I Married the President

After stepping out of the room, Claire Sinclair looked ahead curiously. She was in a long corridor flanked by two rows of matching rooms. The door plaques were marked with Arabic numerals.

The light in the corridor was exceptionally bright, almost blinding. Her eyes started to hurt after just a few seconds.

Claire had to close her eyes to rest, whispering, "Why are there so many rooms here?"

"This is the rest area. The entertainment district is on the other side. It’s much larger and more crowded."

"Why are you here?" Claire asked.

Orion Osborne gave a slight nod, his eyes meeting hers. "I’m here to handle some business," he said in a low voice.

As they spoke, the pair entered a wide, brightly-lit hall. The atmosphere immediately grew boisterous, and the noise was deafening. She could faintly hear people shouting "Big!" and "Small!"

Claire glanced over curiously and was startled to see a crowd of gamblers gathered up ahead.

’She finally understood something Theo Rhodes had told her. He’d spoken of a man who bought a car worth five million after his first visit here, but after his second, he never left.’

’Once a gambler gets a taste of winning in a place like this, it would be nearly impossible for them to walk away.’

Claire was about to say something when Orion Osborne suddenly cut in. "Don’t speak. Keep your head down."

Claire froze for a second. Though she didn’t understand why he’d suddenly said that, she obediently buried her face in his chest.

As they passed through the surging crowd, the sound grew even louder. It was the thump of speakers, and as they drew closer, she could make out a high-energy DJ set.

This area was a dance floor next to a bar, where countless people, their ages hidden behind masks, were dancing.

Claire only dared a quick glance, not risking a longer look before lowering her head again.

The sound faded as they moved past the dance floor, eventually disappearing completely. The walk had taken nearly eight minutes.

’The soundproofing in this place is really impressive.’

Orion Osborne carried Claire into a luxurious suite and set her down on the sofa.

As soon as she was settled, Claire looked around the room. "And where are we now?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Orion walked over to a water cooler. "A suite I’m renting," he said as he poured a glass of water.

"They rent out rooms here?" Claire was stunned.

"This place is called Hell’s Paradise. The area we just came from is Paradise. Farther on is The Inferno."

His words sent a chill down her spine.

Claire couldn’t help but ask, "What is The Inferno?"

Only after asking did she realize that the woman who had been following them—his assistant—hadn’t come in.

"Where’s your assistant?"

"She’s off handling business."

Claire’s lips parted, and she reached up to take off her mask, but Orion stopped her. "Don’t take off the mask. It doesn’t matter who you meet, you don’t take it off."

"Not even in the room?"

He nodded.

Claire pouted but gave up on the idea of removing her mask. "You still haven’t told me," she pressed, "what is The Inferno?"

"A place stained with blood," Orion said offhandedly. "Don’t get curious, and don’t go near it."

"So, when can I get back to the surface?" Claire asked.

Orion shook his head. "Hell’s Paradise takes in new people every day, but the gates only open once a month to let people out. The last time was twelve days ago. You’ll have to stay here for another eighteen days."

"That long..." Claire subconsciously caressed her stomach. ’She’d have to live underground for another eighteen days. She wondered what effect it might have on the baby.’