01. The Society

The surrounding music is intoxicating. Colored lights dance on the ceiling and floor, spreading across the walls and the dancing bodies of those present. Men and women, dressed in lavish and voluptuous attire, fill the room. Elena, doing her best to remain unnoticed, can't help but stare at everydetail of the place.

That very day, she had been tasked with covering what could be the biggest scoop of her life; the news that would radically change her career and finally put her in the journalism spotlight. The high-heeled shoes cramped her feet; the neck jewelry and unnecessarily ostentatious earrings bothered the sensitive skin of her ears terribly, but she had nothing left to lose. Her triumph was undeniably near.

Still walkingat a slow pace, gazing at the splendid sight that this place showed her, Elena noticed that many of the corridors were dark. Paying more attention, some of them led to rooms; strictly secretive rooms.

She tried, but failed to stop the smile that crept across her face. After all, she was in the wolves' den. A few photos, audio recordings and videos would make that secret paradise crumble - and of course, bring her the success she so craved.

She was so distracted that she didn't notice when a tall, blonde woman with splendidly green eyes and plump lips painted crimson stopped right in front of her.

"Hey, you."

Elena faced the girl as best she could, swallowing dryly.

"Yeah? Can I help you?"

"I've never seen you around here before." The blonde tossed her hair to the side and raised an eyebrow. "New to the club?" "Yes," Elena replies softly.

"I loved your hair."

The compliment takes the journalist completely by surprise.

"Really?"

"Of course. It's such a beautiful brown color..." The woman steps forward and whispers in Elena's ear: "By the way, my name is Valentina."

"Thank you, Valentina. My name is Elena."

Valentina tilted her head slightly, as if analyzing Elena more deeply.

"Elena... an interesting name. Well, welcome to our select club. I am sure you will find many fascinating things here."

Elena agreed, keeping carefully discreet about her real motivation for being there.

"Yes, it seems to be a rather... exclusive place."

Valentina smiled enigmatically and, in cadenced steps, began circling the woman until she was gently holding her shoulders. A shiver ran down the journalist's arms.

"Our members have very particular tastes, you know. They appreciate the good things in life and value privacy."

Elena nodded, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

"I see. And, are you one of the organizers of the event?"

Valentina laughed, a soft, mesmerizing sound.

"Let's just say I have my influence in here."

"I see."

"Elena, tell me, just to satisfy my curiosity... You said it's your first time here, right? Who is your sponsor?"

Elena's heart raced inside her chest.

What do you mean, sponsor? Was there business going on in there too? Wasn't it just a party with very peculiar tastes and extravagant activities?

Before she could use her alibi and the fake invitation that was inside her bag, a man with beautiful blue eyes and straight honey-colored shoulder-length hair interrupted their conversation.

"Is everything okay here?"

Valentina replied calmly:

"Everything's fine, dear. I'm just getting to know our new guest."

The man looked Elena up and down.

"I hope Valentina isn't bothering you," he remarks and winks one of his eyes seductively.

The journalist just smiles and gives a small negative nod. The blonde laughs and adds:

"She's still shy. We need to make her lose that shame."

Simultaneously, another man appears. Unlike the first, this one is much more serious and doesn't seem to waste smiles for nothing. His eyes and hair are dark, his nose slightly hooked and his eyebrows thick. His chin lifts almost imperceptibly as he faces Elena.

"A new member?"

"Yes," Valentina replies.

"Who is your sponsor?"

Again, that damning question. Trying her best to sound confident, Elena starts going through all the names of the most influential billionaires of the past few months; who topped the list of the richest and most popular.

"Stuart Álvarez," she says, softly and avoiding eye contact. Her hands were cold from sweat.

"Álvarez?" the black-haired man asks. "Unbelievable."

"Must be the third one this month," the brown-haired one comments.

"A seducer is a seducer," Valentina adds. "Does he have exclusivity over you? Or is it a semi-open contract?"

Elena wasn't understanding a single word that was being said, but decided to wing it as best she could.

"Yes, Stuart Álvarez sponsors me exclusively," Elena replied, struggling to maintain a confident expression.

The two men exchanged meaningful glances, while Valentina looked puzzled by the answer.

Tense, the woman waited patiently for the next words from the people in front of her, although inside she wanted to run out and abort the mission.

"Interesting," the black-haired man said, tilting his head slightly to the side. "It seems we have a special guest tonight."

Elena tried to cover her confusion, though her mind was racing. Would that be enough to get them to leave her alone? Or would the eyes of two billionaires and their faithful squire follow her for the rest of the evening?

"Come on, let's show you a bit more of our club," the brown-haired man said, offering his arm to Elena. "I'm sure you'll be delighted with what we have to offer."

If Elena could, she would have celebrated by punching the air. The recorder inside her bag had picked up enough; what would she find out ahead?

Soon, the four of them were walking through the dark, winding corridors. The further they walked, the more Elena had the impression that they were far away from the main area. The sound of the music became more and more distant, until it became a simple background noise.

When they reached a red door that read "Restricted Entry", Valentina stepped forward and opened it, revealing a dark room. Before Elena could say anything, she found herself being thrown to the hard floor of the room, falling hard.