Lucius's Warning

Lucius's car zipped into the driveway of a swanky villa, which was a notch above the one Scarlett had visited earlier. This one was a four-story behemoth with a sprawling yard that could easily double as a parking lot for the fleet of sports cars lined up.

As they hopped out of the car and made their way to the entrance, the air was already thick with the sounds of a party in full swing - laughter, chatter, and clinking glasses. Lucius led the way, and as they stepped through the door, someone shouted out, "Lucius, my man, over here!"

Scarlett trailed behind Lucius. As she came into view, the guys lounging on the sofas swiveled their heads in unison to check her out, which caused others facing away from the door to turn around as well.

A sea of eyes was now fixed on Scarlett. As she followed Lucius to the sofas, she noticed playing cards strewn across the coffee table, along with stacks of crisp yuan bills.