The Warden of The Witches-Chapter 225:

Chapter 225: The Hidden Big Shot

The two of them turned toward the voice, spotting a smiling hostess from a nearby nightclub waving in their direction.

Aiden’s first thought was that this person had mistaken him for someone else or was pretending to know him to pull in customers.

But when he looked at the hostess’s face, there was a fleeting sense of familiarity.

“Oh my, it’s been so long I almost didn’t recognize you, sir.” The hostess nodded and bowed, then glanced at Kyle, who was standing beside Aiden. “Is today… a visit with a friend?”

Aiden thought back, realizing his last time in this neighborhood had been in April, when he’d been investigating Veronica's case.

Instinctively, he looked up at the sign above the nightclub behind the hostess, and it came back to him.

This was the “Midnight Rose” nightclub, the same place he’d visited while searching for clues back then. It seemed this person was the same hostess who’d greeted him that time.

“Oh, it’s you. I’m surprised you still recognize me.” Aiden nodded.

Few people could remember someone they’d met only once, months ago. This hostess’s ability to recognize him spoke to a level of professionalism.

“Forget you? How could I !, You’re one of the distinguished guests our boss personally told us to look after,” the hostess said, sounding almost reverent.

Kyle’s expression turned amused. “Warden, it seems you carry quite the clout around here.”

Before Aiden could grasped the situation the hostess, with practiced intuition, started playing up his status. “Of course! This gentleman here is one of the big shots of Red district!”

The hostess didn’t know much about the man’s background, but she clearly remembered how, after his last visit, the boss had stressed repeatedly to never treat him lightly. Otherwise… this place might disappear with just a snap of his fingers.

Kyle’s eyes widened slightly. He looked around, noting that this nightclub was already one of the more upscale spots on Red District. For it to consider the Warden a VIP… could Aiden be a local big shot hiding in plain sight?

But Aiden was more than a little confused.

Since when did I become a big shot here? I only came by to ask a couple of questions last time…

He quickly realized, though, that it was probably the introduction letter from Fei that made the nightclub’s boss assume he was somehow connected to that succubus.

“It’s a misunderstanding by your boss. I just borrowed an introduction letter, that’s all,” Aiden tried to explain.

The hostess, however, wasn’t listening. With years of experience, he knew that people who bragged incessantly, and plastering their connections on their foreheads, were usually shallow upstarts.

It was the ones who brushed off praise and kept a low profile who were truly the big players.

So, with a smile on his face, he kept nodding and agreeing, “Yes, of course, absolutely.” Meanwhile, his enthusiasm only increased as he welcomed the honored guest. “Why don’t you both come in and have a seat? Don’t worry, anything you want is on the house! Our best girls are available right now…”

“No, thanks. We have business to attend to.” Aiden waved off the offer and kept walking.

"Alright then, be sure to drop by when you have time!" The hostess bowed slightly behind them.

"Warden, I never expected you’d have such status in a place like this." Kyle caught up to Aiden, his face brimming with newfound respect.

"They misunderstood. I was only here for an investigation..." Aiden tried to clarify.

"Oh, an 'investigation’!" Kyle nodded knowingly, a smirk forming as he wondered if this was some new role-play game, a detective scenario with the hostesses.

Aiden glanced at his expression, instantly realizing that the misunderstanding hadn’t cleared up at all. Just as he was about to explain further, Kyle’s face suddenly turned serious as he looked ahead. "He’s here!"

Aiden immediately understood that Kyle’s target—the wanted criminal—had appeared. Following his gaze, he asked, "Which one?"

"The man in the newsboy cap." Kyle spoke in a low voice, and for once, he looked genuinely focused.

Aiden locked his eyes on the man Kyle had indicated, but he couldn’t make out much detail. The dim lighting of Red District made it hard to see the man's skin tone or face clearly from this distance.

"Can’t see much," Aiden murmured.

"Doesn’t matter. I’m sure it’s him. Just to be safe, let’s tail him for now. We can catch him red-handed later." Kyle grinned.

…

A few minutes later, in a narrow alleyway, a heavily made-up woman led a guest into a second-floor room, closing the door behind him and then pulling the curtains shut.

"Pay up first," the woman demanded.

In the autonomous state, the government permitted licensed establishments to engage in certain "special entertainment" businesses, provided they paid high taxes and underwent regular inspections. Consequently, many venues—and independent operators in this trade—chose not to register with the authorities, making their operations illegal.

Since they were unregistered, these businesses weren’t protected by law, so they constantly worried about customers who might skip out on paying—especially those without gang protection or hired enforcers.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

"No need to worry. As long as I’m satisfied, I won’t skimp on your tip." The guest smiled, pulling a gold coin from his pocket.

The woman's eyes lit up, instinctively drawn to the coin.

The guest held the coin up at eye level, drawing her gaze upward with it.

Then, he clenched the coin in his hand and looked at her with a sly smile.

Meeting his gaze, the woman couldn’t help but flash a flattering smile, thinking of the hefty tip she might earn tonight.

Just as she opened her mouth to say something, she noticed a flash of red in the guest’s eyes.

A sudden tingling sensation washed over her, and her head felt like it was submerged in warm water, leaving her dazed.

"Come here." The guest's voice was deep and commanding.

She found herself utterly incapable of resisting his magnetic voice, and in a trance, she moved toward him.

The guest placed a hand on her shoulder, leaned in close to her neck, and bared his fangs.

Suddenly, a playful whistle sounded, cutting through the room’s stillness.

Startled, the guest looked toward the source of the noise. Somehow, the curtains had been drawn back, and a young man in a tailcoat and monocle was sitting on the windowsill with legs crossed, watching with an amused smile.

"I realize it’s rude to interrupt someone during their meal…" Kyle said, adjusting his glasses and locking eyes with the guest, "but feasting here is bound to cause trouble for others, wouldn’t you agree?"