The event promised unity in purpose: raising funds to fight cancer. Yet, beneath the polished veneer, wary glances and subtle exchanges hinted at a different story—one whispered beneath the surface, concealed behind their polished smiles.
All of us were waiting, each aware that something important was about to happen.
An electric tension coursed through the room like a serpent, winding its way through the crowd silently, preying on the weakest, stalking their every move.
My gaze was fixed on Aidon, who stood in the corner confidently holding court among a group of women hanging on his every word. Esme stood with another group nearby. The smirk on her face indicated she was amused by the attention Aidon was attracting.
Aidon shot a glance at Esme, and an unspoken conversation passed between them, prompting her to move in his direction.
I wondered if his intuition was ringing as loud as mine. A sense of impending doom prickled through every cell in my body, growing more intense with each passing moment.
I scanned the room for the tenth time in as many minutes, my pulse a jagged rhythm in my throat. Daphne was missing. I’d left her under a triple-guard at the penthouse, but when James called ten minutes ago, the line had been silent, except for the sound of three unconscious men hitting the floor.
She’d played me. She’d used the very “ghost” training I’d admired to slip my leash and bypass my security.
And then the air in the ballroom more than changed–it died.
I saw her.
She wasn't the girl I’d left under lock and key. She was a lethal vision in a floor-length gown of midnight silk that looked as if it had been spun from the shadows of Olympus itself.
She held a glass of champagne as if she was waiting for the right moment to toast my funeral, her eyes locking with mine in cold, terrifying clarity. She’d found the tablet. She knew I’d lied. She wasn't there as a guest but as a hunter, and the rest of these elite vultures were just in her way.
I wasn’t the only one sensing the increasing danger in the air.
At that moment, Aidon’s gaze met mine. He nodded, conveying the message: stay alert, remain vigilant, and don’t let your guard down.
Did Aidon know about Rhea’s upcoming attack? Had he received the same warning I had? We all had our sources, secrets fueling the tension that hung heavily around us.
I swept my gaze across the room, searching for Zeno. Had he uncovered my alliance with Daphne yet? The lack of any sign of him left me uncertain.
Was his silence confirmation or denial of that possibility? Every moment felt longer, with the unspoken questions lingering in the tense air.
“Everything okay?” Daphne whispered to me, her words strained through a fake smile that never reached her eyes, revealing her worry as well.
“So far,” I replied.
I longed to reach for her, pull her into my arms, kiss her, and tell her everything would be okay. But that would have been a lie, not to mention a step too far. We hadn’t discussed it, but I sensed Daphne wasn’t quite ready to make our relationship public.
It was just as well.
We had other things to worry about for now.
Daphne’s eyes widened as she looked over my shoulder, and I turned to see what had caught her attention. Zeno stood in the doorway of the ballroom, hands on his hips, flanked by two men from his security team, looking like he owned the place.
He was sorely mistaken.
This was my territory.
If I needed to put him in his place, so be it.
I glanced at my security head to ensure he was alert and was glad to see him paying close attention to Zeno as well. Zeno noticed Daphne and me. His eyes widened, then narrowed in anger.
“You’ve left the gilded cage, little bird,” Zeno hissed, his voice a low, pure poison that made the champagne in my hand feel like lead. He didn’t even look at me. He looked at her as if she were property he was about to return to the manufacturer. “Did you think Thalassios could protect you from a blood debt? Rhea is here to repossess her collateral, and I’m here to ensure the ledger is balanced. You aren't a woman tonight, Daphne. You’re a payment.”
Daphne didn't flinch. She stepped toward him as the silk of her dress shifted, revealing the slight metallic gleam of a thigh holster.
“The debt is dead, Zeno,” she said, her voice as cold as a mountain stream. “If Rhea wants a transfer, she can find me in the middle of the floor. I’m done being a line item on your ledger.”
