Chapter 180:

Ace was ready quickly, a dark-green camo jacket with an embroidered tiger at the back, with a white hoodie underneath, some slim cargo trousers of the same colour as the jacket, and some white sneakers.

He had also combed his hair in a new style, which made his eyes stand out even more, and just like always, his appearance drew looks from people. Truthfully, part of it was because they knew of his identity, he was someone who had not only built an empire of entertainment for himself, but also was set to inherit one of the biggest conglomerates in the world. He smiled at them, not a care for the world, and much less their perplexed looks. He went to the reception in the lobby, and informed them that if his grandmother needed anything, they would have to ping his phone, since he was going to a party.

They smiled and assured him that she would find out, and once he felt all he had to do was done, he got on the elevator again, and rode it to the top floor.

***

Through the soundproofed doors, nothing escaped, so it was eerily quiet once he got there, he was slightly early, since he did have to play host for a bit, so there were not that many people there, since most would come about half an hour later, once they knew that the party would be in full swing.

Ace nodded at the guard that was posted at the door, he was there for appearances more than anything, anyone that was already in the Tower and wanted to go to the party, would most certainly be allowed in.

As the imposing man opened the doors for him, Ace thanked him with a cheery smile, which took him off guard, 'Interesting, usually, they try and race past the door, too scared to get near me for too long, their instincts screaming to escape, but this boy… He seems as if he is on a placid walk amidst flowers, as calm and relaxed as one could be, this kid really is something huh?', the trail of thoughts stopped there, however, as the guard closed the door silently behind him, and refocused on the task at hand, keeping his face impassive, looking imposing to the people that were going in and out of the rooftop.

***

Ace went inside, or outside, depending on how you wanted to see it, and stopped to breathe the fresh air, and stare at the sights. There were already quite a few people, but the views were still visible from where he was standing. It would begin to get dark in about forty minutes, and by then, the festivities would begin. The plan was that people would be able to come and watch the sunset from the tallest point in the Tower, a breathtaking sight Ace made sure to enjoy as much as he could. Once it got dark, the stars would also become quite visible, which meant that people would be able to also see them, since with the little pollution, the air was as clean as it could be, and the sky was crystal clear on summer nights such as this one.

Ace assumed that at some point, there would be a dance, so he would probably have to find a partner for that. It was just one of the things that his grandmother wanted to make a tradition behind the scenes, creating further pressure for people to come to every ear, so as to not miss both the event, and the opportunities and gossip that would come with it.

It was countless small things such as this one that made Samantha such a successful and influential woman, she knew exactly how to apply pressure, in order for her to get the appropriate reactions. She was a fantastic manipulator, and the more Ace witnessed her methods, the more he agreed with that thought.

He walked around, simply saying hi and greeting people, welcoming them to the Tower, and making small talk. A simple enough process that helped him build his links with all of these people.

It was about twenty minutes of talking later, when more people began to arrive, and things began to get packed, that the party kicked up a notch. The DJ began to truly amplify the atmosphere, and the dancing was in full swing.

It was a warm summer night, which meant that the pool was also in use, girls and boys in swimwear splashing about, and playing various games, while shouting and laughing in the water. The dance floor was also packed, the bodies of the dancers pressed like sardines, rubbing against each other, the friction almost visible to a perceptive eye. Ace enjoyed himself, dancing along with the crowd. In good club practice, both girls and boys pressed up against him, even if he did attempt to refute the latter when he could, but the monstrous agglomeration sometimes made that impossible.

After about 15 minutes on the dancefloor, Ace spotted Igor, and so he attempted to make his way through the ocean of bodies, which soon proceeded to form a circle around a group of people that were currently competing to see who could produce the coolest dance move.

Ace admired them for a while, but soon got back to his mission, and went straight to Igor, who was leaning on the bar, speaking to the tender.

Ace smiled at her, and asked for one more of whatever it was Igor was having, something that most certainly contained hard alcohol in some shape or form. She grinned, as she poured and shook, before finally adding some finishing touches, and handing him a fancy glass.

"Thanks", Ace smiled, before turning to face Igor, who was observing the dancefloor with interest, "So, are you staying for the…", "Of course, this is pretty much as romantic as it gets. The question is, who will be the lucky one?", he said, muttering at the end, completely focused on his own thoughts.

"Well, you better decide, you have about ten minutes left", the bartender chimed in, then looked at Ace, "As for you,", she motioned covertly with her eyes, "Someone has been staring at you for the past minute.", Igor snorted, as Ace frowned, "What's new", Igor laughed loudly as he said, making the bartender snicker as well, and looked at Ace from top to bottom, "Well, for good reason I guess, but still… This one is pretty intense, maybe you should go, plus, she is quite pretty…"

Ace sighed, before turning to look at the girl,'Ok, she is pretty', and she was, she had olive skin, with dark brown hair and green eyes, "Well, wish me luck, I guess.", Ace said, as he walked towards her, but still able to hear the sniggers from the bartender, and Igor's loud laugh.

She soon noticed Ace coming towards her, and she smiled at him, a straight smile, with white pearly teeth, one that was just as flawless as the one Ace flashed her in return. She blushed slightly, and Ace was only able to tell due to his enhanced eyesight, the flashing lights and the light sheen of sweat on her skin making it hard to spot.

***

It did not take too long, she was clearly interested, and it was not like he wasn't aware of his appearance and the effect it had on people. The fact that he surprised her by speaking perfect greek was also a big point in his favour.

He soon led her by the hand, and she looked at him quizzically. She saw that everyone was going to the border, hoping to get a good spot, but he just grinned at her, before taking a fresh towel from an attendant.

"Follow me", he said in Greek, and she nodded, him leading her by the hand.

They circled around the pool, and she realised his intentions once he began to climb the ladder. He grinned at her, and she grinned back.

A short climb later, they were now both on the platform that led to the diving board, and Ace laid down the comfortable towel, before sitting down, ready for the beauty that was about to come.

***

They watched, mystified, the sunset, the myriad of beautiful colours superimposing upon each other. She sat in front of him, with her head laid on his chest, and held his toned arms, as they wrapped over her shoulders. She would not realise, but she had an idyllic smile on her face, one that Ace shared, as his body realised the beauty of the moment. It was a simple pleasure, but one that brought him more happiness than any object he could ever buy.