired him for his beauty and wealth. His family was being regarded as modern age royalty. He always had bodyguards, disguised as workers with him at all times. The media did not know this fact because he felt unnecessary to blandly display the need for them. 

 They applauded his humbleness, that he didn't think himself important enough to have guards with him in public. The other rich people acted friendly but were constantly waiting for the moment he would slip up and tarnish his reputation. Only so they could take his throne, his legacy. A legacy that was made by generations of hard work. Jake was born a Walton, that meant that when he was born, he inherited 16.8 Billion Dollars to his name. His great great great grandfather had started an architecture firm, which he made the number one in Korea, and then the world. His predecessors invested in stocks, owning different sectors, from High-end clothing brands to pharmaceutical companies.

The diversity of wealth only raised his net worth to 25.8 billion dollars. Jake was the face of his family as the successor to that empire. He had a lot of pressure to succeed, to appear polite, to behave a certain way. He had to be more cautious around others when he didn’t know their intentions. That was why he kept people at a distance. Why he was an ice prince. Very few people actually saw Jake, and not just Jake Walton. The two were very different yet similar. Like twins, they looked the same but acted differently. He always wore a mask. Hoping someone would reach out and take it off him. Mark pouts, “You didn’t hear anything I said right” he questioned, leaning back with his arms crossed.

Before Jake could answer, they were interrupted by a feminine voice. “Excuse me, but we are so bored by ourselves” spoke one of the girls in the booth next to them. She was pretty, long blond hair, with even longer legs by the short dress she was wearing, clearly emphasizing them. She smiled brightly, showing her perfect white teeth, gesturing towards the other girls, “ We were wondering if we can keep you some company” she inquired. Mark was nodding his head, before Jake could reject them. They giggled, and one of them moved next to him, while the other two girls sat with Mark. Mark was already talking to them animatedly, waving his hands around recounting a funny story from a night out with friends.