The inside of the Armand estate was even more overwhelming than the outside.
Chandeliers dripped with crystals that caught the light like diamonds. Velvet curtains framed massive windows overlooking the darkened gardens. Classical music played softly beneath the din of laughter and whispered conversations.
Elian's senses were drowning.
Everywhere he looked were the sons and daughters of power: billionaires' heirs, celebrity offspring, political dynasties.
They moved in perfect synchronization — false smiles, sharpened words, secret grudges.
Liliana's hand rested lightly on his arm as she guided him through the maze of glitter and lies.
---
"You're quiet," she murmured, sipping from her champagne flute.
"Just… taking it all in," Elian replied smoothly, his voice tinged with just enough awe to appear genuine.
Liliana chuckled, a low, throaty sound.
"Good. It means you're smart. Most boys here think with their wallets or something even dumber."
Her words were honeyed poison — beautiful to hear but deadly underneath.
---
They reached a grand marble staircase that spiraled upward like something from a fantasy novel.
At the top, leaning against the golden railing, was Sebastian Vance — the undisputed king of campus arrogance.
Sebastian was eighteen, a senior, standing at a towering 6'2" with a lean, athletic build that made him look like he belonged on the cover of a luxury fashion magazine. His blond hair was perfectly tousled, his eyes a dangerous shade of icy blue, and his tailored midnight-blue suit seemed stitched onto him.
He was Aurelia High's golden boy — wealthy, ruthless, devastatingly charming — and rumored to be Liliana's sometime lover, sometimes enemy.
Tonight, his gaze was fixed firmly on Elian.
And it was not friendly.
---
"New toy?" Sebastian called down lazily, his voice dripping disdain.
Liliana didn't even flinch.
"Maybe," she said sweetly. "Jealous?"
A ripple of laughter from the nearby students.
Elian fought to keep his face impassive. He knew the rules — you show fear once, and you're dead.
He offered Sebastian a lazy smirk. "No offense, man, but I'm not into guys."
The group howled with laughter.
Liliana's eyes sparkled wickedly as she squeezed Elian's arm approvingly.
Sebastian's smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Enjoy it while you can, Moreau," he said coldly. "New blood doesn't last long around here."
The threat hung heavy in the air.
---
Later, under the pretense of getting a drink, Elian slipped away from the main room, exploring the quieter hallways.
He found himself in a dim corridor lined with ancient paintings and half-lit chandeliers.
Voices echoed from a nearby door slightly ajar.
He crept closer, heart pounding.
Inside, two senior girls — members of the Queens' Club — were in a heated argument.
"I told you, Liliana's losing control!" one hissed.
"The AI firm? The real estate deals? The livestream company?! She's overextending!"
"And what do you want to do, huh?" the other snapped. "Go against her? You saw what happened to Marissa."
Elian's blood froze.
Marissa — a name whispered in fear at school — the girl who had suddenly "transferred" after speaking out against Liliana. Rumor had it her family had lost everything overnight.
---
He backed away carefully, the words etching themselves into his mind.
Liliana wasn't just a queen.
She was an empire.
And empires didn't fall easily — not without blood.
---
When he returned to the party, he found Liliana waiting for him at the base of the staircase, her arms crossed.
"You wandered," she said, pouting slightly.
"Got lost," Elian lied smoothly.
Liliana's lips curved into a knowing smile. "You're smarter than you look."
Then, lowering her voice to a dangerous whisper:
"Good. You'll need it."
She leaned in and pressed something cold and metallic into his palm — a small black card with a silver insignia shaped like a phoenix.
"Your invitation," she said. "To the real game."
---
Before Elian could respond, the room exploded with sound.
A voice over the estate's speaker system:
"Everyone to the ballroom! It's time for the Midnight Selection!"
Cheers erupted.
Liliana winked at Elian and disappeared into the throng of bodies surging toward the grand ballroom.
Elian stared at the black card in his hand, heart hammering.
The real game.
He had no idea what that meant.
But somehow, deep down, he knew...
Tonight would change everything.
---