淑女的欲望

Next Day.

Xander and Scarlett arrived at the Empire Club, one of the most exclusive venues in Manhattan, owned by the prestigious Morrison Group. The club was closed to the public that day, as it was reserved for Rex's birthday party.

Scarlett had attended Rex's birthday parties many times, but this time was different. She was anxious about meeting Rex's friends, who used to tease her about dating Rex in the past. She didn't want any awkwardness or tension between Xander and Rex's friends, significantly since their relationship had just improved.

As they stepped inside, the thumping bass of EDM music filled her ears. She flinched at the blast of loud EDM music. She doesn't like to come to a place like this. If it weren't for Rex's birthday, she would never have set foot in a music club like the Empire Club.

She entered the venue and saw the place was already bustling with invited guests. They danced in the middle of the room while others sat at a round table chatting and drinking. She couldn't see their faces clearly because the lighting was dimmed to create the perfect atmosphere for the night.

Scarlett searched for Zara and Tyler, who had arrived earlier. After a few minutes, she spotted them on the second floor, less crowded than the first floor, where the dance floor was located. She urged Xander to follow her there to escape the loud music hurting her ears.

"Xander, let's go upstairs," Scarlett yelled over the music, taking Xander's hand and pulling him towards the stairs. "It's too loud down here!"

Xander nodded in agreement. He followed Scarlett up the stairs, relieved to escape the noisy music. Although the music is still heard upstairs, it's not as loud as downstairs.

As they arrived on the second floor, Scarlett saw Zara and immediately greeted her with a hug. "Zara, it's so good to see you!" she exclaimed.

Zara's eyes widened as she took in Scarlett's outfit. "Damn, girl! You look stunning in that outfit!" she said, smiling.

Scarlett blushed. "Thank you, sista!" she replied.

Zara raised an eyebrow. "This is obviously not a compliment, alright!? Why don't you follow the dress code?" she asked.

Scarlett looked puzzled. "Wait, there's a dress code?" she asked.

Zara rolled her eyes. "Of course, there is," then she gestured at her own outfit: a knee-length tight black dress that exposed her curves and high heels that made her look even sexier. "...You must dress attractively like this, girl!"

"Ooh, a glamor party? When did you see me dressed like that?" Scarlett chuckled, teasingly ignoring Zara. She sat down next to Xander, flashing a smile at Tyler, who sat across from them.

Xander couldn't help but silently gulp at Scarlett's words, recalling how she looked stunning and sexy in a gold dress at Axel Hill's wedding party.

"Nice to meet you guys!" Tyler greeted them, raising his wine glass to divert the conversation. "Scarlett, what do you want to drink? Wine?" he asked.

"Non-alcoholic," Xander chimed in, surprising both Zara and Tyler.

"Xander, would you mind if Scarlett had wine tonight? Just a glass. But it's the real thing this time, not that grape juice you called wine..." Zara pleaded with Xander, knowing Scarlett's poor alcohol tolerance and that she could handle a glass of wine without losing control.

Xander remained silent and turned to look at Scarlett, a warning flash in his eyes. Scarlett was unsure whether to take a sip of wine with alcohol, but she wanted to be polite.

"Hubby," she said, taking his hand and leaning in close to his ear. "Can I have just half a glass? It would be rude of me to refuse, right? I promise I won't get drunk," she said pleadingly.

Xander gave in with a nod. "Fine, but if you get drunk, we're going home."

"Hmm, I promise," Scarlett smiled sweetly at him. "I know my limits," she said.

Scarlett understood why Xander was strict with her regarding alcohol, as he had seen her drunk before and described her as hard to control and loud. That's why he often reminded her not to drink alone in public, as it could be dangerous.

Zara smiled at Xander, trying to compliment him on letting Scarlett drink for tonight. "Thank you, brother-in-law," she said.

Xander didn't say anything in response, but he nodded. He felt happy because Zara addressed him as a brother-in-law. 

Soon, Xander engages in conversation with Tyler, discussing business-related matters. Meanwhile, Zara and Scarlett also started chatting.

"Zara, how long have you been in town?" Scarlett asked, sipping her wine.

"Just got in this morning. I celebrated Christmas with my family first before coming here," Zara explained.

Scarlett nodded, understanding the importance of Zara's family traditions. "That's nice. I'm glad you made it," she said. 

Before long, Scarlett realized that something was missing. 

"Zara, where's Cruz?" Scarlett asked. Cruz should have arrived before her at this party.

"That shameless Cruz immediately ruled the dance floor when he got here," Zara said, pointing at the crowded area.

"Humph! He's here already?" Scarlett was startled and followed Zara's line of sight. "Where?" she asked, struggling to spot Cruz in the dim light.

"The one with the neon green outfit!!" Zara exclaimed.

"The hell!!" Scarlett couldn't help but swear when she saw her assistant, who stood out among the others with his neon green suit and danced like he was possessed by the soul of one of the Kpop idols, moving perfectly and powerfully.

Instantly, Scarlett felt a mixture of embarrassment and amusement upon seeing Cruz's dancing moves. She couldn't deny that he had stolen the attention of all the guests, but there was also a part of her that found it endearing.

"I hope that shameless Cruz won't embarrass me too much tonight," Scarlett said with a playful smile as she sipped her wine.

As she scanned the room for Rex, Scarlett couldn't help but wonder where he was. It was his birthday party, after all. Had he decided to skip his own birthday party and stay at home?

"Where's Rex?" she asked Zara, who was now chatting with Tyler.