Scene: Blood in the Water – Aurora's Intercepted Deal
The private lounge of the Velvet Ghost—a luxury penthouse bar hidden above a strip of underground casinos—was soundproof, dimly lit, and strictly off-limits to anyone who couldn't afford to lose a fortune. Aurora sat at the head of the obsidian table, a glass of dark merlot in one hand, her manicured nails tapping lightly against the stem.
The other seat at the table remained empty.
She was waiting.
And growing increasingly impatient.
"I don't like being disrespected," she said quietly.
Her voice didn't rise. It never needed to. The people who knew Aurora knew the calmest version of her was also the most dangerous.
Her underboss, Juno, lingered by the door, his jaw tight.
"The contact just called. The buyer pulled out."
Aurora's glass paused mid-air. "Pulled out? Why?"
Juno hesitated. "Because Moretti offered a counter-deal. Lower rates. Better protection. They met with him last night."
Silence fell like a guillotine.
Aurora placed the wine glass on the table with a delicate clink. "This was my territory. My contacts. My intel."
"Yes, ma'am. But... Moretti moved faster."
Her lips curved—not in amusement. It was something colder.
"He's getting bold," she said. "Sloppy, too. Using my buyers against me?"
Juno stepped forward, more carefully now. "Should we retaliate?"
"No," she said. "Not yet."
She stood, brushing invisible dust from her black silk blouse. "There's something bigger happening. Something beneath the surface."
She moved to the large floor-to-ceiling window, watching the neon-stained skyline beyond. "That boy detective—Elias. He's not just sniffing around anymore. He's seen something. And if Moretti is cutting into my deals so openly, that means he's either panicking... or preparing for war."
Juno frowned. "What do you want to do?"
Aurora turned, her eyes like obsidian daggers. "I want the files Elias has."
Juno nodded slowly. "That won't be easy. He's being protected."
"No one is protected if I say otherwise."
She walked back to the table and picked up a slim gold phone. Dialed a number.
"Put out a call," she said. "I want his location. I don't care how many pockets we need to turn inside out to find him. I want to know who he's spoken to, what he's carrying, and where he keeps it. If Elias Crane has evidence that can burn Moretti..."
She smiled now—cold and lovely and lethal.
"Then I'll be the one holding the match."
BACK AT KAEL'S PLACE
He sat at the edge of the sofa, reviewing what little he'd managed to salvage—printed documents, a copy of the flash drive's contents, and his battered briefcase, now carrying truths too dangerous for court.
His phone buzzed once. No caller ID. Just a single message:
"You said you wanted answers. Meet me at midnight. Same place. Come alone. – A"
Kael stared at it for a long time.
She had found him. Again.
He hadn't spoken to Aurora since she showed up that morning. Since the electricity in the room had almost swallowed them both. Since the way she'd looked at him—dark eyes drinking him in like a fire she was trying not to touch.
Now she was reaching out.
But why?
He checked the timestamp. 11:04 PM.
He had less than an hour.
"Damn it," he muttered, running a hand down his face.
Logic screamed not to go.
Instinct whispered he had to.
He grabbed his coat, slipped the flash drive into the inner pocket, and walked out the door like a man heading to his own interrogation.
Scene: Reunion in the Shadows
The city was quiet in that pocket of midnight where time seemed to hold its breath.
Kael waited at the same secluded rooftop where Aurora had once saved his life. This time, the air was still. The silence... suspicious.
Then she appeared.
All black again—form-fitting, high boots, leather gloves. Her hair pulled back tight, her features carved from something regal and merciless.
"You came," she said, stepping into the dim rooftop light.
Kael didn't move. "You always know where to find me."
"I make it my business to know where my assets are."
He narrowed his eyes. "I'm not your asset."
A hint of a smirk. "Aren't you?"
He stepped forward, anger barely concealed. "What do you want, Aurora?"
She walked past him, toward the edge of the rooftop, staring out over the city like a queen surveying her burning kingdom.
"I had a deal tonight. Worth millions. It was stolen from me. Moretti interfered."
"That's between you and your world."
She turned back slowly. "It's your world now too, Kael. You just haven't admitted it yet."
He swallowed hard. "I'm not one of you."
"No. But you've seen what they hide. That makes you dangerous." She took another step toward him. "And useful."
His jaw clenched. "Is that what I am to you?"
She stopped inches from him, close enough that he could feel the heat of her presence, smell the faint trace of something dark and floral on her skin.
"To them, you're a nuisance. A man playing knight in a kingdom of knives." Her voice dropped. "To me? You're the only person with access to information I need. Elias knows something that can bury Moretti. I need it."
Kael looked away, heart hammering. "And if I refuse?"
She leaned in, whispering near his ear, "Then I'll take it. One way or another."
The tension snapped like a live wire between them.
Kael's voice was rough. "You really want to play this game with me?"
Aurora smiled—but there was no softness in it. "Oh, Kael. This isn't a game. This is survival. And whether you like it or not, we're on the same board now."
She stepped back, letting the chill settle between them.
"You have until tomorrow night to get me what I need," she said, eyes locked on his. "Or this city won't be the only thing bleeding."
She turned and vanished into the night, leaving behind only the echo of heels and heat.
Kael stood alone on the rooftop, torn between two hells—one lawful, one lawless—and both of them pulling him deeper than he was ready to go.