Vale was no longer here. Which meant Alina no longer needed to hide. The realisation settled into her bones with a quiet certainty, not relief, not fear, just readiness. The kind that came when a plan reached its most dangerous point.
And the man who had helped her wear the mask earlier, the one whose presence had unsettled her more than the crowd itself, was gone too, as he was no longer here with her. That was exactly how it needed to be. This was her moment.
The air felt different now. Quieter and thinner. As though the walls themselves had leaned closer to listen. The music from the main hall faded into a distant pulse, replaced by the low hum of power, money, secrets, and surveillance.
Alina slipped her phone from her clutch and turned slightly away from the corridor lights. Her thumb hovered over the screen for half a second longer than necessary.
As the call rang, she murmured under her breath, soft enough that even the shadows couldn't overhear. I need to know who the hacker is, the moment I find out… A pause. I'm out she murmured to herself. I'm not running out of here until I'm done.
"What should we do?" Ryan asked calmly. He stood near the wall, hands clasped behind his back, eyes flicking once toward Lucien Vale. Vale lay slumped on the sofa, his expensive suit creased, his mask discarded, his head tilted at an unnatural angle.
"The mix in his drink was strong," Ryan continued evenly. "Too strong. He won't wake up on his own."
Kai Arden didn't look at Vale. Didn't look at Ryan either. He stood by the window, the city's lights spilling across his shoulders like a crown he hadn't bothered to acknowledge.
"I don't care what you do," Kai said coolly. Then, without turning, "Wake him up," by saying he moved out of the room
Ryan hesitated not because he disagreed but because something in Kai's voice was off. Too certain. Too final.
Alina reached the door. Locked doors had never scared her. She tried the handle. It turned. She let out a slow breath, a faint smile touching her lips.
"Lucky," she murmured. But luck had nothing to do with it. She stepped inside.
The door closed behind her with a soft click. The room was dark intentionally. Heavy curtains blocked the city lights. Only faint LEDs from hidden panels traced the edges of the walls. Her phone vibrated once. IP confirmed. Signal active. So this was it.
"The laptop should be here," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "If the IP address is here… then it has to be..." She took a step forward.
"Searching for something, baby?" The voice slid through the darkness smooth, amused, dangerously familiar.
Alina's fingers tightened around her phone. She couldn't see him; the darkness swallowed everything. She tapped her phone. The flashlight snapped on. The beam cut through the shadows and landed directly on him.
"Who are you?" she asked sharply, fear carefully measured, perfectly believable. The chair moved. Slowly and deliberately. It was a swivel chair. And the man sitting in it turned not just his head, but his entire body until he faced her fully.
The light revealed sharp angles, dark clothing and relaxed posture with a smirk. "You took a long time to reach here," he said.
Her breath caught. "Kai… Arden."
"Yes," he replied easily. "That would be me." He leaned back slightly, fingers resting together. Studying and measuring her reaction.
"I was right," Kai continued. "You're clever." A pause. "But you're too slow."
"Slow?" Alina repeated, one eyebrow lifting. And then— She changed. The fear drained from her posture as if it had never existed.
She folded her arms slowly, deliberately, standing taller, calmer, untouchable. Her stance radiated confidence, not arrogance. Control, not defiance. This was Alina when she stopped pretending.
"Slow," she said again, tasting the word. "That's interesting." With her foot, she dragged a chair closer. The scrape echoed in the room. She sat and crossed one leg over the other. Relaxed.
Then she clapped. Once. Twice. The lights came on. Full brightness in an instant. Kai's composure was shattered. For the first time that night, Kai Arden's breath faltered.
Kai had imagined this moment in dozens of variations. In every version, Alina was caught. Surprised: her breath hitching, eyes widening as the truth hit her all at once. Angry: sharp words spilling from her lips, that familiar fire flashing uncontrollably. Cornered: forced to react instead of think.
But reality refused to follow his script. She wasn't shocked. She wasn't furious; she was smiling. Not the kind of smile people wear when they are pretending to be brave. Not the brittle, defensive curve of lips that hides panic.
This was different. It was calm. Confident. Almost playful. She leaned back as if this were a private joke between them, one she was enjoying far more than he was. And then she laughed. A soft laugh. It unsettled him more than shouting ever could.
Because until this second, Kai Arden had been certain of one thing: this was his game. This party. This bar. This entire night. It had all been built by him.
The masquerade wasn't a coincidence. It was a cover. A controlled environment where secrets dissolved into music, masks, and shadows. Every invitation had been curated. Every guest vetted.
Lucien Vale hadn't just been invited; he had been summoned. Kai needed Vale here for one reason: to close a case of the informer. Kai had known exactly what the informer was doing, leaking fragments, feeding half-truths, believing himself clever for slipping beneath the radar. Vale was the bait. The informer would come willingly, thinking he was being rewarded.
And he had caught red-handed. That part of the night had gone perfectly. Then Kai saw her, he had other plans with her, but the moment he saw Alina standing near the entrance, eyes sharp, posture alert, clearly searching for a way inside a place that would never let her in.
That was when a second plan formed. A dangerous one. A reckless one. Kai had dialled Vale without hesitation. A distraction call. Perfectly timed. Vale's attention was diverted just long enough for Alina to take his arm. Kai had watched it happen from a distance, breath measured, heart annoyingly alert. The restrictions at the entrance meant nothing now. Vale was the passkey.
And Kai had wanted her inside. Because he believed he knew what would happen next. Alina was bold. She was sharp. She didn't bend easily. Kai was convinced she would push too far. Say something cutting. React too strongly when Vale tries to touch her, as Vale has an ego. Vale had authority. Kai had been sure Vale would get furious enough to call security or involve the police and arrest her under a trespassing case.
Alina will be removed from his life in one decisive move. That was the real goal. Kai hated what she was doing to him. The way she occupied his thoughts. The way his control slipped around her. The way attraction felt like a vulnerability he hadn't agreed to carry. He despised the weakness. So he built a trap that would look accidental.
But Alina didn't react the way he had predicted. She didn't provoke Vale. She didn't humiliate him. She didn't explode. She controlled herself. Measured her words. Redirected the tension instead of escalating it. And just like that, Kai's carefully calculated ending evaporated.
Now, sitting here across from her, watching that knowing smile play on her lips, the truth sank in with brutal clarity. She had seen the trap. Not halfway through. Not at the end. From the beginning.