Allison's POV.
Billionaire and philanthropist Benjamin Harrington was known for his extravagant events, and tonight's masked party was no exception.
Harrington, a man in his late fifties with a distinguished presence and a reputation for his vast collection of rare diamonds, had recently been living in fear. He had reached out to Viktoh, my boss, with a plea for help.
Harrington believed that his life was in grave danger, and the source of this threat was none other than Ivanov Dmitri, a wealthy Russian businessman with a keen interest in Harrington's prized diamond—a stunning, multifaceted heirloom that had been passed down through his family for two centuries. This diamond, known as the "Star of Harrington," was worth millions of dollars.
The trouble had begun a few months ago when Harrington had hosted a private viewing of his diamond collection at his newly acquired mansion. Among the guests was Ivanov Dmitri, who had become visibly enamored with the "Star of Harrington."
Since that evening, Harrington had experienced a series of near-fatal incidents that led him to suspect that Dmitri was behind them, using spies and assassins to get his hands on the diamond.
In response to Harrington's desperate situation, my secret agent team had partly returned to town because of Harrington, tasked with protecting him and identifying his enemies.
This mission had led to tonight's masked party, an event proposed by me. I had been present during a tense meeting where Harrington, completely scared and unsure of his next move, had sought advice from Viktoh. I suggested hosting a lavish masked party, confident that it would draw out Harrington's enemies.