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Chapter 110
It didn’t take long for the guard who had gone inside to come back out.
“Please, come in.”
“Did the chairman give permission?”
“Yes. The chairman is apparently a fan of Mr. Goldwin.”
“Well, it seems working hard paid off.”
Roger said with a proud smile.
“Indeed. Now, madam, please come along as well.”
The guard led them through a long corridor into a room with a grand chandelier, guiding them to a table inside.
Every pillar, wallpaper, curtain, lighting fixture, and piece of furniture looked extravagantly expensive.
The club’s chairman was seated on a luxurious velvet chair. As soon as Roger and Emily entered, he stood up with a bright smile.
“Welcome! I’m truly glad to see you.”
Relieved by the unexpected warm reception, Roger and Emily quietly exhaled.
“If we had known Mr. Goldwin was interested in our club, we would have invited you sooner.”
“Oh, so does that mean you’re letting us join as official members?”
The chairman’s expression became slightly awkward at that.
“You must win at least twice in a game with us to be approved as an official member.”
“Twice isn’t much at all.”
“That confidence is good,” the chairman said, chuckling, then turned his gaze to Emily.
“But who is this beautiful lady accompanying you?”
“She’s my friend,” Emily replied, using a pseudonym to greet him.
“Yes, I’m Roger’s friend, Edith Wayne.”
“If you’re friends with Mr. Goldwin, are you an actress? Such a beautiful actress should surely be famous.”
“I’m not very good at acting yet, so I haven’t performed on stage.”
“Oh,” the chairman clicked his tongue sympathetically.
“When you officially debut, do let me know. I’ll come with a bouquet of flowers.”
“Just hearing that is thanks enough. I’ll work hard.”
“Now, let me introduce you to today’s table members.”
The chairman introduced the people standing to his right. Including him, there were three members at the table.
All of them were perfectly dressed in cravats, vests, and jackets, making it clear at a glance that they held high social status.
“What game were you playing?”
“Poker,” one replied.
“If the Duke of Coventry had come, we would have played bridge,” another member said, sounding slightly disappointed.
The chairman, generously, said:
“Two more people just arrived, so play bridge. I’ll take a short break.”
“Where are you going?”
“I remembered some matters I need to attend to. I’ll return within an hour.”
It was fortunate that such a difficult person cleared the way on their own. Emily felt things were off to a good start.
“Please go ahead.”
After the chairman left, one of the members cautiously asked Emily:
“Miss Wayne, do you know the rules of bridge?”
He seemed to think that the complex rules of bridge might be difficult for a woman.
“Yes, it’s a game I enjoy as well.”
“Really? That’s great. Please, come sit here.”
Thus, the four players were settled.
“Shall we start with some cocktails before the game?” Emily suggested.
The other three men agreed.
“Good idea.”
“I’ll serve them myself.”
Emily went to the counter and collected four cocktails directly from the bartender.
While Roger drew their attention, Johan secretly put the “truth serum” he had made into two of the glasses.
“Here, your cocktails.”
Emily handed the spiked drinks to Kevin and Max.
“The taste really does depend on who serves it,” Kevin commented.
“Indeed. It tastes twice as good as usual,” Max said.
They quickly finished their drinks.
“Now, let’s start the game.”
Kevin spread the cards on the table, and each player picked one. Kevin, who chose the highest card at the end, became the dealer. Max, with the second-highest card, sat across from him, forming a team. Naturally, Emily and Roger became the other team.
Emily, sitting to Kevin’s left, led the first hand, and the game began.
“By the way, I heard the Duke of Coventry is a member of this club?” Emily asked casually, trying not to seem inquisitive.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“I heard he’s been ill recently and hasn’t visited the club for several days,” Roger cautiously added.
“It’s surprising that a duke kicked out from the knights can still be a member of such an elite club,” he added.
Max glanced around to make sure the chairman wasn’t nearby, then quietly explained:
“He can play here thanks to the Count of Blaua.”
Emily and Roger exchanged a glance. The topic had emerged surprisingly quickly, as the serum took effect.
“Is the Count of Blaua a member too?”
“He doesn’t play cards. He just introduced the club to the Duke because the Duke likes it so much.”
“They must be quite close if he personally introduced him to this exclusive social club,” Emily said.
Kevin shrugged.
“Close? You could say that. But he used it as an excuse to boss the Duke around like a servant.”
Max chuckled beside him.
“Oh? The Count of Blaua does that? He seemed so timid at official events, not even able to swat a fly,” Emily remarked.
“Have you seen the Count at official events?” Kevin asked. Emily realized she had to think fast but quickly recovered.
“Yes, actors are usually invited to liven things up, and I happened to see him then.”
Fortunately, Kevin seemed to accept this explanation and continued:
“The Count of Blaua is a natural actor.”
“Excuse me? What do you mean by that?”
Kevin paused briefly, then spoke:
“Our chairman runs a gangster group under his loan shark business, and that group reportedly collaborates with the Giuliano organization.”
“Even with such a powerful backing, he still pretends to be scared stiff at the Count’s words,” Max added.
“This makes me even more curious about the Count of Blaua,” Emily said.
“We don’t know the details either. The chairman is extremely tight-lipped,” Kevin replied.
Kevin passed his cards, and the game continued, but no further useful information came up. The chairman remained careful about Enoch Blaua, so others didn’t know much about their relationship.
“Did we win?”
The first game ended after three rounds, with Emily and Roger winning 2–1.
“You’re much better at this game than I expected,” Max said, impressed.
“We were just lucky this time.”
“Lucky? No, you strategized well.”
Amid the warm exchange of compliments, the chairman returned.
“Enjoying the game, I hope?”
He sat at his reserved seat, clearly tired, and ordered a cocktail.
“Yes, we just finished a round.”
“Oh, who won?”
“These new friends of ours won against us easily,” Kevin said, pointing to Emily and Roger.
“Impressive. Beating them right away,” the chairman commented.
“They probably went easy on us since we’re guests,” Emily said.
“Then we’re grateful,” Kevin and Max laughed aloud.
“Time has flown by already,” Roger said, checking his watch. Knowing the chairman had ties to the Giuliano organization, he realized staying longer could be dangerous.
“We should be going. Our next performance is soon.”
“Oh, I came quickly because I wanted to play with Mr. Goldwin,” the chairman said, swirling his glass. A staff member promptly refilled it.
“We’ll see you again if there’s another chance.”
“Understood. I’d like to keep you here, but you have a performance. Please take care going back.”
“We won’t see you off too far,” Emily said.
Kevin and Max waved to them.
As they walked through the lobby, the doorman who first guided them stood holding the door.
“Leaving early?”
“Yes, we have another schedule.”
The doorman nodded and asked Emily:
“Was the cocktail good?”
Emily gave a thumbs-up.
“Not so good that I’d come again just to drink it.”
“Oh, then it seems seeing you again will be difficult.”
“Yes, unfortunately.”
Emily smiled playfully and walked out with Roger.
