「Three hours later.」
The four of them stood before the entrance of Nivelis in Aethelgard.
Nivelis was situated in an open area at the end of a bar street in East Aethelgard. Unlike the bars on either side, with their crisscrossing neon lights, Nivelis's facade was simple, even understated.
The moment they stepped inside, a wave of warmth, fragrant scents, and faint music enveloped them. The true Nivelis slowly unveiled itself before their eyes.
Chloe Fairchild habitually scanned the interior and commented offhandedly, "Well now... Anatolian Gentleman Gray marble, Zemurian ebony wall panels, a custom Bang & Olufsen sound system... Impressive. Nivelis looks like some high-end concrete bunker from the outside, but they sure didn't skimp on the materials. All this money spent on the sly... quite interesting."
Annelise Valentine, paying little mind to the decor, replied casually, "Isn't this just what Aethelgardians do? They're dying to show off more than anyone, practically itching to write 'I'm not like you' on their foreheads, yet they insist on putting on this understated, profound act. It's so hypocritical."
Chatting amongst themselves, they passed through the lobby and entered the heart of Nivelis.
A blast of deafening electronic music assaulted their senses. The ceiling inside was astonishingly high, a dome displaying a flowing, holographic projection of a starry sky.
The most eye-catching feature was the pool in the center of the room, which glowed with an ethereal blue light. Gorgeous men and stunning women in bikinis splashed around playfully, their laughter mixing with the music in a display of wild, ostentatious abandon.
Sean Conrad couldn't help but whistle. "Whoa, alright! They really let loose here, huh? And hey, the water in this pool looks pretty clean."
Hearing this, Chloe Fairchild shot him an exasperated look. "Look at you, so easily impressed. Is our holographic undersea-world pool at Skyline not way cooler than this?"
Sean Conrad grinned slyly. "Ah, you don't get it. The vibe is different. Being here has the thrill of sneaking around and doing something you're not supposed to."
"Good evening, valued guests." A young man in a well-tailored suit, a manager's name tag pinned to his chest, blocked their path.
"Welcome to the main floor of Nivelis. Do you have a reservation?"
Annelise Valentine didn't even bother to look at him. "No. Get us your biggest and most luxurious suite. The one in the best location."
Her words made the manager's professional smile freeze for half a second.
'The biggest and most luxurious? And in the best location?'
"Are you looking to go to the 'Cloud Top' area on the second floor? The prices there are quite steep, you know."
The moment Annelise Valentine heard that, she knew the manager was looking down on them.
But instead of getting angry, she simply tilted her head slightly and looked at him. "Are you suggesting I can't afford a table here?"
The question was direct, even aggressive. Paired with her stunningly beautiful face and a single raised eyebrow, the intimidating pressure was palpable.
The manager's expression faltered. He hadn't expected her to be so blunt.
"Miss, you've misunderstood. I absolutely didn't mean that..."
Annelise Valentine had no patience for his excuses. Waving a hand dismissively, she cut him off. "Enough. Cut the crap. I'm covering the tab for the entire club tonight."
'Cover the entire club's tab?!' The manager was completely dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open as he struggled to process her words.
"You mean... the entire club? Are you cert—"
Before the manager could finish, Zane Patterson's hand appeared silently in front of him.
Pinched between his fingertips was a black card bearing a family crest.
The moment the manager saw the card, his pupils contracted sharply.
He might not have recognized the people standing before him, but he knew that anyone holding an unlimited, invitation-only black card from a private bank possessed a status far beyond his wildest imagination.
He took the card with both hands, his demeanor now utterly respectful. "Right away. I'll make the arrangements for you all immediately!"
*
Upstairs in the 'Cloud Top' section, Jett Westgate had just been listening with mild disinterest as Kian Miller joked about how the young masters from Veridia "only know how to burn through their family's money." Just then, the manager approached, bowing respectfully, and whispered a report of what had just happened downstairs.
"Oh?" Jett Westgate's eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly. The light tapping of his fingers on the armrest came to a halt.
'He hadn't even gone looking for trouble with this "fiancée" of his, and here she was, delivering herself to his doorstep. And wanting to buy out the entire club?'
'She's got some nerve.'
"Also, Boss," the manager said, placing the black card on the Obsidian coffee table. "They presented this."
When Jett Westgate didn't move, Leo Lennox leaned forward, picked up the card, and carefully examined the gold crest in the bottom-right corner.
"A Universal Capital black card? This crest... it's the symbol of the Patterson Family."
Hugo Summers's interest was piqued. "The Patterson Family from Veridia?"
Leo Lennox placed the card back on the table. "The ancestors of the Patterson Family were the 'Sea Kings' of Veridia."
"Let me put it this way: go back fifty years, and in the world of overseas trade, for every ten ocean freighters, seven had to fly the Patterson flag. The other three had to sign protection agreements with the family, or they wouldn't be able to leave port."
"Publicly, they've undergone a low-key transformation. But when it comes to Veridia's customs, ports, and shipping trade... behind the scenes, the Patterson Family still calls all the shots."
"Most importantly, this generation of the Patterson Family has only one heir. I think his name is... Zane Patterson. I saw him once before at an economic summit."
"And that kid grew up with Annelise Valentine. Their bond isn't just strong, they're practically family."
Jett Westgate, who had been silent until now, let out a soft, amused chuckle.
He uncrossed his long legs, rose slowly, and ambled over to the massive one-way glass wall.
From this vantage point, he had a perfect view of the entire first floor, and his focus landed on the four figures who couldn't have been more conspicuous.
Through the glass, his gaze locked precisely onto the radiant figure below—Annelise Valentine.
After a moment, he finally spoke. "Invite Miss Valentine and her friends to come up."
Kian Miller was taken aback. "Jett, from the way she's acting, it's obvious she's here looking for trouble."
"This is my club. Do you think I'm afraid she'll cause a scene?"
"On the contrary, I'm quite curious to see what she's capable of."
The manager personally escorted Annelise Valentine and her three friends, taking an elevator straight up to the 'Cloud Top' section.
The elevator doors slid open. Annelise Valentine was the first to step out. It was completely different from the first floor; the entire 'Cloud Top' area was far more spacious, designed like a floating courtyard in the sky. Instead of railings, there were massive, curved panels of one-way glass, and several clusters of sofas were artfully arranged throughout the space.
And at that moment, on the central cluster of sofas nearest the glass, a group of people was seated.
Almost instantly, Annelise Valentine's gaze locked onto the man in the very center of the sofa.
She didn't need an introduction. She didn't even need a clue.
For arrogant Aethelgardian young masters like Kian Miller to treat someone as the center of their universe, there could only be one person: Jett Westgate.