When the doors slide open again, he steps aside, letting me go first. To my left is the exit, and straight ahead is the reception desk.
Ray turns right, and I follow.
The double doors open and a man in a tuxedo greets us as we pass.
Ray doesn’t slow. He heads straight for the grand desk, where a sharply dressed woman rises to her feet, her smile immediate and polished.
“Good evening, Mr. Carmichael. How are you?”
Ray slides a sleek black card across the counter.
“Alice, this is Wynter,” he says, glancing briefly in my direction. Her eyes flick to me, her smile tightening. It’s measured, like she’s assessing me. “She’s part of my house team,” he adds.
Something in her expression softens.
“She should already be in the system. Wynter, with a Y, Lee. Set her up.”
Her brow furrows for half a second before she catches herself. “Of course, sir. Right away.”
Her fingers move quickly over the keyboard. A few minutes later, she hands the card back to Ray. He offers it to me, and I take it, turning it over in my hand.
Black. Glossy. Heavy. With gold edging, and in the centre, the letters ‘RCE’. It feels and looks important.
He’s already moving again before I can question it’s use, so I hurry after him.
A door to the right of the desk opens automatically, and the noise hits me first—machines, voices, the constant hum of energy.
I wince slightly as he keeps walking, leading me towards a bar.
Then the atmosphere shifts. There’s dimmer lighting and softer music, a calmer, more intimate space tucked just beyond the chaos.
A man in a suit steps forward, shaking Ray’s hand.
“Joel,” Ray says, “Wynter Lee is new to my house team. Have the chef make her a steak sandwich.”
“Of course.”
Joel picks up a phone, speaking quietly into it. I glance around, taking everything in. “This place is beautiful.”
Ray’s hand settles briefly against my lower back, guiding me towards a booth. The touch is light, but it sends a small jolt through me.
I slide in, and he takes the seat opposite.
“You can use the card anywhere in here,” he says. “The casino and bar are open until five in the morning. The kitchen closes at three. You can also order from the penthouse.”
I frown slightly. “I’m not sure this place is in my budget.”
“That’s what the card is for,” he replies. “Just show it.”
“And this is a staff benefit?” I ask, glancing around at the number of people working here.
He doesn’t answer. Instead, his attention shifts past me.
“I’ll be back shortly.”
I lean back into the plush booth, letting out a quiet breath as I take it all in.
It’s incredible. Kate and Filip would lose their minds if they saw this place.
