Love Began with the First Meeting

For himself, Victor selected a narrow, hollowed-out, metal gray mask that was unadorned but hard. The mask was a dramatic contrast to his light and flawless skin and complimented his strong yet flexible character. After inspecting Brian and himself, Victor was satisfied with his choices. Nodding, he said, "Let's go, Mr. Brian Long." Walking faster, Victor entered the hall ahead and left Brian. "I need to do something first. You go ahead and join the party. I'll look for you later."

There was no response from Brian, who strode inside the hall with his face impassive. It suddenly occurred to him that he was crazy coming to this foolish and meaningless party hoping to get rid of Molly.

As the two handsome gentlemen entered the venue, a man stationed near the reception desk and tasked to hand out the masks, asked to be excused for a while. He turned into a corner, out of everyone's view and took out an inter-phone. Speaking into it, he said, "Miss, Mr. Brian Long has entered the venue and is wearing the No.1 mask."

Hannah, who received the message, was currently painting her nails. After hearing the report from her subordinate, she stopped what she was doing and smiled wildly. "Okay, I know. You did a good job. Tomorrow, you can go to Black Widow. She'll hand over the stuff I promised to give you."

His lips broke into a huge smile. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Miss!"

As their conversation ended, Spark, in a lake-blue suit, entered the hotel lobby with Molly, who was in a blue dress as well. They proceeded to the reception desk to choose their masks. Of the many laid out, Spark selected a white one with a blue feather for himself and picked out one he thought would suit Molly. Like his mask, it was also white but had a big flower made of white silk and a feather. It looked remarkably holy and flexible, especially once Molly fixed it on her beautiful face. Her shining eyes gave off just enough light under the mask. Smiling, Spark said, "Let's go!" Molly blew out a breath and followed him.

When they arrived at the venue, it was dark and dim, with only a few lights on. Except for the dining area, almost every place was dark, creating a sexy and seductive atmosphere.

A mass of people, both from legal and illegal industries, were present at Mr. Song's celebration. They were all well-dressed and fashionable. But since everyone wore a mask and the venue was dimly-lit, it was difficult to recognize each other unless it was a close distance, even if many of the guests were familiar with one another.

Masks were created for fun and to conceal the real identities of those wearing them. A masked man or woman may look bizarre, but it does the job - people can simply be themselves while enjoying any activity even for a short time. The dance floor was filled with anonymous men and women, constantly changing partners while getting lost in the pleasures of movement. They followed the beat and melody of the music, swaying or gyrating with wild abandon. As the music got hotter and hotter, the atmosphere turned more intense. "Let's move there and get some food," Spark shouted above the din. He surveyed the area then pulled Molly to the dining area.

With Victor focusing on his own business, Brian was left alone. He moved to the rest area. Because of the dim lights and noisy, blurred music, Brian's head ached, and he was becoming dizzy. He caught a glimpse of the crowded dance floor, and marveled at all the masked guests, except Mr. Song, who was dancing with a woman in a light purple dress and a mask. Clearly, the man was happy and enjoying every moment, and the pretty, sexy woman beside him, but also because of this grand event for him. Witnessing the happiness in Mr. Song's face, Brian felt a small smile forming on his lips. Then he looked away.

A waiter bearing a tray with several glasses of wine asked, "Sir, do you want something to drink?"

Squinting to inspect the wine glasses on the tray, Brian made his choice. And though he didn't have a good view of what Brian was doing, the sophisticated waiter recognized what the guest wanted. He correctly picked it out and placed it on the table in front of Brian. Politely, he said, "Enjoy your drink, sir."

Minutes passed and more and more guests arrived at the hall. The number of men and women stepping on the dance floor increased. Brian hung his head and closed his eyes to block out the noise. He regretted taking the medicine Tony handed him before leaving for the party. Now, because of the loud and crazy music as well as the faint light, just looking at his surroundings made him dizzy and tired.

He tried to keep steady and mercifully did not pass out. Brian lifted his glass to sip a little wine and crossed his legs while leaning on the sofa. The annoying environment forced him to close his eyes again. But doing so brought to mind so many issues related to Molly. Meanwhile, Hannah was standing behind a corner pillar where she had a good view of Brian. He couldn't see her because the column helped keep her out of sight.

Muttering to herself, Hannah said, "Brian, today you will finally become my man. You can't escape me now." Slowly, she put on her mask. Hannah prepared well for this day and event. Her dress was blue like water, and her hair wound around her head. Special cosmetic lenses covered her real eyes so they looked like two clear lakes. Her mask was white, with flowers made of transparent silk dotting it. Her lips shimmered with lipstick. All the delicate preparations from head to toe made Hannah look special like a jasmine flower suddenly appearing on top of a mountain in the spring.

Her gaze was one of hunger for the man. A strange and weird smile curled her lips as she unveiled her delicately made-up face. Shortly, a waiter with a wine tray came up to her. She reached for one of the glasses with sparkling wine, then glanced at the waiter. He nodded slightly in response then silently left carrying the special glass of wine.

The smile on her face grew wider and wider. Hannah continued to stare at the area where Brian sat and watched as the waiter walked over to him to offer the special drink. The moment he tossed its contents into his mouth, Hannah felt extremely satisfied and laughed aloud. She felt a flash of light in her eyes as if her dream was about to come true. She held a small bottle containing the liquid she poured into the wine glass, which now shone even under the dim light. Hannah looked around like a thief, afraid to be discovered. Her heart pounded with excitement and a little hesitation.

With a food plate in hand, Molly walked over to the bar to get a drink. The vision of two glasses of sparkling wine sitting on top of an ice barrel had her suddenly lost in thought. Her brooding eyes began to get blurry.

"Mol?" she heard someone call her name. It was Spark speaking softly and tenderly amid the noise.

But Molly didn't respond. Instead, she set the plate down on the table and picked up a glass of pink sparkling wine with tiny bubbles floating up and down. Finally, she said, "Don't worry about me. I'm fine, really. I'm just obsessed by the smell of this particular wine." Her answer sparked a little curiosity in Spark, who followed Molly and laid down his food plate in order to take another glass of sparkling wine. Without being aware of it, Molly had swallowed an entire glass of wine in one gulp. Spark slightly frowned at this and said, "Although the alcohol content of this wine isn't high, the way you drank it could still get you easily drunk."000☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐