Yes yes I know I suck ass, sorry for the very late update, it's not even the same year now... Hope you spent a good christmas, and hope you & your family is healthy during this pendemic. If you want to give yp reading this fic I get it, the updates are so slow, I am unreliable... Sorry and I still want to point out that I am not and will never give up on a fic before finishing it even if it might take a decade to finish it. A big fat thank you to fun and forever young. Don't forget to leave a comment/review.

"You know what ? I need some air." She simply said and stood up.

"What do you mean, where are you going ? You know why I brought you here, I explained to you why it is dangerous. If the Messiah is after you, we need to be more careful than ever."

"IF. That's the key word Luke. You can't be sure it's him. If I am in danger I'll scream and run. If I can't run I'll fight." She grabbed her wallet, the second hotel key card and left the room. Once in the corridor she stopped walking feeling a bit dizzy.

"I am sorry Clary, I can't tell you everything. I promised Jocelyn…" He confessed, whispering the end of the sentence . At the same time there was a light metallic sound and then water started pouring. A faucet. For what? To wash his face ? A shower ? A bath ! She was already in the corridor, how was she able to hear all of this from where she was? She then remembered how she was able to hear Alec taking a shower. It must be a shadowhunter ability. What did he promise to mom ? What is it that he's not telling me ? She was tired. Tired of the lies, the half spoken truths, the secrets kept hidden from her. She was exhausted; mentally exhausted. So she wanted to simply be able to ask Chris about his identity. About his job. She had felt close to him; she had sex with him for god's sake ! If he was the Messiah then was everything a lie ? What lies did he tell her ? Did he get closer to her with intentions ? She wanted to stop thinking about all this mess for a small moment so she walked to the elevator.

Once in the lobby, a directional sign caught her attention. Swimming Pool, SPA, Gym, Bar, Restaurant, Café, Conference Room, Reception, Restroom with an arrow next to each word.

Where should I go ? I don't feel like I can eat yet, my stomach still hurts from the hangover. What about a drink ? Yeah, Simon told me coke helps with a hangover.

She walked down the corridor on her right just like the directional sign told her to do. Once inside the bar it felt like she wasn't in the hotel anymore. The contrast between the lobby and the bar was uncanny. When the lobby looked like the inside of a castle, the bar looked like a place that would gather lawyers, politicians or even stock brokers to relax after a hard day of work.

The walls were dark blue, some of the leather seats were beige, others were black. Even though the place was lit by a great number of white bulbs, candles were placed here and there. Bunton's World Famous was written on the bar counter in silver letters, it must be the bar's name.

Clary struggled sitting on one of the bar stools because of their heights. Once comfortably seated she looked around to make sure no one saw that embarrassing moment. But a man in his late twenties, placed a few stools away from her did. He was wearing a bordeaux suit which complemented his lean and fit body very well. His hair, eyes, nose and slim face revealed his asian origins. He smiled at Clary, taking a sip of his glass of whiskey on the rocks.

Not knowing how to react, she simply smiled back, before facing back to the bar. The bartender was nowhere to be seen so she decided to busy herself by going through her wallet. She had a bunch of fidelity cards from shops and restaurants that she didn't even go to that often. She had 23$ in cash which wasn't a lot if she encountered a problem. Putting her fingers in one of the pockets out of curiosity, she took out a paper. Looking closely it was an old picture of her mom in a weird ceremonial black and red dress holding a newborn baby. Was this the first time she saw this pic ? Because she didn't remember putting it there. The noise of glass being set down in front of her broke her pensive state.

The bartender, a tall and cute African-American male placed a cocktail in front of her. It was an orange and yellow drink with a slice of orange at the top.

"A sex on the beach for the cute miss." The waiter said smiling. Clary liked the compliment, her lips twitched at the joy these simple words procured her.

"But I didn't order yet." She interjected.

"It's from the gentleman over there." He pointed his finger in the man's direction. Clary took a closer look at the well-dressed asian man and noticed he had a tattoo on his neck. Not a rune but an actual tattoo. Clary was intrigued : why would a well-dressed adult male be drinking whiskey so early in the day and offer her a drink as well ?

The cocktail he offered her had to contain alcohol. The bartender didn't say it was a virgin sex on the beach. Couldn't the man nor the barman tell she was a teen ? Or maybe they didn't care.

Is it a good idea to drink while having a hangover ? No it can't be good. But then again, after what Luke revealed to her she wanted to drink. Clary was going to compete with other girls for the hand of the prince. This was a joke. Her life became a fucking joke at this point.

Wait, if the goal of this competition is to be able to marry this prince then it means we all- I have to be faithful to him ? Unbelievable I never even met the guy and I am supposed to not flirt nor date whoever I want because of him. Well bullshit… Clary thought.

She took a big sip of her cocktail. The drink was sweet and fruity but the aftertaste was very strong. The vodka warmed her insides as it went down. She turned her head in the man's direction, noticing that he was staring at her. She took a second big sip and smiled at him already feeling a bit woozy but the feeling was pleasant. The man shifted from his position, walked up to Clary. He was wearing a high-end perfume, Clary could tell from the smell. The man approached her.

"Is this seat taken?" He asked politely, with his deep voice. Clary obliged and let him.

"Could you tell me what a young beautiful girl like you is doing this early in a bar ?"

"Well I wish I was able to answer that question, but honestly I don't really know why I'm here."

"Alright fine. I hope I can find a reason for you to stay longer." Butterflies were flying in her belly at his words. He was a young gorgeous man after all.

"What about you ? What are you doing here this early in a bar ?" Clary asked, wanting to take the attention off of her.

"Well I won a case yesterday, so to congratulate myself I decided to spend a night here. But this new case I'm working on, well..." he took a big sip of his drink, finishing the beverage. It was obvious that he wasn't happy about his latest case.

Clary looked at him a bit confused. He noticed and smirked.

"I'm a lawyer."

Clary was very surprised by this revelation and observed his tattoo again. He placed his hand on his neck revealing more of his tattoo. "I know… I get a lot of reactions from people once I tell them my profession. You should see the rest of my body, you would be even more surprised." He winked.

Her heart beat faster ; by the way he was speaking he was obviously into her. What's even going on ? First Chris now this dude is interested in me. This seems so freaking unreal.

"You're blushing, I seem to have an effect on you." He said, rearranging his straight hair with his hand. Clary embarrassed, stopped looking at him and drank her cocktail. The colored liquid warmed her insides so much that goosebumps traversed her body. A buzzing effect appeared after three sips. She wasn't the kind of person to be able to drink a lot without getting drunk.

"Do you like it ?"

Clary nodded energetically, "Thanks for the drink. It's actually very sweet so yeah, I love it."

"I knew you would like it." He lifted his chin and stared right into her eyes. "Tell me more about yourself."

"I am an artist, a really good one actually. I've always wanted to create art for a living." She sighed. " But not too long ago my life completely changed. So now I live in a different place, surrounded by people I don't really know and I have no clue how to react to all of this."

"Well you seem to be pretty intriguing and fascinating. I hope I can become someone you know."

"I hope so too." She said audaciously, thanks to the drink. "Let's start with your name shall we."

He laughed in response, clearly enjoying her behavior. "Jake is my English name. My Korean name is Park Hyung-Sook." The way he pronounced his name made her warm all over. A man able to speak different languages perfectly was always sexy. Drinking the rest of her drink she responded "I'm Clary."

"Alright Clary I want to relax a bit before going back to work, would like to watch a movie and order some food in my room ? Would it be okay ?"

Because of her small body, she could already feel the effects of the cocktail. "Yes I'd like that." Seeing that she was struggling to get off of the high chair he placed his strong arm around her waist, helping her down. Surprised but pleased she did the same thing. They walked like that to the elevator. Once inside he pressed the button 30, the hotel's last level. They were still holding each other. He was remarkably warm and his perfume was intoxicating. She wanted to smell his perfume from a closer angle but she didn't, afraid to seem like a freak.

The elevator's music was surprisingly sensual and lustful. The air was filled with unsaid thoughts. Turning her head, to get a closer look at his face he had this intimidating beauty. Feeling her gaze he turned his head to stare at her. Their eyes locked, lost in each other's gaze. Only focused on each other's face and body. The tension was only rising. The music simply accentuated their feelings and emotions. Apart from the music the only thing she could hear was their breaths.

"Lust is what it is; it never lies. So why drown in love when you can have so much fun swimming in lust ?" The small, delicate and gracious soprano voice whispered in her head. That was it, that sentence simply allowed her to do what she desired to do secretly.

Placing her hand on his cheek she lowered his face a bit to facilitate her next move. Tiptoeing she crashed her lips to his, passionately. If he was surprised it wasn't noticeable, kissing her back vehemently, pushing her body against the wall. These last few days she kissed two other guys and this was different. This was simply lust.

Did Clary find comfort in these deeds everytime she felt overwhelmed by her life ?

Still kissing, her hands traveled down. All she could think of was wanting to feel his muscular body under her fingertips. Putting an end to the kiss she let out a long breath; he used this opportunity to tilt her face upward to settle his face against her neck. Kissing and licking her skin, she was surely going to have a few lovebites. His warm tongue and lips against such a sensible part of her body, made her moan rolling her eyes. It was so pleasurable.

His warm hand was on her right bare thigh, slowly caressing her and going up. This was driving her nuts. Grabbing her thigh and holding it up against his hip she understood what he wanted. She wrapped her leg around it. She felt goosebumps all over her body and could already feel a bit moist in between her legs. She loved it, feeling desired by such a successful hot man. His hand kept traveling upwards leaving her thigh, to be on her waist underneath her dress.

If someone entered into the elevator, the view would be quite phenomenal, a redhead teen against the wall with one of her legs wrapped around a man clearly older than her. His hands underneath her dress while he was sucking and kissing her neck as she kept moaning. This was scandalous. And that's exactly why Clary loved this so much and put herself into this situation. The danger, the risk, the adrenaline, the rush, the sin, the pleasure, a way out from her life; it all tasted so incredibly sweet.

His other hand was now also under her dress, on her other hip. He did the same movement with her thigh, so she jumped and wrapped her other leg around his hip. His hands were on her thighs under her ass holding her in place against him. They kissed once more, and now their tongues were involved. She was able to taste a bit of whiskey from his mouth which didn't annoy her. He was obviously more experienced than her, when she struggled he led her.

The flooring shook for a brief instance signaling that they had arrived at their destination, the 30th floor. The doors about to open, she expected him to let her down. He didn't, which was bizarre. What if they met people in the corridor ? Seeing them in this position would cause a lot of issues.

The doors opened, revealing a corridor leading to one door only. There was only one room on this floor, how could that be ?

"Surprised or afraid ? Don't worry this is the presidential suite. "

"Okay." That's all she could say, what else could you answer to that type of revelation ?

Still in the same position, he walked down the corridor. "Hang on tighter I need to use my hand." Clary did, using her thigh's muscles to keep her legs wrapped around him. Opening the door with a card he took out of his pocket, he entered.

The place was humongous for a hotel room. And the style of the place looked like the continuity of the lobby. Beige walls coated by a generous amount of golden ornaments, other parts of the walls were covered by ancient handmade tapestries. A great number of cabriolet armchairs were placed here and there, 3 red velvet tufted nailhead chesterfield sofas were lodged around a golden wood and marble coffee table. In front of the sofas and coffee table stood a long and thin plasma TV which felt out of place. They must be in the living room area. Clary didn't have time to observe everything in detail because Jake was moving in another direction.

"What. the. hell ?" Clary said slowly insisting on each word, astonished by her surroundings.

"I know it's a bit much, it's an exact replica of the King's rooms in Versailles, France. The only difference is the TV." Saying so he placed Clary gently on the bed. Clary felt like a princess.

"What movie do you want to watch ?" This surprised Clary, she thought this was just an excuse to get her in his room but he was actually planning on watching a movie .

"Anything's fine, really." She simply answered not really knowing much about the latest movies. Suddenly remembering she still had her shoes on she took them off and placed them near the bed.

"It's almost Christmas, so I'll play a movie related to the theme."

The movie Noelle started playing. He went to a room taking off his vest. He must be going into the dressing room. Underneath the vest he was wearing a white shirt adorned with his cufflinks, which he took off. He rolled up his shirt's sleeves. This mundane yet simple movement was so sexy to watch. His veins were very noticeable as he picked a small magazine to give to Clary.

"This is the menu of the room service, select whatever you want."

Clary could not comprehend most of the items written on the menu :

-Gulls' Egg Omelette filled with Scottish lobster and crab, Italian truffles, fresh English asparagus

-Oyster platter served with muscadet

-Foie gras, black truffle and mashed potatoes

-Vaucluse-style trout with truffles

-Tarbais beans in a Gascon cassoulet

-Louis XIII pizza

-Fleurburger 5000

-Golden opulence sundae

-Fortress stilt fisherman indulgence

It was still morning so Clary opted for the omelette. What was weird was that there weren't any prices next to the items.

"I'll go for the Gull's egg omelette. What about you ?"

"I'll take the same as you, I'm not picky."

He called for room service using the hotel's phone and gave the order. Then joined Clary on the bed. He sat against the headboard and invited Clary to sit next to him. She settled her small body against him, her head on his shoulder and her leg on top of his. How was she so comfortable with him ? She wasn't even afraid about being alone in this stranger's hotel room. Was it the alcohol or something else ?

His perfume scent was stronger being this close to his chest. His hand on her waist to press her closer against him. It was so cozy. It felt like they were used to being in this position for years. The movie was playing but they weren't actually paying attention to it, in reality they just enjoyed each other's company.

"He's yours for the taking. Thou shalt not wait." The small, delicate and gracious soprano voice murmured in her head. A rush of excitement and adrenaline followed that saying. She wanted him, so she'll have him.

Switching her position to be on him, sitting on his lap, he chuckled in a low voice.

"Eager ?"

"I know what I want." She answered confidently. In response he lifted her dress a bit to see her lace panties on his lap. Looking up he stared into her eyes. "Yes you do. Take whatever you want from me, I'll let you." He said the three last words in a slow and low voice. Normally Clary would have felt self conscious of her body, but the alcohol helped in that department.

"I won't have it any other way." How was she coming up with all these sentences, it was as if someone took possession of her. But this was empowering, so she liked it. Her hands taking care of the buttons of his shirt in a steady rhythm. His now open shirt revealed a painted canva. His torso and abs covered by colorful tattoos, it truly looked like a piece of art. It took Clary off guard, she was expecting a tattoo but not to this magnitude. "Oh… this is actually beautiful, Jake" she said mesmerized, caressing his torso with the tip of her fingers. "What's all of this ?" She asked actually curious about his tattoos, which covered most of his skin.

Turning his body a bit to show the tattoo on his right arm. There was a black fish, with small flowers around him.

"This is the koi fish, generally it relates to good luck and fortune. And look at how the fish is climbing the waterfall, working against a heavy current. It represents perseverance, and often indicates that a person has made it through tough times." Jack said.

Then he showed her his left arm where a huge red black and orange bird was standing tall around flames.

"The phoenix is a mythical bird that is consumed by fire and reborn from its own ashes. In line with the story of the phoenix, this tattoo represents rebirth, triumph, and fire."

"Here on my torso and stomach we have the snake. The snake is often considered as an embodiment of regenerative power and a sign of good health. In Japan's folklore, it means prophecy, wisdom and power."

The blue and red snake was beautiful, surrounded by chrysanthemum and other flowers Clary didn't recognize. This was the first time she saw these types of tattoos, very detailed and so colorful. It was insanely impressive. The amount of time he had to spend to get these tattoos done was something unconceivable to her, it must have hurt a lot.

"Hearing the meaning of your tattoos I feel like I know more about you. Let me tell you how I see you now. I think you have been through a lot of hardships yet you are still standing and fighting for a greater purpose."

"I'm impressed. That's actually pretty accurate." He answered. A silence followed and he seemed to be lost in his thoughts. "Clary I don't want us to simply sleep together. I actually want to get to know you."

Did he literally change his mind because of how I perceived him ? Clary wondered.

"Well, yeah it's totally fine with me. I want to get to know you more." Clary lied, disappointed about not getting what she desired.

A knock on the door startled her and he immediately seemed on edge. Opening a drawer he took out a gun, Clary panicked. What the hell was going on here ? Jack approached her and placed the gun near her.

"Use this if something goes wrong, then run away and don't look back." He whispered, turning his head a few times to look at the door as if someone might barge in. All she could do was nod, so that's what she did. Her heart beat faster and louder, her breath almost silent trying to be discreet. Grabbing the weapon, she hid behind the bed. The amount of sweat on her hands was so great she felt like the gun could slip away at any time. The weight of the gun mobilised all her concentration. Time slowed.

Jack was in front of the door, his hand on the door handle moving briefly, opening the door. Clary was now panicking. At least a dozen asian men were standing in front of Jack, all of them clearly armed. Their black suits weren't able to hide their gun holsters.

Is this the end ? I am going to die this stupidely, because I wanted to have sex with a guy ? No, no, no... I can't let this happen. If I die now then mom's death will have been for nothing. I have to live for her and uncover the entire truth about my identity.

So she waited, waited for something to happen. Something needed to happen for her to make her next move. Suddenly, Jack shouted something in korean, she guessed. She wasn't fluent in korean but she could clearly perceive he was angry. Their reactions shocked Clary, they were kneeling in front of him, lowering their heads. Humbling themselves before Jack, asking for his forgiveness.

The girl could finally breathe normally, relieved by the event's evolution. What the fuck is going on ? She whispered confused. Standing up to join Jack and question him. The men stood up and within a second their guns were out of their holsters and pointing at her. A dozen guns facing her paralysed her in fear. She didn't know how she managed not to faint from the fear and shock. That simple piece of metal could take her life within seconds, that realisation was the reason of her state. She was too shocked to realize it at first, but Jake was looking at her. Why didn't he ask the men to lay their weapons down ? What was he waiting for, for them to kill her ? Was this a game ?

"As they test your power and tempt your fury ; your wrath shall make them pay for their sins." The small delicate voice said. It used to be a high pitched soprano voice but now it seemed deeper. But like always after hearing the advice in her head, she was moved. Confidence radiated through her core and fear was nowhere to be seen. Knowing exactly what to do, she visualized it in her mind.

Now, she just had to recreate it.

Tearing up, she approached them. "Jack, what's going on ? I'm scared." She weeped, trying to look as defenseless and pure as she could. Clearly annoyed, he sighed. Annoyed ? Because I'm crying ? The audacity of this bastard, he is annoyed because I'm crying ? Now Clary only hoped her plan would execute well. As she kept approaching Jack, she stopped next to him. "Jake please help me." She begged pathetically, pulling on his shirt sleeve, her voice breaking. He turned his head to face his men, perhaps to finally ask them to lay their guns down. Swiftly, the girl attacked him, kicking the inner part of his knee, making him fall to the ground. Then immediatly pointing her gun at his head, showing who was in control of the situation.

Staring at the men in front of her, with their guns still pointed at her, she barked an order "Put your guns down if you want him to live." But the words leaving her mouth weren't English, it was a language she had never spoken before. Korean? How was this possible ?

They clearly understood seeing their reactions, even Jack turned his head in stuppor. The men lowered the weapons, placing the guns on the floor and pushing them towards Clary.

"Alright, alright enough. It's okay Clary you don't need to shoot me, everything's fine. I wasn't going to hurt you. And how come you speak korean ?"

"Bullshit, why didn't you tell your men to stand down ? And that doesn't concern you. "

"After your analysis of me I told you I wanted to get to know you more. Then when my men showed up, I figured this was a way to test you. To see if you were strong and smart enough to survive this situation. And clearly you outdid yourself. I've got to say I'm impressed."

Placing herself in front of him, she smiled. "So I passed your test ?" She asked, happily. "Yes, you managed to exceed my expectations."

Staring at him with a big smile on her face, she slapped him across the face with all her might. "Did this exceed your expectations ?" She questioned rolling her eyes.

Throwing the gun on the floor, she turned around and walked to the elevator still bare feet. The men, shocked by her actions, simply stood aside, letting her walk past them.