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Beside me, Tatiana takes a deep breath and gasps with delight. "Just beautiful," she murmurs, arching her neck out of the window, her face turned toward the moon. In this light, she's the closest thing to Aphrodite.
The air is thick with an earthy scent, a mélange of damp soil and decaying leaves, creating an atmosphere that feels almost primal.
Out here, there are no street lights. It's just us and my convoy that exists in this world. To my surprise, Tatiana sits in silence, unquestioning, giving me her complete trust.
The lane leads up to the estate that houses the casino. As we approach the outer boundary, Tatiana’s eyes widen in wonder at the nothingness that surrounds us. "Where are we?"
"Ah," I say with a sly smile, "paradise, as promised, but remember, discretion is key." I turn towards her and look at her intently. “Tatiana, my security team usually vets everyone I bring here, that would include you. And everyone is required to sign an NDA as part of the process.
I know I can trust you, but I need to make sure you understand fully. You cannot tell anyone about this location, including what and who you see here.
Tatiana looks around, clearly intrigued by my serious tone relating to this random place.
"Can you tell me more?" she inquires eagerly, her face lit up with excitement.
"You’ll know soon enough, Tatiana," I tease, enjoying the anticipation that lingers in the air. "All will be revealed in duetime. But, first, I need you to promise me. Not Martin, not your parents, nobody can ever know about this.
“I promise,” she answers too quickly, looking at me with doe eyes. "But what–" she tries.
I wink at her, cutting her off. "You can find magic in the most unexpected places,Tesoro," I say, aiming to raise her excitement for what she is about to see.
"Tesoro," she tastes the word on her luscious lips. The way she says it is tinged with an accent I can't place. Not quite American, not quite anything else. Otherworldly.
"Sweetheart," I translate, blushing.
“I know. It’s just that no one has called me that before.” She smiles as she forgets to breathe for a second and lowers her gaze to the ground, her eyelashes fluttering as she composes herself again. A thrill goes down my spine to learn I have this effect on her.
"Show me this mysterious paradise of yours," she breathes, unable to hide her excitement.
We pull up to the entrance. The gates, like silent sentinels, await their digital command. A security laser system activates beams of light exploring the vehicle with micro precision. They pierce the shell, scanning the occupants and checking for bombs and the like.
The high-tech system includes biometrics, and my fingerprint is captured seamlessly as I touch the identification panel. With my password, I override the need to register Tatiana's entrance. Once it confirms my identity, the gates to the parking lot open, granting us access.
"Wow," Tatiana murmurs, "you do like it high-tech."
“That’s not half of it. Check your phone.” She checks her phone, then gapes at me. “Emergency calls only?”
"Welcome to my secret world," I reply, feeling a mix of pride and vulnerability as I let her further into my life.
I park the car and step out to open Tatiana’s door. I notice her taking in every detail – from the sleek, expensive cars of the other patrons to the security cameras tracking our every move.
"And what, exactly, is here?" she asks, turning around with outstretched arms.
"The pleasures of life," I reply simply, shrugging my shoulders.
She watches me with a hint of concern. She knows there's more to my world than meets the eye, but she's willing to trust me, and for that, I am grateful. She gives me a small smile and continues looking around.
"Couldn’t someone just jump over this wall?" Tatiana jokes, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she points at the boundary that encloses us.
"Ah, but it's not just a wall," I say, grinning. "Here, let me show you."
I pick up a nearby rock and throw it towards the top of the wall. The moment it makes contact, an array of sharp spikes emerges from the surface, creating an impenetrable barrier. The rock falls to the ground, utterly destroyed.
Tatiana's eyes widen in shock, and she takes an involuntary step back. "Philippe! That's... That's insane!"
"Nothing is too extreme when it comes to protecting the integrity of my investments." I tell her, my voice serious. As much as I want to shield her from the darker aspects of my life, I know she needs to understand the level of danger she might face if she's in it.
"This world I'm stepping into, is it your world?" she asks, her voice wavering slightly as she stares at the spikes, then back at me. Our eyes lock, and I can see both fear and determination in her gaze.
