Novel & Cerita Glorious Masquerade

“Darius, the ‘Gilded Cage’ isn’t just an exclusive club for the wealthy. It’s the Wolfe family’s private counting house, the place where all their secrets and ledgers converge. Everyone in that room tonight is either firmly on the payroll or owns a significant piece of the debt that keeps the entire operation afloat. If they recognize us before we reach the sub-levels…” “They won’t,” Darius said with quiet certainty, stepping fully into the room and closing the distance between us. He did not reach out to touch me, yet the heat radiating from his body was enough to make the delicate silk of my dress cling more tightly to my skin, as though the fabric itself responded to his presence. He held

It was a massive ballroom filled with people in silk gowns and tuxedoes who were wearing ornate animal masks and they were laughing and drinking champagne while the sound of a live orchestra drowned out the groaning of the pumps that were poisoning the city just a few hundred feet above our heads. "You have to be joking because there is a biological massacre happening in the streets and these people are throwing a masquerade ball in a cave like nothing is wrong with the world," Lucien whispered as a servant in a white jacket approached us with a tray of hot towels and two silver masks shaped like wolves.

The mansion lit up like something out of a dream. Hundreds of lighting fixtures shimmered along the tall domestic windows, flickering all through the marble like dancing fireflies. A gentle track floated through the air, easy and complete of power. Men in smooth suits and ladies in flowing gowns wandered through the courtyard, faces hidden at the back of sensitive, jeweled masks. It changed into Damien’s masquerade ball.

We always dressed smart for this, wanting it to feel like a special occasion, but I’d never seen my pack go this all out before. Beneath the glimmering fairy lights and the warm hues of dusk were a hundred or so of my wolves, some spinning in soft dance moves to the string quartet playing in the corner, others with their heads thrown back in laughter, some nursing their champagne flutes and spying out their friends and lovers on the floral dance floor. Everyone glittered in sparkling gowns and velvet suits, wearing bejewelled headpieces dropping gems onto their foreheads or intricately woven crowns of ivy and roses. And, below them, masquerade masks.

I adjust the collar of his tux and slowly draw my hands down the material as I move my face to the side of his head and whisper into his ear. "I'll think about it." I pull away to see his eyes flash with intent. It awakens something in me, something feral. We stay like this for a few more seconds before the sudden sound of loud cheering breaks the moment between us. Apparently, the lady of the night is making her way up the stairs. Dressed in a tullip golden ball gown that sweeps the floor. Her chest is exposed but her back is covered with a golden peacocks feathers which matches her golden Venice full face masquerade mask. Her hand is linked with her husband's hand who is dressed in a nice

“I don’t want to stop you from doing what you want, Zara. But…I don’t feel good about it. Just…be careful, okay?” I nodded, the unease curling in my stomach. Her words clung to me all afternoon. . By evening, Blackwood had transformed. Silken banners in midnight blue and gold draped from the high ceilings of the Grand Hall. Tables glittered with crystal goblets and black candles flickering. Music drifted from the far balcony where the academy’s orchestra played their cold, elegant pieces. It was the annual Masquerade. A tradition older than any living student, where anything could flit freely behind masks and alliances were formed or broken under the influence of chandeliers.

Blood disguised under roses. Valerius bent close, his lips brushing her ear. “Welcome to the Masquerade.” At first, she thought it was only decadence. Dancers swirled in sweeping gowns, hands gliding over bare shoulders, masks kissing masks in secret alcoves. Champagne flutes passed from one to another, crimson stains on glass rims. But then Chloe noticed the hunger. Eyes behind masks lingered too long on throats. Smiles flashed too many teeth. A man in a wolf mask brushed past her, his gaze fixed on the pulse at her neck. A woman in crimson feathers smiled, and for an instant, Chloe swore her canines lengthened.

This was the annual Masquerade Gala, the one night a year where the monsters of the corporate world wore masks that finally matched their souls. ​I stepped onto the polished marble floor, my heels clicking with a rhythm that felt far too much like a countdown. Click. Click. Click. Every step was taking me further away from my old life and deeper into the mouth of the beast. My dress, a deep midnight blue that shimmered like a bruised sky, felt like armor. It was backless, draped low to show off the skin I had spent years caring for, all to serve as a distraction. The lace mask over my eyes was tight, the delicate patterns pressing into my skin, reminding me that tonight, Elena Sterling did n

The ballroom glimmered with chandeliers and gold. Silk gowns swept the marble floors, lace fans fluttered, and the music from the string quartet wove through the air like smoke. Nobles whispered behind masks, laughing into their champagne flutes. The Duke’s masquerade was infamous. No one left without a secret.

Many round tables were dotted around the room, decorated tastefully with a gold and red motif of colors which represents wealth, prosperity and good fortune. This masquerade ball certainly was a display of wealth and prosperity, from the crystal Champaign glasses and silver and gold cutlery to the stunning paintings and decorations on the wall. But that wasn't what caught one's eyes! Inside the ballroom were group of people wearing cloths, jewelries and other accessories that worth millions of dollars. The women's ear rings, rings, and necklace and bracelet all together shone brighter than the light in the room. Anyone who caught a glimpse inside the room would Immediately know that this was