HER FAÇADE MIGHT BREAK

Embrocation was the most popular and exclusive club in a certain city in Russia. Its doors were graced by countless millionaires, beautiful socialites and international celebrities. The design of the club was chic-dystopic, lending a mysterious and futuristic air to the space. Its unique appearance made it a destination for numerous tourists. Unfortunately, it was almost impossible to get in.

On most nights, there was a crowd of people standing outside the club, hoping for an opportunity to be in Embrocation. The security was impossibly tight, so their hope was to attract the attention of one of the members. It was not uncommon for pretty girls to be ushered into the club on the request of the adventurous guests.

As these hopefuls watched the street, an ordinary taxi stopped outside the club. A conspicuously small woman with short black hair and in a completely black tight dress and high boots stepped out and walked without hesitation to the entrance of the club.

The people outside looked at her mysterious figure with disgust while looking forward to her being shown away. How could she not know the rules for normal people? Did she think that just because she dressed like a miniature dominatrix she would be allowed in?

However, the shame and embarrassment that they had been looking forward to did not happen. In fact, when the woman appeared, the burly bouncers guarding the entrance moved, allowing the woman to enter without pausing. Later on, numerous people would attempt to enter by dressing up like that small woman, but they would fail.

Hu Lei looked around the dim-lit club with emotionless eyes. She did not join the snobbish people laughing without a care or drinking elegantly at the bar. Instead, she followed the directions provided by Vlad to the back area and swiped a card to open the elevator.

She pressed B3 and felt the lift descend. The former Hu Lei would have made a scathing remark about the shadiness of Vlad the Impaler and living underground. The current Hu Lei did not even think about it. She could only think about how her time was running out. It had been five days since her father had called. While she wanted to take precautions, she could not help worrying.

Her hope was that her father could hold on for longer. After analysing the situation, she could guess that the people after him were not after his death. In truth, her father was a scholar, so he was not a hard man to kill or capture. If the group hunting him was private military as he had said, then there was definitely something fishy about the entire thing.

That did not mean that she would not search for him.

The elevator doors opened to reveal something that made even this hardened woman lift an eyebrow. When she had last been in Russia, Embrocation had not been existence. Plus, she had not been in contact with Vlad. Therefore, she did not know about his little secret club.

She looked around and discovered Vladimir in the upper wing of the club, looking at the little games going on in his domain. It is seemed that cleaning up his illegal businesses did not mean that he had forsaken all of his evil patterns.

Within a few moments, she was lounging opposite him, accepting a drink from a woman scantily clad in leather and chains. Yes, this underground part of Embrocation was a BDSM club. Moreover, from the open plays she had seen on the way in, it catered to all tastes. Basically, it was very Vladimir Romanov.

"Does Pierre know about this little side project?" She asked while throwing back a shot of whiskey.

She felt the disgusting taste encompass her mouth, but it somehow reminded her that she was no longer in Supreme City with its little umbrella drinks. In truth, she was still not good with alcohol. However, she would not be Jane if she did not have a way to neutralise the alcohol.

Vladimir looked at Hu Lei with surprise in his eyes. When he had last seen her weeks ago, she had been completely different. She had been wearing cute little dresses, laughing cheerfully and on the verge on plunging in the sea of love. Now, there seemed to be nothing in her eyes. He could not help the desolation in his heart, missing that light girl. He had hoped that she would have the life she had hoped for.

"He loves it. He says it gives him inspiration." He laughed easily. "We don't keep secrets, you know."

Hu Lei did not miss the provocation in the words. However, she did not take the bait from this person. She accepted another shot of whiskey and threw it back her throat without flinching. The picky girl who did not even like coffee was deeply buried.

"Did you tell your man that you were leaving?" He questioned after she refused to play his game.

For a moment, Hu Lei seemed wistful while she thought about the evil emperor. She did not dare dwell on it because her façade might break, forcing her to lose her focus.

"What do you think will happen if I tell him? I do not know the trouble my father is in this time. I don't think it will be so simple to solve everything. If luck is on my side, I will be back in no time. He will hardly notice my absence." She did not believe it, but it made her hopeful.

"Why haven't you cut off that old man?" Vladimir asked with disgust.

It was extremely ironic for Vlad to ask this question. In her teenage years, he had used her father like a sword over her head, forcing her to help him with rather unsavoury tasks. If she had cut him off then, would he have gotten rid of his illegal business and kept his beauty happy and safe?

Still, she understood what he meant. If it was not for her father, she would not have needed to become this person. When Vlad had first captured the older man and threatened her, she had been able to free him as a hostage. They could have fled. However, her father had not been willing to leave because Vlad had access to some lab with some form of medical mystery. In the end, she had paid the price, and he had been able to study without a care.

"He is my parent." She spoke with firmness.

Vladimir sighed as he nursed his drink.

"You know that he will come looking?" From his interactions with Zhong Feng, he knew that he was a smart man, and he would not let Hu Lei go. It would only be a matter of time before he appeared at his door if she did not return.

"Perhaps you can give him a message for me." She looked wistful, her eyes unseeing.

"Would that be your coordinates?" Vlad laughed carelessly before asking one of his attendants to bring a pen and a paper.

Hu Lei wrote a single sentence before folding it up and giving it to Vladimir.

"What if he does not come?" he asked while putting the letter away.

"Then the message does not matter." With that, she motioned for another drink.