The Perfect Scam

Chapter II

Daisy had received a message from a reliable source that the infamous Chameleon was in the city, and his next target was a wealthy heiress attending a charity gala that evening.

As a detective with a knack for blending in with any crowd, Daisy knew she was the perfect person to go undercover and stop him.

She spent the afternoon preparing for her mission, carefully selecting a designer dress and perfecting her disguise as the heiress. As she entered the grand ballroom of the hotel where the gala was being held, she felt a rush of anxiety.

The room was filled with elegantly dressed guests, the air filled with the scent of expensive perfume and the clinking of glasses. Daisy scanned the crowd for any sign of the Chameleon, her heart racing at the thought of finally catching him in the act after all those years.

Suddenly, she felt someone approach her from behind and turned to see a charming man with bright blue eyes and a charming smile.

"I'm Carlton." With a stylish smile, Carlton introduced himself and elegantly offered his hand.

"Oh, you startled me," Daisy breathed, her voice in a whisper. "I'm Myriam. Myriam Christine." Daisy, her fingers trembling slightly, extended her hand to him.

He took it, his grip firm yet gentle, and grinned at her; his teeth were impeccable - Hollywood perfect.

"Your accent...it's British, right? London?" Carlton queried, his dark eyes probing into hers.

"Spot on," she replied with a shy smile. "Just arrived from London recently. Swapped rainy days for skyscrapers of New York. It's not London, but it's interesting."

Carlton cocked an eyebrow at Daisy's playful language as she asked him in return, "And where are you from?"

"Europe," he said simply. His fair complexion glowed under the ambient light as he added, "I'm Caucasian."

Daisy's eyes narrowed at Carlton's vague response. "Which part of Europe then?"

"Barcelona," he confessed in a breathy murmur that sent a strange shiver down her spine.

"Mmm... Barcelona. It's said to be sensuously beautiful," Daisy replied, her voice intentionally sultry. She offered him a flirtatious smile and withdrew her hand from his.

Carlton's gaze bore into hers as he sipped his champagne, the contours of his defined jaw working as he swallowed.

"I can't help but be captivated by you, Myriam. You radiate intelligence and intuition." The raw desire in his eyes made Daisy arch a brow.

Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes at his obvious seduction attempt, she had braced herself for Carlton's manipulative charm. Known to sweet-talk his way into the hearts of his victims before swindling them blind, he was a consummate professional.

She also hadn't anticipated him knowing so much about her - 'Intelligence and intuition' were words often used to describe the elusive Daisy Theodora.

Had he recognized her?

She swiftly dismissed the thought; The Chameleon had never laid eyes on Daisy.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Carlton," she purred, playing along to extract more about him.

Carlton was concentrating on keeping up the conversation and complimenting Daisy frequently. With each compliment, Daisy struggled to keep her emotions in check.

Throughout the night, Daisy played her part perfectly, gathering info while maintaining her disguise.

As the gala started wrapping up and guests began departing one by one, Carlton pulled Daisy close and whispered in her ear, each syllable laced with tantalizing promise, 

"You're not the only one playing the game tonight, Detective."

Her heart pounded in her chest but before she could recover -

"I'm kidding. It was nice meeting you, dear." He flashed another heart-stopping smile before vanishing into the crowd.