บท 9: Baseless Rumors
At Meta Doctors Hospital
"Brother, Alexander, I got great news!" Rock Lancaster's sister Ava burst into the hospital room, holding out invitations along with food. Alexander blinked as his aunt shoved a gilded card into his face.
It was a wedding invite. Apparently, his cousin Lyndon was getting married.
"Congratulations," Alexander said. He didn't even know his cousin was dating someone.
His aunt beamed at him, delighted. "Thank you! Don't forget, you're invited to the stag party tonight at the Gentleman's Club. Lyndon wanted me to remind you, in case you forgot."
"Aunt Ava, you know I hate going to gatherings, especially events like those," Alexander plainly replied while handing his father the plate of peeled and cut apples he was working on. He had forgotten about the outing invitation, the message most likely buried in the mountain of emails he had to answer.
Ava clicked her tongue and directly snorted at him. "No wonder there are rumors about you being impotent. It's been five years already since Carla left you, and you're still not getting involved with another woman."
Her eyes then landed on Tyron who was currently sitting on the sofa casually playing with his mobile phone. "I wouldn't be surprised if the next rumor that pops out would say you prefer men like your assistant, who's always with you like a wife."
Rock almost spit out the piece of apple he had just eaten. "What an absurd rumor! My son is already married," he blurted out with a red face. "Those fools don't know anything!"
Ava's eyes widened as she turned to Alexander. "You're already married? To who?"
"Aunt Ava, can you keep it a secret for now?" Alexander nonchalantly stated. "You know I hate people talking about my private life."
"Of course, but when did that happen?" Ava asked curiously.
"This brat got married without even telling me! I only found out about it yesterday! I've never even met the woman, since my son hasn't brought her to visit me," Rock interjected with a sulky look. "Both of my sons are such scoundrels… William hasn't visited me yet and my oldest disobeys me…"
Alexander tuned out his father's grumbling, but then his father pointed at him.
"You have to go to your cousin's stag party and show your support if William won't be available to attend. Show them how much of a stag you are to dispel these nonsense rumors!"
Alexander remained passive despite the constant needling. With a straight face, he answered, "Fine, I'll go to the stag party, but don't pressure me to bring you my wife and introduce her to you. I'll decide when to do it."
"You…! How could you be this heartless, bargaining with your sick father like this?" Rock grumbled.
"Then I won't go tonight. You'll meet your daughter-in-law soon enough," Alexander responded with a stoic expression on his face.
Rock inwardly sighed. This son of his always had the same expression unlike William. Sometimes, he wondered if his eldest was a robot devoid of emotions.
"Brother," Ava interrupted his brief reverie with a nudge to his arm. "Your daughter-in-law can wait, but my son's stag party has to be held tonight."
Shrugging, she continued, "Lyndon's friends are all present, and you know how he and all his guests are looking forward to meeting your aloof son. It will also boost Lyndon's morale if Xander shows up. It would mean that he has Xander's support. Can you wait a bit to meet your daughter-in-law and let Xander attend the stag party tonight first?"
Rock let out an exasperated sigh and mumbled, "Fine, make sure to attend Lyndon's stag party tonight. And for goodness sake, loosen up a bit, son! You're too stiff!"
"Shouldn't you be used to it by now?" Ava chuckled. "He and William may look alike, but their characters and personalities are worlds apart, aside from their eye colors, of course."
Ignoring the exchange in front of him, Alexander glanced at his wristwatch before standing up. "I have to go now. I need to drop by Hydra Shipyard first."
Rock simply nodded before watching his son leave. Tyron gave them a curt nod before quickly following his son.
Meanwhile, Ava shook her head and mumbled, "Doesn't he know that Sunday should be a rest day?" She then turned to Rock and added, "I guess he takes after you for being such a workaholic. I wonder who the woman he married is though. I'm not sure if I'd call her lucky, given Xander's personality."
A brief silence passed, and Ava's eyes sparkled as she then asked, "So, Brother… Tell me, who is this sudden daughter-in-law of yours?"
Once more, Rock let out a heavy sigh before speaking to Butler Ben. "What did Rosa find out about Rain Clayton?"
"Rain Clayton?" Ava suddenly asked.
"Why?" Rock curiously asked. "Do you know her?"
"Oh… I'm not sure if it's the same woman, but this morning, I heard the mayor talking to my husband during our golf game. He was cursing Tim Clayton and his daughter, Rain Clayton, for embarrassing him and his family last night," she recalled. "I didn't hear the whole story though. Do you want me to ask Mark about it further?"
"No need. I'll look into it myself, Ava. You know I hate baseless rumors…" he dismissed. He then raised his eyebrows at her and reminded her, "Also, didn't I tell you to keep your family from getting too close to the Mayor? Richard is very dangerous…"
"I know. I'll remind Mark about this. Besides, we're both members of Meta Golf Club, so the meeting this morning was just coincidental," Ava answered with a pout. "Anyway, is she the same Rain Clayton?"
Rock simply nodded. "Remember not to disclose this marriage to anyone unless Alexander introduces her to us," he reminded her.
"I understand, Brother. I'll keep it to myself…" Ava nodded back before her expression turned curious once more. "So, how do you plan on meeting her? I know you too well. I'm sure you're going to meet this Rain yourself without Xander knowing."
"I'll see her as soon as I'm out of the hospital. I want to find out what kind of woman my son suddenly married," Rock firmly remarked. "I won't let any of my sons fall into the hands of women who don't deserve them."
บท 10: Star for the Night
Once Rain arrived at The Gentleman's Club, Cris immediately guided her inside and approached the manager. Cris was an undercover agent who was currently disguised as a waiter. He managed to infiltrate the club ahead of her, but the investigation had made little progress in almost a week due to his limited access to the area.
"Madam Beck," Cris politely called, interrupting the manager as she flirted with other waiters. Madam Beck was an older woman in her fifties with short blonde hair, dressed in a green silk cocktail dress with a plunging neckline. She wore shiny accessories on her body and heavy makeup on her face.
When she looked at them, Cris directly introduced Rain, "She's the one I was telling you about."
Sizing her up, Madam Beck scrutinized her from head to toe. As always, Rain kept her chin held high, exuding confidence in her job. She was wearing a low-cut, tight-fitting dress that looked both elegant and sexy. She put on a short bob-cut black wig, along with a prominent fake mole under the right eye bag and natural brown contact lenses which completed her disguise.
"The physical appearance is perfect!" the madame snorted with a high-pitched tone. "Still, I need more than just looks for tonight's performance." She suddenly clapped her hands and shouted, "Girls! On the stage right now!"
Turning to Rain, she then challenged, "See if you can familiarize yourself with their routine and fit in with their performance in less than an hour. Only then will I decide if I'll take you in or not?"
"I understand, Madam," she replied with a seductive smile and a wink.
Everything was going as expected. According to Cris, who had been an undercover waiter in the club for over a month, Madam Beck wanted more stunning ladies for tonight. It was a very special event with many men from high society expected to attend. Furthermore, it was the first time the club had hosted such an elite gathering since its opening last year, meaning that more hands were needed to keep everything running.
As a result, the bar began hiring. Many had tried to join, but only two had passed Madam Beck's meticulous standards. Rain was determined to be the third, so she immediately went to her assigned spot given by the instructor. Meanwhile, Madam Beck sat in the center chair, her eyes fixated on her.
Eventually, the music began, and Rain followed the instructor's steps diligently. She performed her best, focusing on mastering each move to ensure that her steps were delivered perfectly during just the second round of practice.
Then, the music stopped, and Rain smirked at her performance, confident that she had nailed the steps. Brandon had been right; she was indeed a fast learner, and by the third time the music started playing, Madam Beck had seen enough. "Stop!"
The madame stood up from her chair and walked closer to the stage. Pointing at the woman in front, she hissed, "You! Get out of the center and switch positions with the newcomer!"
She then looked at the instructor and commanded, "And as for you, make this bitch the star of tonight's performance!" Her gaze and finger pointed in Rain's direction.
Rain smiled and glanced at Cris, who only gave her a thumbs-up.
More time passed, and by the time she finished rehearsing as the lead star for the night, she was panting hard with exhaustion. She would've given up already if it was any other job, but remembering all the photos of the victims who could get justice with her help, made her efforts feel worth it.
"You, follow me and give me all your documents," Madam Beck suddenly commanded her with a twitch in her mouth.
Nodding, Rain quickly grabbed her envelope and followed her. She held her head high as she walked, but she kept her eyes alert, taking note of every corner of the club. Her mission was to spot any suspicious activities in the area and discreetly plant bugs and spyware in key locations without getting caught.
Going deeper into the club, Madam Beck eventually led her into a room and casually sat down, then gesturing for her to hand over her documents. Rain complied, and she immediately inspected them. After seemingly passing her inspection, she grabbed her phone and dialled a number.
"Diana Jones, ID number 987568," she stated her disguised name, her eyes fixed on her even as she was talking on the other line. After ending the call, she scrutinized her resume and told her, "Think of a good screen name for yourself right now."
"How about Moonflower?" Rain quickly suggested.
"Ewww… Dull… Boring…" the madame remarked, crossing her arms and looking at her up and down with a curl on her lips. She narrowed her eyes and then declared, "Twilight. You'll be called Twilight inside my club."
Rain smiled broadly. "I like it."
"Make sure you always smile seductively for all the guests later… Just like that, with your gleaming and hypnotizing foxy eyes," she added.
Rain complied, and Madam Beck was clearly satisfied.
"Perfect!" she burst out as she stood up and motioned for her to follow her. "Now come. Let's have you sign a contract. You'll have a temporary room for now. My assistant will brief you on the scope of your work as an entertainer shortly."
"Understood. Although, I have a sick mother, so I can't really commit to a regular schedule right now," Rain calmly explained. "My availability will depend on her health."
"Ah, family problems are the worst!" Madam Beck hissed in irritation, making Rain gulp.
Turning around to face her, she crossed his arms and clicked her tongue. "Give me a satisfactory performance tonight, and we'll discuss whether I can accommodate your schedule."
Rain smiled at her seductively just as she had requested, even adding a playful wink before bowing slightly. "Thank you so much, gorgeous Madam Beck!" she cheerfully stated.
She scoffed but smiled approvingly at her energy. "I like your cheerful attitude. Let's see if the clients also find you charming."
And with that, the madame then turned and walked away. All the while, Rain followed behind her, keeping a keen eye on her surroundings.
More time passed, and after a bit more practice and preparation, the night arrived when The Gentleman's Club opened for an exclusive booking. Rain donned her costume backstage, and the performers were quickly instructed to take their positions on stage. The lights were off for a while, but they quickly lit up the audience after a short while, giving the performers a glimpse of the elites they had to entertain for the night.
Narrowing her eyes, Rain quickly surveyed the area. Immediately, she found the main client for the night—the future groom she had to focus on since it was his stag party.
Surveying the room further, however, her eyes eventually darted toward a particular man near the groom. His sharp features such as his strong and well-defined jawline were accentuated by the dim glow of the club's lighting. His dark hair was neatly styled while framing his face that radiated authority and dominion.
Despite the festive atmosphere and the excited cheers from the other men, he exuded an air of familiar subtle annoyance. He seemed detached, observing the proceedings with a discerning gaze through his spectacles.
It was then that Rain's heart skipped a beat as she inwardly retorted, 'What was Alexander Lancaster doing here?'
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