Unnamed

In a world sharply divided by class, the 1% held the reins of power. They were split into two factions: the Red House, controlling the nation's legal system, and the financial titans, manipulating the flow of money.

But this didn't mean the top 20% didn't matter. They were still on top of the world. They belonged at the BIG 20s networking parties held once a year. It was a young people's party where only the unmarried billionaire descendants attended. Despite this, some didn't attend because they didn't want to mix with people beneath them or because they couldn't be bothered with networking. Because they were, in fact, THE NETWORK. Above the Billionaires.

People like the Wildfires—who, even among the 1%, were number 1.

Then, there is Alice. She had a fluctuating position on the ladder. Before, she could label herself among the bottom 80%, but her life dropped to the -10%. That was where she fit in most of the time. However, what no one deemed possible was happening today. She was stepping into the Big 20s party's grand room.

"It's okay. You can do this," she said to herself, determined to succeed in this. She hadn't really felt much identical to Aurora until her entire look was transformed. In one week. Only one week since she accepted the offer, and she almost could not recognize herself in the mirror anymore.

Her bangs were gotten rid of, her unruly hair, which she preferred to dye black instead of its natural color, was corrected back to the original auburn and cut in a bob like Aurora kept hers. Her brown contact lenses were also gotten rid of and replaced with clear ones to show her true silver eyes. Even her freckles had gone through a series of laser treatments. However, some refused to go away and were now covered in makeup.

"Aurora has no friends. She doesn't talk to people either. She only attends and stays around for an hour before she leaves. All you have to do is show yourself there. That should get rid of the rumors." Those were the words she had heard from the woman who groomed her before sending her here today. The grooming had also included trying to fix her northern accent to suit the Western accent Aurora must have adopted here.

"Just hang around for an hour. Do nothing. Disappear," she repeated like a mantra as she showed her Black Card to the four men in white suits standing in front of the elevator. They scanned it, and her picture, or rather her sister's, showed up on the mobile screen he was holding before she was granted access. One of the men led her inside the elevator, scanning a card in a digital screen in the elevator before it showed the 50th floor, and they began to move.

The hotel was grand. Nothing short of perfect—as expected of the Wildfires. It was her first time ever visiting one.

The elevator dinged, pulling her out of her thoughts. Her stomach churned as she followed the big man out. And it got worse when the large door to the room slid open after the man used the card again to touch a screen.

She took a deep breath before she entered, holding her clutch firmly to stop her hand from shaking.

She observed the scene. People were chatting, giggling, and laughing in a dignified manner. Everything looked and smelled expensive, just like her right now. The room felt like a sea of shimmering gowns and tailored suits. She also wore a dress similar to most of the other ladies there, a long, blue bodycon dress.

She had never been to such an extravagant event, and the pressure to maintain her sister's identity was immense.

Above, she could see a glass room, although it was opaque. She scoffed, not believing there was still a VIP area in this place. She doubted she would ever get into places like that in her life.

Some eyes stared at her when they noticed the door open, but it was as though they could not be bothered by her, and they continued what they were doing. She did receive unpleasant looks, sneers, and some curt nods from a few people, mostly men, which she awkwardly returned with a shaky smile. What kind of life did Aurora live?

"Westerners," she thought to herself as she tried not to let her annoyance and her anxiety show. However, when a waiter passed by with a tray to offer her a drink, her shaking hand almost made her drop it, but she successfully grabbed it and downed the entire thing before she remembered she was supposed to take it slowly. It burned her throat, making her realize it hadn't been non-alcoholic like she had thought. She was not good with alcohol.

In panic, she looked for the restroom, already feeling hot and also a strong urge to pee.

As soon as she stepped into the restroom, she encountered another lady there who was washing her hands. They exchanged glances through the mirror, and thankfully, this girl seemed like the type who wouldn't bother her. She smiled at Alice.

"Glad to see you're still alive?" she said to Alice as she began to fix her makeup.

Alice simply hummed, unsure of how to answer or what to say. She just entered one of the toilet stalls, and it wasn't even a second later after the lady's phone outside began to ring that the lady screamed, nearly causing her to run out for her life.

"ARGH! They're here for real?"

It sounded like she was on the phone.

Who was here? Were they in danger? Alice wondered as the urge to pee got stronger. She put her ear by the door, waiting to know the next action she would take concerning her safety.

"They never come here! Oh my God, I'm coming out now. AHHH!"

There were hurried shuffles and then silence.

That didn't sound like trouble, did it?

Alice sighed and went about her business. When she was done, she went out to fix her look but there was nothing to fix. She looked perfect.

She looked like Aurora. The short auburn hair, the silver eyes, the hidden freckles, the small oval face, pointy nose, and full lips in red lipstick.

This was Aurora Malay, not Alice Queen.

She didn't want to go back out there. She had shown herself, but she had been told to stay for at least an hour. She checked her watch: 40 more minutes.

This was hard. She considered hiding there until it was almost time to leave and show herself, but she couldn't do that, especially when two giggling ladies entered to fix their makeup and suddenly stopped talking and stared at her like an unwanted guest.

So her next option was to wander around and look for somewhere to hide. She didn't want to make any drunken mistakes and blow her cover when she was only just beginning.

Taking the long hallway away from the restroom, she surprisingly found a staircase. It said "RESTRICTED," but that sounded like "HIDE HERE" to her. And so she took it stealthily, tiptoeing in her low heels like a thief on a mission until she got to the next floor.

Deserted. Only two doors.