"With this ring, you can activate the watch on his wrist. The current that will circulate through his body won't harm his brain, but it will cause him some pain. Enough pain to have him cooperate with whatever you want him to do. I've trained him to be affectionate and act like you two are deeply in love.

"This should be enough to fool those bastards. Once you have your deal, then the whole operation will be a success."

Luke's words echoed in the back of my mind as the limousine pulled over at the entrance of Scarlet Blossom, a high-end international hotel that I would never have afforded to fully book if I wasn't the head of Dark Shadows.

A red carpet was laid out, welcoming all esteemed guests as long as they had the golden invitations.
Employees were lined up at either side of the carpet, their heads bowed, and their faces hidden behind golden masks.

"We're here," I said, turning to face the man occupying the seat on the opposite side while I shut off the screen on my right which had displayed the exterior awaiting us.
His head was rested against the armrest, his eyes closed lightly without any blinking.

After tucking the screen back to its pod, I grabbed the two masks lying on my side of the limousine, before throwing one at Zack.
"Don't forget your role. Talk less and direct all conversation towards me when they ask you questions."

"Got it, boss," he said opening his eyes.

Seeing the blue pair, the air in my lungs was squeezed out. Gawd!
He looked so much like Jack now than before. I had to hold in the impulse to hop on him for an embrace, reminding myself that those eyes weren't real.

"Don't slip out of my sight or you will regret it."

"Don't worry, I can't be far from you anyway."
Oh right, there was the automatic punishment if he tried to distance himself from me. The furthest he could go was about a meter, no more, lest the watch zaps him.

"Good," I breathed fastening the purple mask behind my head.

"Hey?" Zack called in an indifferent tone

"Hm?"

He raised the mask and used it to point at his head, indirectly asking me to fasten it on him. "I'm too lazy."

My teeth gritted as I glared at him coldly. He was doing it on purpose. Trying to irritate me right before we started the act. But I wanted to save some time.
It'd be embarrassing if we walked out of the car with him looking wasted after being shocked.

'Calm down Annie. Just get it done with.'

Hiding my reluctance, I moved over to his side, my right hand snatching the mask from his hand. Once seated behind him, I slid the mask over his eyes and drew the strings to the back of his head.
"Tell me something... What's so special about this man you call Jack?"

I didn't answer immediately, took my time till I fastened the mask in place.
"You ask as if you don't know the difference between you two."

He quickly swung his legs off of the seat and spun to sit facing me. The sudden movement left me little time to retreat, and without expecting it, Zack already held my fave by my chin.
"Have we met before?" He asked, looking directly into my eyes from behind his blue mask. The color matched his eyes, filling me with all shades of sadness.

I dropped my gaze, afraid I'd shed some tears in front of the enemy. He didn't deserve to ask such a question, even though I was starting to doubt whether he had memories of his previous evils.  But whether my suspicions were true or not, he was still the Zack who had ruined my life.

I knocked his hand away before facing the other side.
"Behave well tonight."

***********************

A masquerade party.
Soft jazz music playing in the background.
Masked faces.
Glass clinking.

Everything made me feel dizzy, but I had to act tough. For future cooperation, I had set aside my hatred for Zack and allowed him to get close to me.
With our arms linked, we joined the crowd, and put on fake smiles and laughs.
Zack played his part oddly well. No outsider could find fault in the way he walked, drunk, or even, held me.

Though every touch of his made me want to lay a fierce slap across his cheek, I bottled the feelings as hard as I could.
Every worthy thing comes at a risk and a sacrifice.
I had learned that through Jack's way of operating. He was my partner, my lover, my guardian, my favorite person, and also my mentor.

"Here," Zack flashed me a wicked smile as he offered me another glass of wine.
I gazed up at him suspiciously. But reminded myself that the party had been planned and organized by my team. No weapons or poisons could escape the security. Much less from Zack.

"Poisoning you is so boring. When that day comes, it'll be slow and painful torture," he said through smiling lips and adoring eyes.
Anyone who may have been looking at us might have thought he was praising me from how intimate he appeared when in reality, he was laying out a harsh threat.

I smiled in return as I received the glass.
"That day, will never come... Thank you."
I took a small sip and gazed up at him daringly.

He just put on a much more attractive grin before straightening to his full height.
"When are we meeting them?"

"Soon."

"Are they here?"

I darted him a side glance, wondering why he was sounding impatient. "Your work is to obey tonight. Not question me."

Zack simply chuckled standing beside me as we observed the people dressed in expensive suits and gowns fly up and down. Their presence was so annoying, but I had to stomach all of it.
I was busy sipping the wine and ignoring Zack's hand on the back of my waist when an odd couple caught my attention.

They were walking from the east entrance, arms linked like companions. The man wore a black suit, which matched the feathery mask he had on. His shoulder-length brown hair was pulled back in a small ponytail. The woman beside him was quite short, like two inches shorter than me. She had smooth pale skin which seemed to be cared for. Her wavy blonde hair cascaded down her full chest like curtains. She wore the same mask as the man, but her gown was a bright shade of red like her heels.
They were both dazzling. If I was being honest, they looked better than Zack and I.

I continued following them, my heart pounding like crazy as I slowly recognized the lips and the short beard of the man.
Had I drunk a little too much?
No!
Only two glasses of wine. Not enough to alter my vision.

That man was definitely... Jack.

The realization made me feel as if I had been shoved in a freezer. No part of my body wanted to cooperate with me as I instructed my mind to get closer to the couple.

I had pictured our reunion a thousand times, never did it cross my mind that I would be left motionless upon sighting him.

'Go there. You need to confirm!' Reason screamed at me.

"Hey? Earth to the evil queen," Zack scorned snapping fingers in front of my eyes. He managed to haul me out of the trance, and look up at him.
"I'm hungry."

I frowned.
"Do I look like a chef or waitress to you?" I spat bitterly. Had he interrupted me intentionally?
With that, I pushed my glass into his chest, almost spilling the wine on him, and then whirled around, ready to look for the man I may have mistaken for Jack.

If he were present, he'd have made contact with me.

My head whipped around as my legs moved through the guests. I uttered a lot of sorries to the people I was bumping into and offered smiles to those who recognized me.

For two minutes, I searched for the couple, feeling helpless and desperate. Where was he? The feeling of knowing Jack may be at the same party as I was overwhelming. I wanted to find the man and rip off his mask.

Zack tried to keep up, asking me who I was looking for but I ignored him and swung my teary gaze all over the hall.
When I was starting to question my sanity, I saw the open balcony doors and it suddenly clicked in my mind.

I picked up my purple gown and ran. With the heels squeaking on the floor, I ran.
Like a maniac, I continued running till finally, I found myself under the bright light of the white lamps on the balcony.

Standing by the railing, was the man I had been looking for. Nobody else was in sight. It was as if he was...waiting for me.
My knees were shaking as I approached him, oblivious to everything else around me.
It was just him and me.

When I was close enough, I dropped the hem of the gown and summoned courage and strength. "Jack?"

For a second, he didn't react, offering me disappointment and relief.
But just as I was about to give up the chase, the male turned around.
"Hello, Annie. Long time no see," he spoke, his lips carving into a sinister grin. One that gave me Zack vibes.

It was him.
It was... Jack.