PULSE [H.S]

030

"Art is a lie that makes us realize truth." — Pablo Picasso

This mansion makes Elias's look like nothing.

The driveway has to be over a mile long. It turns and loops and takes me through the most amazing garden exhibit. There's flowers, carved bushes, and it's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.

After the gardens, the driveway opens up into a straight road, with the two lanes separated by a row of large trees. The trees also line both sides of the driveway, and I feel like I'm living in a movie.

At the end of the straightaway, the drive leads up to a circular area centering around a giant fountain. The stairs leading to the mansion behind it are daunting, and the place is massive.

I take a breath, preparing myself to step into the role of Marianna Oren. Strong, rich, confident. I'm supposed to be here. I come from money.

The valet opens my door, and I smile at him, stepping out onto the pavement. I ascend the stairs, my heels clicking on the cement with every step I take. There are guards everywhere. The sight of them reminds me of why I am here, and I start noting everything that I see.

When I reach the top of the stairs, I'm directed to a security station that looks similar to what you would see at an airport. I hand them the fake ID, and they take my picture. When I put my bag through the conveyor belt, I hold my breath, only letting it out when the bag makes it through the other end and I'm cleared to enter.

A large weight is lifted as I enter the mansion, having made it through the first hurdle of the day. Thank you, Liam, whoever you are, for this impressive bag.

I walk into the mansion with my chin up, discretely analyzing the vast amount of security equipment they have littered around the entrance. The inside of the mansion is even nicer, it opens up into a giant entryway with a dome skylight ceiling, providing a lot of natural light. Unlike Elias's mansion, which had a dark feeling to it, this place is vibrant.

The first thing I do is find my way to a bathroom, knowing that all of the guys are probably dying not knowing what's going on right now. I take the comm out of the bag and stick it in my ear, making sure it's not visible.

"Comm is in," I say.

Harry's deep voice rings in my ear, the sound of it wrapping around me and comforting me like a blanket. He says, "We got you."

I slip the knife into the sheath that's concealed under my dress, hoping that it stays there for the entire event. I steady myself, then put my invisible mask back on and leave the bathroom.

I follow the flow of people into the main display room. All of the guests are dressed in exquisite clothes that just scream 'wealthy beyond belief.' The display room is a huge room, with extremely high ceilings and large windows extending from top to bottom all around the room.

There are so many paintings and sculptures up for auction, and they all have a plaque with descriptions on them as well. The security cameras in here move with the movement of people, seeing every small movement.

I look at some of the art, which is actually enjoyable since I'm an artist myself. This art is different, though; you can tell it was made to please a certain audience—people with money.

"Beautiful, innit?" a young man says as he appears beside me and looks at the painting I was reading about.

I nod. "It's a beautiful painting."

"I was talking about you, lovey," the guy says, turning his eyes to look at me now instead of the piece of art.

He's very easy on the eyes. He's tall and has nice red hair that's neatly combed back on his head. I drink in the sight of him and his fine skin, charming smile, and dazzling eyes.