December - Manhattan, New York
The ballroom of the New York Double Tree Hotel lit from the floor to the ceiling with Christmas lights of white and gold sparkling and shimmering for all that attended. Lazarus Lee walked closely behind President Anderson, scanning the room as they went.
Everyone who was anyone was at this particular Christmas party. The high and mighty from every corner of the world attended. As he stood his post near the President, Lazarus scanned the beautifully decorated room for the second time and saw her then, standing by the massive fireplace. She was dressed in a cheerful red dress. To Lazarus, she looked more beautiful as he had ever seen a woman look.
Lazarus watched the red clad goddess as she turned her head just as a tall, dark man walked up to stand behind her. Her smile was sad as she greeted her escort. He took her hand in his and smiled into her eyes.
"Hello Sweetheart." Nathan said as he approached Renea.
"Hi, Nate," Renea replied sadly.
"What's the matter Honey? Are you not feeling well?" Nathan asked genuinely concerned.
"No, I'm fine." Renea paused for a moment before she continued. "I just can't do this anymore." She said in a hushed whisper.
"Do what?" Nathan asked feeling confused. Not knowing what she was talking about, he became nervous.
"Pretending not to know what you're doing." Renea said looking into the eyes of the man that she thought she could trust.
"And what is it that you know?" Nathan asked.
"I know that you have been living two lives." Renea said softly.
"What two lives?" Nathan asked hoping that Renea only thought that she knew. However, either way he was about to lose her.
"I know about your family. Your wife and children, Nathan and I will not be played for a fool." Watching his eyes, turn from casting a loving glance upon her to hating her with one look in a matter of seconds was something Renea had never before seen. She took a tentative step back feeling the roaring fire behind her more intensely.
"I don't know what you're talking about Renea." Nathan said as his façade crumbled around him. Anger filled him.
Lazarus watched her as she spoke to this man; all the time feeling hot liquid flowed through his veins. The man's expression turned angry as she spoke to him.
"You don't have to lie to me Nathan." Renea thought of how life would become now that she did not have Nathan.
"Damn you." Nathan walked away in search of his brother.
Nathan searched the crowd for his twin brother Nicolas. Upon finding him, Nathan pulled him into an empty room to speak with him in private.
"Nico, I need you to do me a favor." Mirroring eyes stared at him confusingly.
"What do you want me to do Nate?" Nicolas asked.
"Keep an eye on Renea for me. Make sure you know where she is at all times. I'll deal with her when I come back from California." Nathan said figuring that it would not be such a bad idea to kill her after all.
"What do you mean 'deal' with her?" Nicolas asked not liking the way that his brother was thinking.
"I'm going to kill her. When I'm through with her, dear Mommy and Daddy will be sorry she ever met me." Nathan said with a cold smile.
Nathan's words chilled Nicolas. When he walked out of the room, Nicolas pulled out his cellular telephone and called in an anonymous tip to the Intelligence Agency, telling them that Renea was in danger and that someone from underground was reaching for her.
