The casino glowed with gold and scarlet light, alive with chimes, music, and laughter. The velvet carpets soaked in perfume and cigarette smoke, humming with the footsteps of the rich and powerful. Harper and Angel were just stepping into the glitzy chaos when someone crashed into Harper.
"Are you dumb? Can't you watch where you are going to?" Angel snapped, her voice familiar and sharp.
Harper froze.
"I'm sorry, Angel," the girl quickly apologized
Angel's eyes narrowed. "Daisy? You came back."
"Sure I did!" Daisy flipped her hair, chin raised defiantly.
"Trying to get another companion as soon as you get back, huh?"
"What? I'm not allowed to?" Daisy smirked.
Angel scoffed. "I wish you luck then."
Daisy's gaze flickered to Harper standing just behind Angel and her smile twisted.
"So you really took Harper as an escort."
"Sure I did."
Daisy's voice dropped low, almost trembling. "Just wait till I find another companion—I'm taking him back from you. He belongs to me."
"In your dreams, Daisy! Harper will always be with me. You can die for all I care."
"You are such an old fool, Angel! Harper is just a 19-year-old boy but you wanted him to yourself."
Angel raised a brow, unbothered. "He's 20. And what if I wanted him? Were you not trying to fuck him too? The last time I checked, you are older than him as well."
"I wanna marry him!"
"Do that in your dreams, idiot!"
"I hate you, Angel!" Daisy's voice cracked as she turned her face, her eyes glistening. She glared at Harper with a twisted pain in her stare before storming away.
Angel scoffed. "She'll definitely kill herself if she finds out that you're a girl, Harper."
"Ma'am!" Harper breathed, taken aback.
Suddenly, loud chatter surged toward the doors of the casino. Harper's ears perked.
"Why are they all rushing into the casino? Is something important going on there?"
Another escort leaned in, breathless. "Oh, the Dylan son came in today!"
Harper's heart dropped. Her legs almost gave way.
Quincy is here? Her mind spiraled.
He definitely came to cause trouble for Logan. I can't let that happen, Let's go," Angel said curtly, stepping into the lights. Harper followed.
Angel sat down in her usual seat to gamble since Logan didn't come by today
Inside, the casino pulsed with wealth and lust. Crystal chandeliers hung like stars. Courtesans fluttered around Quincy like moths to a flame. He sat in the center of the chaos, shirt unbuttoned halfway, confidence dripping off him. A small smile played at his lips. He loved the attention
Harper froze, breath catching. Her fingers curled into her palm. He looked so… different. So grown. So sinful. Her chest ached.
It's so good to see him, she thought, wiping a stray tear quickly. Even though Harper promised to kill him by herself whenever she saw him but seeing him just melt her heart, she looks at him so lovingly
Angel's second escort, Celine, walked up and studied her face.
"Are you also in love with Quincy?"
"I am."
"You are?" Celine gasped. Harper blinked, startled by her own slip.
"What did you say?"
"Do you like the Dylan son?"
"Of course I don't!" Harper snapped, trying to mask her panic.
"You better not like him. He's Angel's enemy."
"Because he's Logan's enemy?"
"Sure! You're not allowed to like him. Even if you do like him, you stand no chance with him. He's above everyone here."
"Yeah, I know right."
"I heard his wife is very crazy too. Those courtesans are so fearless, trying to gain his attention. If his wife catches them, they're dead meat."
The word wife pierced Harper's mind like a needle. Her jaw clenched.
His wife, my foot! she thought bitterly and stormed out of the casino.
Inside, Quincy glanced at Angel with amusement as she was sitting across. That damn smirk again.
If looks could kill, he thought, seething. he would have died already. She is Logan's courtesan so it's no surprise that she doesn't like him, she is trying so hard to win against him that she keeps dropping money
He leaned back, cocky. "Give it up girl!"
"Never! I win or I win!" Angel tossed another chip with defiance.
"I'll let you win then." He dropped his poker chips carelessly.
Angel stood with rage flooding her cheeks. "Don't feel all mighty, Mr. Dylan. I might help Logan get rid of you!"
"Looking forward to it, ma'am," he smirked.
Back in her room, Angel kicked off her heels violently.
"He was so annoying! I wanna remove that smug on his face! That bastard! No wonder Logan doesn't like him—he's a cunning bastard! I'm gonna kill him on behalf of Logan!"
Harper sat quietly, watching her combust. Harper watched as she rants and shouts and sighed, even though Harper has been working for Angel as an escort for two years she is not obligated to her she didn't pledge her loyalty the way an escort would, her lifestyle was already annoying she is always trying to be perfect in front of everyone and be above everyone
Survival instincts I guess but she is not thinking ahead, any day Logan drop her as his courtesan her life will be over by then, all the courtesans will mess with her badly and she will be below everyone
"Harper!"
"Yes, Angel?"
"Go and kill that boy for me."
Harper's blood ran cold. "Which boy?"
"That Dylan son!"
"Quincy? That's ridiculous. How would I do that? It's not possible."
Angel's eyes narrowed. "You have always been fighting for me. You have to do this for me."
Harper looked away, eyes darkening. "Angel, I was doing all that because I'm your escort. You made too many enemies and I didn't train so long at the field just to fight for a courtesan."
"You're just doing your job. And you'll do this one I assign to you."
"I can't kill Quincy. It's impossible!"
"Why? You do like him?"
"I don't!" Harper shouted, then averted her gaze. I definitely can't tell you I knew him before… or that I'm the reason you hate him.
"Stop thinking too hard, Harper. You'll be the one to get rid of him!"
"I can't even move closer to him."
"Just leave it to me. When Logan comes, I'll discuss it with him."
That evening, Angel spoke to Logan, tears in her voice, flaring her rage into drama.
He was so annoying! So hell bent on humiliating me at the casino he gave up on the game because he feels I'm not worthy to compete with him that boy is so disrespectful!
Harper watched with disdain as Angel complained about Quincy to Logan, she is playing the pity card meanwhile she went to the casino to look for trouble
"That damn Quincy disrespected you like this?" Logan frowned.
"Yeah, he did!"
"Why is he even here? Trying to take on a courtesan?"
"I think so! He got married but doesn't even like his wife. He wants a courtesan, that's why he came here. It's going to be trouble."
"A lot of trouble! All those petty girls will be disrespecting me too, Daisy and Olivia been trying to get him in their hands, yesterday he took Daisy with him, He paid $1 million for Daisy yesterday."
"He's crazy. He wants to control the noble women, intimidate me!"
"We need to get rid of him fast or else he will become more powerful than you coming to the courtesan house is a means for him to show off to the elites that he is more powerful than you"
"I won't allow him to do that! Quincy is just a little boy in his mid twenties he can't pose no threat to me"
"Now that he comes to the courtesan house regularly I have a solution."
Logan leaned in. "Really? Tell me, sweetie."
"Fighting him head-on isn't wise. He has guards and he fights well. We can poison him slowly."
"How? I can't let you sleep with him—never!"
"I don't need to. We have someone who can help."
"Who?" Logan asked.
Angel pointed slowly. Harper's head lifted as her name was dragged into darkness.
"Your escort?"
"Yes. My escort."
"How would he even get close enough to give him poison?"
"I'll take care of that. Just leave it to me."
Logan hesitated. "If the Dylans find out…"
"Find one that won't be detected easily." Angel says, her eyes gleaming
"I will do that," Logan promised,. "I'll find it for you. Sure."