So here is the next chapter. Well this will be a sort of series of OSs which would comprise mainly of their encounters. It wouldn't be a continuing story but the chapters would be loosely connected mainly due to their past. Hope you guys like it. Please do leave your valuable feedback.
Flashback is in bold.
Moving around the place she familiarized herself with the design of the room where the event they had to secure was to be held. It was the opening of the jewel display organized by the Haringtons – one of the most affluent families of Manhatten. The premiere night had been modeled according to the early modern age owing to the family lineage and there was no stone left unturned to capture the same. They had remodeled the entire ball room of the mansion to give out a more opulent and exquisite look of the early 18th century. The theme of the evening was a masquerade ball where women flaunted their beauties in elegant gowns and men accompanied them in tuxedos providing a modern look to the periodic mise en scene – as the Haringtons addressed it.
The jewel display included the most coveted collections of all time ranging from sapphires to rubies making it the prime targets of all the nefarious present in the city. A perimeter had been set up and Sharon was in charge of the operation – hoping to catch some of the notorious ones as the display was a candy land for the white collar criminals. They had the almost perfect plan laid up to trap the mice.
The flaw in the plan was the theme – masquerade.
The party entrants were to be provided with the exquisite shimmering Venetian masks upon their arrival making it difficult for them to be tracked. They had to be discreet in their approach to preserve the heritage and reputation of the family making it a little twisted for them making them play upfront.
Sharon walked inside the ball room with her mask on and effortlessly mingled in the crowd. She was adorned in a sheath black strapless shimmering gown with a thigh high slit that hugged her feminine figure as if it was meant only for her. Her mask was an ornate yet elegant golden Venetian style mask with intricate designs over the edge with a multi colored feathery flower at the edge enhancing the lavishness of it. As she danced around with people she ended up in front of a person with a black-silver mask on and a smirk over the face. His face conveyed as if he knew her who she was which was next to impossible but the twinkle in his eyes seemed diabolic and something wrenched inside her as a shiver ran down her spine.
There was something she couldn't fathom. The air around her suddenly felt heavy and tension brewed up in abundance. As the song changed its note he forwarded his hand for the dance.
They moved in sync over the music played - the rhythm flowing easily within them in the dimmed atmosphere of the room. It wasn't the first time they danced – but never like this. Their touches had never been innocent but today it conveyed more than that. He led her to the corner where the lights were the dimmest and with one swift dip they were facing each other – her one hand resting on his shoulder and the other firmly held by him while his rested below her waist. Their eyes never left the other.
"So finally you got used to my company… Love."
When she had given her hand to him for the dance she had immediately recognized the touch. She could never forget that touch in her life – her every nerve imprinted with it. She immediately moved away to change her partner but he was quicker and pulled her making her back crash against his chest. Positioning their hands he moved forward leading her steps and as the music changed not he turned her roughly making her face and spoke out raspingly against her ears.
"From when did you become a scaredy-cat love? I didn't remember you being so…. cautious."
"People change Swayam…"
She spoke out not making an attempt to hide the mock. As she pulled away following the note he hauled her back in his embrace and swayed her around almost grinding against her as they danced.
"Ah.. Love.. You are mistaken. People never change. Priorities gets shuffled."
Ignoring the storm inside she moved with him following his lead.
"Why may I know have your pleasant company on this day?"
"Well it happens that the Haringtons possess the most valuable stones from over the world. You know how big admirer I am of these shiny stones. Now don't you love?"
He eyed her lustfully taking her form. More than the shiny stones he was a big admirer of something else – someone else.
They lay in each other's embrace exhausted of the events that took place a certain time back. After the tiring day they had this surely left them exhausted but at the same time craving for more. She snuggled against him inhaling his cologne which no matter what soothed her out without fail making her forget all the worries and tiredness of the world. A content smile adorned her face. Swayam picked up a lifestyle magazine lying nearby and flipped through the pages. He ended up on a feature covering over a royal family of England when his eyes landed over the possession they were known to have.
"Sharon… You like stones?"
He asked still not budging his eyes from the magazine. She adjusted herself on her elbow and peeped over the page that he was looking at.
"Everyone loves those stones Swayam…"
"Hmmm… Ever thought of stealing it?"
He suddenly turned facing her taking her by surprise – the expression on his face unfathomable. She replied playfully.
"Why steal when we can earn them?"
"Yeah… right."
He popped the magazine aside and captured her lips passionately wiping away all the coherent thoughts that were forming inside her.
Only if she knew.
"Well I figured out that I really had to put up with your existence in the party.. So better get used to your company too for the time being."
She spoke out contemptuously but it only amused him more. His hands travelled down caressing the exposed skin through her dress taking full advantage of the dimness. The sexual tension in the air thick enough to be cut by a knife and both of them were highly aware of it. He faced her and a mocking smile came over his face.
"Ouch.. You hurt my feelings Love."
"Too bad….."
She bent in front of him surprising him and spoke near his ear menacingly.
"…..And your hands are gonna hurt more in cuffs Swayam. Trust me on that."
He smirked letting his hands wander off to the unchartered territory. He faced her and then with a professional finesse he made a bend and brought her more closer and bit her collarbone over the throbbing vein earning a gasp from her. He licked the spot leaving a healthy mark over her neck that basked over the glory of the encounter she just had. He retraced his steps backward and smirking voiced out.
"Now that's gonna hurt Love… In ways you would have never imagined."
Mouthing a kiss he left a surprised Sharon.
"What on earth do you mean they all were forgeries?"
Sharon shouted shoving the paper down banging her hand against the table. Her subordinate spoke out hesitantly delivering the full information to her with head down afraid to face the wrath of the angry lady in front of her.
"Ma.. Ma'am.. The original stones never ever made it to Manhatten. These forgeries were uncanny. So when you ordered a complete analysis by all possible methods were we able to catch it. The stones must have got replaced when they took a detour at California. It must have been a pre…"
"I don't care if it was a pretense or not. Get me a lead so that I can track them out… Now…"
She barked out and he left the next moment fearing for his life. Irritated she crashed on her chair and her hand went over to massage her neck. But it frustrated her more as she felt the mark that was the symbol of the disastrous failure of their plan and it stood there mocking her more rubbing her already wounded ego.
She had followed Swayam and saw him leaving the building. She didn't have any concrete evidence against him that she could arrest him on the spot. She was hoping that she could use the display to turn him in knowing very well that the event was the eye-candy of all the illicit present in the city. But seeing him leave just like that didn't make any sense to her.
It was as if he had just come to mock her – or see her win – she guessed.
But that was uncharacteristic of Swayam.
The last line kept playing in her head as she headed to the hall where the display sets were kept. She rechecked every surveillance video but returned empty handed and that's when her eyes landed on a paper where the list of their suspects were kept. They mainly comprised of forgers…
Forgeries – and then it struck her.
Immediately she had contacted the spokesperson of Haringtons and managed to get her hand over a piece of their jewel and immediately sent for authentication. The results came and what she suspected came out to be true. All the other pieces were sent for analysis. She groaned out in frustration. They were duped right under their nose and they never realized it.
Her phone rang and she picked up and barked out a hello.
"It did hurt so much Love.. Didn't it?"
"Yo…"
But before she could complete her rant and the line went dead and she threw her phone in frustration.
On the other side Swayam just smirked seeing the phone and disposed the burner cell off to the nearest bin and walked away with the crowd.
Thoughts.
