Bossâs voice echoed from above, firm and theatrical.
"Ladies and gentlemen... the hour has come. Enjoy."
Liamâs head slowly lifted, eyes locking on the bastard standing atop the balcony with that smug expression on his face. He still wore the eyepatch, and from the way he grinned at the crowd below, it was clear he believed himself a god. Liamâs lips curled into a cold smile. It wasnât joyâit was something else. A calm, deadly storm bubbling beneath the surface.
Then the massive doors at the end of the mansion creaked open, the loud groan echoing through the room like a warning bell.
And what followed left Liam speechless.
Dozens of women began enteringâhalf-naked, some fully nude, their bodies gleaming under the soft golden lights of the hall. Some smiled seductively, others laughed softly, whispering to each other as they walked in barefoot, like sirens in some twisted dream. Their movements were graceful, deliberate, unapologetically sensual.
Vanessa stood stiff beside Liam, her breath caught somewhere between shock and disgust. "What the hell is this?" she whispered, inching closer to him.
Liam didnât answer immediately. His eyes tracked the women as they made their way into the center of the room. Then came the menâjust as bare, some muscular, some lean, all seemingly proud of the way they carried themselves. And just like the women, they werenât hesitant. No shame, no awkwardnessâjust pure, confident exposure.
It hit Liam like a wave: this wasnât just some elite party. This was something else.
Vanessaâs hand clutched the sleeve of his suit as she whispered again, this time more urgent. "Liam... can we leave?"
Liamâs jaw clenched. He looked around. The crowd wasnât disturbedâfar from it. Many of the guests were already smirking, whispering among themselves. Some licked their lips. Others adjusted their gowns or suits in anticipation. Even the women. Especially the women.
He leaned toward Vanessa, voice low. "We leave now... and we stand out."
Her brow furrowed, eyes scanning the room quickly. He was right. Nobody else even looked like they were thinking about walking out. It was as if they had been waiting for this moment all night.
And thatâs when it happened.
A gasp tore through Vanessaâs lips as she turned sharply, eyes locking on a scene unfolding just behind them.
One of the guestsâa woman in her late thirties, draped in a sleek emerald dressâwas already wrapped around one of the naked male performers. The man had his hands on her hips, sliding her dress down off her shoulders as he leaned in to kiss her neck. Her head tilted back, moaning loudly in front of everyone. And Vanessa recognized her. She came with her husband.
The man, the guestâs husband, stood off to the side, drink in hand, watching casually as if this were completely normal.
"What the hell is this place...?" Vanessa muttered, stepping behind Liam instinctively.
Liam didnât reply. His mind was racing. The scene wasnât just about lustâit was control. Boss wasnât just feeding these people pleasure. He was feeding them power, corruption, temptationâthe raw, unfiltered kind that made people forget their morals.
"I donât see any chains," Liam muttered, eyes sharp. "No signs of force."
Vanessa looked closer. He was right. The performers werenât slaves. They were smilingâsome even laughingâas they pulled guests closer. Their gazes were seductive, not dead. Their steps confident. And the guests were already giving in. Dresses hit the floor, suits were unbuttoned. It was all happening fast.
"They were paid." Liam added quietly. "Whatever it is... theyâre enjoying it. And thatâs what makes it dangerous."
Vanessaâs hand tightened around his. "We canât stay here."
"We donât have a choice," Liam said through gritted teeth.
A moan rang out a few feet to their left, followed by clapping and laughter.
Liam looked up to the balcony again. Boss was still watching, that damn smug grin stretched wider across his face. He wasnât watching the orgy play out like someone who wanted to indulgeâhe was watching like a man whoâd won.
Vanessa turned her head. "This is insane..."
Liam narrowed his eyes. "No. This is manipulation. Heâs creating addicts, Vanessa. Addicts to power... to pleasure... to freedom without rules."
They stood still, masks on, playing their roles in the middle of the madness.
More guests disappeared into back rooms. Some danced while undressing. Others had already claimed furniture, tables, and even the marble floor as they gave in. It was spreading like wildfire. Every act of passion made it harder for the few who resisted to hold on.
Vanessa looked up at Liam. "If we stay too long, weâll stand out for doing nothing
But neither of them moved. The longer they stood there, the more surreal the world around them became. It felt like a different realm entirelyâwhere rules didnât exist.
Vanessa exhaled sharply and grabbed a glass off a nearby stand. It was thick crystal, filled with a deep red liquidâwine, perhaps? She brought it to her lips and downed it in one gulp, her skin flushed from the heat of the party and the chaos swirling around them. Her throat tightened with the dryness of fear, and the world seemed to tilt.
Liam watched her, amusement flickering in his silver-masked eyes. Even amid this madness, he couldnât resist a soft chuckle. The sight of herâfearful, tense, yet still resisting what Boss had unleashedâstruck him as both tragic and courageous.
Vanessa met his gaze, her dark eyes locked onto his. In that moment, the orgy surrounding themâthe slick bodies, the moans, the rhythm of fleshâmelted away. Her focus was entirely on him. He held it easy, effortlessly.
But the sounds around them were a force all their own. Groans that blended into raw, visceral demandsâ"Harder... Donât stop... Make me filthy..." The guestsâ voices rose and fell, fueled by lust and abandon.
Vanessaâs eyes grew wider. She had thought herself immuneâhardenedâbut the throaty moans, went straight through her. Her chest tightened; the pool of sound felt like a living thing, twisting around her mind.
She swallowed hard, shook her head, and turned away from Liam abruptly.
"IâI need the bathroom," she said, voice shaking.
He watched her gownâlong, dark, slit at the sideâlift slightly as she took a step. She moved with grace, tucking one leg high to cross the crowded floor, her hand holding up the fabric so she wouldnât trip over writhing bodies. naked limbs brushed past; she weaved through the decadent chaos, her composure faltering.
Liam watched until she disappeared into the maze, then allowed himself to slide onto a barstool at the end of the room. He flagged down the bartenderânew. The man set a glass of whiskey in front of him. The burn of the liquid was a relief.
He surveyed the room. Men with elegant masks pressed against women whose gowns were already cast aside, couples tangled in embraces.
"You alright? You need something else?" the bartender asked.
Liam raised an eyebrow, swirling the whiskey. "Is there anything Iâd want right now, apart from this drink?" he replied, his tone measured but edged.
The manâs gaze flickered, sizing him up behind the mask. He said nothing for a moment. Then, innocently, "Perhaps... sirâs interest is in men?"
Liam choked on the whiskey, sputtering as the amber liquid overflowed onto his white suit. A glance downward confirmed itâstreaks of spit on the pristine lapel.
He blinked at the bartender in disbelief. This was what a man asks?
"WâWhat did you justâ?" Liam sputtered, raising an incredulous brow.
The bartender flushed. "My apologies, sir. IâI shouldnât have assumed." His voice quavered slightly under Liamâs gaze.
Liam shook his head in exasperation. "Do I look like Iâd...? You really think I came here for men?"
The man stammered. "No... noânot at all. Itâs just... first time here, right?"
Liam tried to contain his annoyance. "Yes."
The bartenderâs eyes widened in sudden recognition. "Ah. Wellâyou might not know thisâbut not participating in the ceremony is a banishable offense."
Liam paused, his blood cold and heart pounding at the implications. "What... ceremony?" he asked, tone flat.
The bartender swallowed.
Liamâs mind raced. The statement implied obligation. Participation wasnât optionalâit was part of the secret code. A ceremony? Like a ritual? Encore? Punishment?
The moment stretched. The bartender avoided his eyes.
Silence fell over their corner.
Liam stared into his glass, the whiskey swirling like amber fire. Outside, moans wrapped around laughter, soft footsteps, the rustle of silk and bare skin.
He leaned back. "Has anyone ever been banished for not... participating?" he asked quietly.
The bartender hesitated.
"Not yet," he said finally. "But... Boss likes to make examples."
Fire pooled in Liamâs chest as he absorbed it. He hadnât come here to join the madness.
But Boss had a planâeven darker than the serum.
Liam finished his drink in one sharp move and placed the glass on the bar.
"Tell me," he said, voice low and steady. "What does banishment look like?"
The bartender swallowed, gathering courage. "No death... butâ"
He swallowed hard before speaking again.
"Itâs permanent exile. Within minutes, security will demand an escort out... and the ceremony will continue without you."
Liam stared at him intently.
The bartender nodded. "I didnât want to scare you, sir. But... thatâs how it is."
Liam closed his eyes, breath deepening.
A ceremony built on sex, power, and silence.
He opened his eyes and looked toward the door where Vanessa had disappeared.
Heâfelt certain she wouldnât come back unless he came for her.
Liam slid off the stool.