Doris Elizabeth Corday

I didn't move. I couldn't. My heart hammered as his gaze flickered to my mouth, and my traitorous body inched closer. The air seemed to thicken, every sharp edge fading until the only thing I was aware of was his breathing so close to my own.

But just as his lips were about to graze mine, the doorbell rang.

My pulse pounded in my ears as I stepped back, desperately trying to steady myself. Mr. Illion straightened, his expression unreadable, though his jaw clenched for a fleeting second before he turned away. He walked to the door with military precision, his body tense.

What was that?

I had agreed to this strange intimate agreement between us for the sake of having a backup escape plan, but... There was no reason for me to get so affected. He was the one that needed this after all.

What's wrong with me?

I pressed my fingers to my lips, feeling the pulse of warmth still there, trying to pull myself together. Still with my head all confused, I headed for the foyer just as Coy walked in.

"Well... You two look... quite flushed," he remarked as he stopped in front of us.

His sharp eyes flicked from Mr. Illion to me.

"Did I interrupt something?" he asked.

"Nothing that concerns you," Mr. Illion replied, his voice cold and dismissive. He took the envelope Coy offered with a fluid motion, tearing the seal with practiced efficiency.

Coy's eyes remained lingering on me so much that I thought he could read what had happened on my forehead. A blush crept up my neck when I thought of it.

"I think my cooking had too many spices," I lied, clearing my throat.

"Was it too hot?" Coy asked.

Mr. Illion coughed, and I sent him a glare.

"No," I answered before trying to change the topic. "So, what's that?" I asked, pointing at what Mr. Illion had.

He canned the content of the letter before the circles under his eyes deepened.

"An invitation," he said. "Alistair Chase's gala." The name hung in the air like a loaded gun.

Coy's brows rose.

"I thought it was important, but... What purpose could Alistair have for inviting you? Is this a trick?"

"If he decided on having me dead, he wouldn't need a gala for it," Mr. Illion sighed, folding the letter again. "Perhaps he wishes to clear our public image before he gets rid of me. Or offer a deal before he considers me a threat to neutralize."

"Jack will be there," Coy pointed out. "And Alistair as a matter of fact. This could be Miss Corday's chance if she accompanies you."

My head snapped to Coy.

"Chance for what, exactly?" I asked bitterly. "To die?"

Coy raised a brow.

"You won't die at such a public event."

"I don't care," I said, crossing my arms. "Alistair gives me the creeps. I'm not attending the same event as him."

"Have you even met the man?"

I faltered.

"No..." I admitted. "But my instincts are warning me and my instincts are always right."

"What were your instincts saying the night you stole the Cronos from me?" mr. Illion suddenly spoke up, an amused curve in his lips.

I scowled at him.

Admittedly, my instincts didn't exactly warn me.

I shook my head and stepped back.

"Whatever. You two can figure out how to survive your little death trap. I'm taking a shower."

Neither of them stopped me as I walked away, though I felt Mr. Illion's gaze linger. Once I was behind the closed door of my room, I exhaled, leaning against it.

There was no way I'd go to that gala.

Dismissing the chill that had crept up on me, I slipped out of my clothes. The shower was scalding as I scrubbed furiously, trying to erase the memory of Mr. Illion's closeness. But it was useless. His touch, his voice, even his infuriating bored gaze that made his smirk look all the more smug.

I hated him. I really did.

Yet this useless body of mine kept reacting to him.

It worked in my favor as I needed to get close to him and make him believe I liked him. But I didn't want it to work too well and start fooling myself in the process.

I dried off quickly, pulling on my nightdress. My hair was still damp when a knock came at my door. I frowned, crossing the room to open it just a crack.

Mr. Illion stood there.

"You asked for a day of freedom," he said. "You can have the weekend for yourself. Just don't run off too far." His eyes flicked to my choker. "I'll know if you do."

I blinked, thrown off by the abruptness of it.

"Th-thank you."

He nodded, turning away without another word.

I stood there for a moment after the door clicked shut, the echo of his presence still heavy in the air. And I had no idea what was going through my head.

Or why my heart was racing.

***

The weekend finally arrived, and I had been given the rare privilege of getting out. I took the bus and once I was on the other side of the city, I walked the rest of the way to Olivia's house.

The tension in my chest had loosened a bit, but it wasn't gone. It didn't help that I had the nagging suspicion someone was watching me. Every time I glanced over my shoulder, the street seemed emptier than it should've been.

I shook my head, trying to push the anxiety out of my mind. This was supposed to be a break from everything. I couldn't let it get ruined so easily.

Olivia's house was just as I remembered — warm, inviting, and with a cute garden out the front. I knocked on the door, already feeling a smile creep onto my face.

My friend opened it, her curly hair bouncing as she looked at me, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Beth?" she said, her voice full of disbelief. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I, uh..." I hesitated. How was I supposed to explain my life these days? "I got a job," I said quickly. "A pretty top-secret thing. They won't allow me to contact people for confidentiality reasons. But it's, ah, good. It's something."

I flashed her a tight smile, hoping she didn't see the holes in my explanation.

Olivia arched a thick brow, but didn't press further. Instead, she pulled me into a hug.

"I'm glad to see you," she said, her voice soft. "It's been too long."

"I know," I replied, hugging her back, my throat tightening with emotions.

We pulled away, and Olivia looked me over, her gaze scrutinizing.

"You look different," she noted, though she didn't say it in a critical way. "What's really going on? I mean, a job you can't talk about? And your outfit? What are you, a maid? This all sounds so sketchy."

I forced a laugh, silently cursing Mr. Illion for this dumb uniform.

"It's... complicated," I chuckled. "Anyway, let's not talk about that right now. I just wanted to see you, and I thought we could catch up."

Olivia narrowed her eyes slightly, as if considering something. After a beat, she smiled and shrugged it off.

"Of course. We're definitely overdue for a girls' night. Let's go out, celebrate our reunion. You up for it?"

"Hell yes. I'll get ready."

A few hours later, we were at a bar, the atmosphere warm with laughter and the clink of glasses. The low hum of conversation wrapped around us as we found a corner booth, and I felt the weight of the world start to lift off my shoulders. For a few hours, I was just Beth again. I wasn't a thief or some weird experiment. Just a girl with her best friend.

"So, tell me more about this mysterious job of yours," Olivia said, a playful glint in her eyes as she leaned in. "You're being all vague about it, and it's starting to sound like you're in some sort of secret government operation."

I let out a laugh, trying to deflect the tension in my chest.

"Nothing that glamorous," I said. "It's just... it's a new thing. And trust me, you really don't want to know."

She narrowed her eyes.

"That's not a good sign. I mean, come on. You show up looking like you haven't slept in days and then tell me you can't even talk about your job? I know you, Beth. This isn't like you."

I took a long sip of my drink, stalling.

"It's just... a lot of work. A lot of pressure. And my boss is a pain in the ass," I groaned.

She smiled, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

"A pain in the ass? Sounds like a good time."

I shoved at her as she giggled.

"Why you have to be nasty about it," I chuckled.

"Ah, it's Josh," she said in defense. "I picked up so many dirty jokes from him." She took a long sip of her cocktail as she studied me with a grin. "Besides, you only complain about people who you think are hot. So, what's this boss like, hmmm?"

I hesitated, then rolled my eyes, trying to keep my tone light.

"Ugh. He's one of those people who thinks he can control everything. Always making demands. And he has the personality of cold toast. He's so annoying. I don't know how he thinks he can talk to people the way he does. He thinks he's the best, but he's just a pain."

Olivia leaned in with a playful smile.

"Hmm. Sounds like there's a little more going on than you're letting on."

I tried to brush it off, but there was something in her expression that made me uncomfortable.

"Like I said, he's annoying. He just... he thinks he knows everything, and he's always on my case. I just can't catch a break."

"Ooh, sounds like he's got you on edge. You sure you're not... a little into him?"

My heart jumped, and I nearly choked on my drink.

"W-what? No! I didn't—" I cleared my throat, my face flushing. "Have you not been listening to me? He's the worst!"

"Uhuh," she rolled her eyes. "And did you decide this before or after you guys kissed?"

My mouth fell open.

"H-how did you..."

"Know?" she grinned. "I didn't. But now I do."

I stared at her, wide-eyed.

"No!" I practically shouted. A few people at nearby tables glanced over, and I dropped my voice to a whisper. "We didn't kiss. I—"

Olivia's eyes lit up with mischief.

"Oh, my God. Did you guys do more?"

I felt my heart race as I looked around, hoping no one had overheard. It was just a kiss. Technically... The bite and the touching wouldn't count. Right?

"Okay, fine. We kissed," I admitted reluctantly, lowering my voice even more. "But it's complicated. We were in a situation where neither of us had control over it."

Olivia's face softened, her teasing grin slipping away.

"Wait. Like? You were drunk?"

There was no real way to explain it properly.

"I suppose..." I lied, swirling my straw in my drink.

Olivia watched me for a moment before she sighed.

"Well, I think you should go for it, honestly. Love's not so bad if you give it a chance. You can't run away from it forever. Not every man is like your father. It's not like it'll kill you."

I huffed a dry laugh as I took a deep sip.

"He might actually be the death of me," I joked honestly.

"You're such a tease in front of people, but I know you're just a baby," Olivia made fun of me.

I sighed and leaned onto her much like I did whenever I failed a test in high school.

"Men are worthless. Let you and me run away," I whined.

She shoved me off with a laugh.

"Sorry, you're too late, Beth." Her grin widened as she showed off the ring on her finger. "Josh proposed last week."

"What!?"

"You're really getting rusty," she teased. "I thought you would've swiped my ring by now and make fun of me for it."

I really hadn't even noticed it. I blinked at her.

"Wha... When's the wedding?"

"Early December. You'll be there, right?"

"Of course!" I said without thinking.

It was still almost two months away, and although I could very well be dead before then, there was no way I'd miss it.

As the conversation turned to wedding plans and ideas, any thoughts that had previously weighed me down vanished completely. We finished four more rounds of drinks before I felt a pleasant buzz kick in.

"Excuse me," I smiled, getting up with a bit of effort. "I need to use the bathroom."

Olivia sent me a thumbs up with her straw in her mouth.

"Go ahead. I'll call a taxi for us."

I nodded and left, wading my way through the dimly lit bar. When I entered the bathroom, the flickering overhead lights cast uneasy shadows over the tiles. I swayed toward the closest stall, but just as I reached for the handle, a strong hand shot out, grabbing my arm and yanking me inside.

I gasped, spinning to face my captor as they closed the door behind us. My pulse pounded in my ears.

"Shh," King whispered sharply, pressing a hand over my mouth. "Don't scream."

I blinked rapidly, trying to calm my breathing. My heart was racing.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I hissed, shoving his hand away.

"I've been watching you," he replied, his voice low but urgent. "You've got more security around you than a damn politician. This is the only place we can talk without getting noticed."

I cocked my head back.

"What security?"

He chuckled at my sincerity.

"You mean you haven't noticed the dozens of large strangers keeping their safe distance from you?"

My brows lowered into a scowl.

"Rob," I muttered bitterly. "Even my one day of freedom is not really free."

King ignored my comment, focusing on something far more pressing.

"What happened at The Velvet Heart? After you left with Rob and went to the Velvet Room, what happened?"

I stiffened, my fists clenching involuntarily at my sides. I wanted to shove him away, but I was trapped in this tiny stall.

"Nothing," I spat, my voice tight. "We didn't do anything."

King didn't buy it. His eyes darkened, and I saw the frustration that radiated off him.

"Did you sleep with him?"

The question hit me like a punch to the gut.

"No. It wasn't like that."

He took a step closer, his presence heavy and tense. His hazel eyes never left mine, like he was trying to read every emotion that flickered across my face.

"Beth Baby... Don't get involved with him more than you need to."

I could feel my pulse throb in my throat. I could barely suppress the anger bubbling inside of me.

"Wasn't it you and the police who insisted I get close to him? What does it matter what we do? Isn't this what you all want from me?"

He pushed me against the stall, his face tense as he seemed to restrain something within him. It surprised me and I stared at him as he gathered a reply.

"I know, but..." His brows furrowed almost like he was in pain. "I just want this job to be done as soon as possible."

I couldn't understand him at all.

"That's what I want too," I said.

His messy dark hair loosened from his tie, a strand of it falling past his ear as he stared at me for a good moment.

"So, help me here," he urged.

"Why are you really here?"

King's expression hardened.

"The police," he said bluntly. He glanced toward the door, listening to make sure there was no one else nearby. "They want updates on Rob. They want to know what you know."

"I don't know anything," I said as a reflex.

King's eyes narrowed as he studied me.

"If you don't know anything, then why does it feel like you're hiding something? You really are falling for him, aren't you? That's why you're covering for him."

I felt a wave of heat rush to my face.

"I'm not falling for him!" I snapped, too quickly.

There was a long silence as I stared at King, his intense gaze never leaving mine. My breath caught in my throat as something shifted in the air between us.

Finally, I exhaled sharply, my resolve crumbling.

"I really don't know much..." I admitted. "But I overheard about some shipment or something going missing. He was going to send them a message without collateral damage, so the media wouldn't pick up on it. If I'm guessing here, I'd say he probably killed some people."

Though I gave him information, King seemed not to focus on what I said.

There was a charged silence as I stood there, breathless, my chest rising and falling with the adrenaline still coursing through me. His expression had softened just a bit, but there was still something unreadable in his eyes.

And then, just for a second, his gaze dropped to my mouth — a movement so subtle I wasn't sure if I had imagined it. My heart skipped a beat.

No way... He wouldn't...

Would he?