Chapter 25: Calls, Cars, and Conversations
Chloe didn't wait. She didn't linger.
Her hands trembled slightly as she slid into her car, locking the doors with a sharp click.
Her phone felt heavy in her hand.
She dialed quickly, almost frantically.
"Pick up… pick up…" she muttered under her breath, panic cutting through her composure.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
A calm, controlled voice answered.
It wasn't Loren Vex. It wasn't anyone she trusted.
It was someone else. Someone capable. Someone who always answered when called.
"I need updates. Find him. Now," Chloe demanded, voice tight with panic.
"Relax," the voice replied smoothly. Ice cold. Calculated. "He is… not where he should be."
Chloe's fingers tightened around the wheel.
"What do you mean he's not where he should be?"
A pause.
"You know what I mean," the voice said, flat, almost amused.
Chloe's jaw tightened.
"I want results!"
The line went dead.
Her pulse spiked. She slammed the phone onto the console.
Her mind raced. Her contractor wasn't answering. Her fixer had vanished. The clock was running.
She wasn't in control anymore.
Elsewhere — Raina at Lucian's Company
The city lights reflected off the sleek black car as it pulled into the parking lot of Ashbourne Enterprises.
Albert opened the door for Raina before she even had a chance to step out.
"Miss?" he said quietly.
Raina slid into the driver's seat with smooth precision. Calm. Controlled. Predator in black silk.
Lucian Ashbourne stepped into the lot, briefcase in hand, unaware he was being observed.
His pace slowed slightly when he saw her car.
Albert gestured toward the passenger door.
"Shall we?" Albert asked.
Lucian raised an eyebrow but complied, walking toward the sleek black vehicle.
Albert opened the door for him.
Lucian slid inside, catching Raina's gaze through the window.
No words passed. Only recognition.
The city lights reflected off her sharp, sea-blue eyes — calculating, cold, predatory.
The car pulled away smoothly, silent.Lunch at Selena's Favorite Restaurant
The restaurant was quiet, intimate, soft light spilling across polished wood tables. The faint scent of jasmine lingered in the air—the kind that clung to memory and made you remember what you had lost.
Raina chose it deliberately. Selena had loved it. She had loved the cozy tables by the window, the sunlight spilling in during the afternoons, the way the waiters always smiled just a little too wide when they saw her.
Lucian slid into his seat across from her, briefcase left aside. Albert poured wine quietly, stepping back without a word.
Raina picked up the menu, though her eyes were already elsewhere. Her thoughts drifted to Selena—the way she laughed, the way she always ordered the same jasmine tea and a slice of lemon tart, insisting it was the only one worth having.
Lucian leaned back, watching her carefully. "You're quiet today," he said softly, almost a whisper.
Raina's gaze lifted. Her eyes met his, calm but hard. "I'm remembering," she said simply.
Lucian nodded, understanding. "She loved this place."
"Yes," Raina murmured. "Every corner. Every table. Even the smallest details. She noticed everything… the way sunlight caught the wine glasses, the way the smell of bread made her pause before smiling. She found joy in the smallest things."
Lucian let his fingers rest on the table. "She always had that way—making everything brighter. Even… people."
Raina allowed herself a faint sigh, though her expression remained composed. "She would have laughed at the way we're here now. Sitting… plotting… over the table where she once smiled without worry."
A soft pause lingered between them, the kind that carried grief, memory, and purpose all at once.
Lucian finally spoke again, quieter this time. "I miss her."
Raina's gaze hardened, but it wasn't cold—it was sharp, a blade of focus forged in loss. "We honor her by finishing what was started. Not by lingering in grief."
Lucian nodded slowly. "And Chloe?"
"She's panicking," Raina said flatly. "She called someone capable. Someone who responds instantly. She thinks she can cover her tracks, but she doesn't even know what's already happening."
Lucian leaned back, studying her. "And you?"
Raina's eyes glinted, unwavering. "I'm tracking every move. I intend to find out who really killed Selena."
Lucian exhaled, letting the weight of her words sink in. "So… we play their game?"
Raina smiled faintly, predatory and composed. "No. We write the rules."
The waiter arrived with their meals. Raina picked at the food, her focus only partly on what was in front of her. Most of her mind ran through timelines, movements, and plans.
Her gaze stayed on Lucian, unwavering. Voice low, deadly serious:
"The moment anyone thinks they've outsmarted me… it's already too late."
For a moment, the world narrowed to the table, the wine, the sunlight flickering against the glasses. Outside, the city moved on, unaware of the storm gathering in its midst.
Inside, two predators quietly plotted their next move, grounded in memory, in loss… and in vengeance.