"Clear this mess."
Daemin said something firmly to one of his men before walking away, as he got in to the back seat of the black sleek luxury sedan, that had already pulled up. His men moved immediately. And the car merged effortlessly into the moving line of traffic outside. One of them approached the hotel staff, speaking in low, firm tones.
The staff nodded quickly, almost too quickly, and hurried to comply. Within moments, people were clearing the scattered boxes, stacking them neatly, restoring order as if nothing had happened. Sophia stood still, watching it unfold. She turned to the staff member beside her, and said in disbelief,
"No sorry? Nothing?"
she muttered, letting out a quiet sigh. Lilly stepped closer, her brows drawn together.
"So… now what do we do?"
Before Sophia could answer, a sharp gasp cut through the air as Mrs. Carmichael appeared at the entrance. Her heels striking the floor sharply as she took in the sight before her. Her gaze landed on the boxes, then snapped to Sophia.
"Oh God ! What have you done ?!"
"No, Mrs. Carmichael, actually—" Sophia began.
"You need not say anything," Mrs. Carmichael snapped, cutting her off.
"The event starts in an hour. An hour!
What do I say to my guests now?"
"I'm really sorry," Sophia said quickly.
"I can rearr—"
"Get out !" Mrs. Carmichael's voice rose, drawing attention.
"I should've known the consequences of taking orders from you."
She turned sharply to the staff.
"Clear this mess and get them out."
Already dialing her phone, she walked away without another glance.
"Steff, order the desserts immediately."
Her voice echoed, fading as she disappeared down the corridor. A staff member approached Sophia hesitantly.
"Ma'am…I might have to ask you to leave. I'm sorry."
Sophia nodded once. "It's alright."
The staff helped them gather what remained, guiding them gently toward the exit as other servants began cleaning the entrance. As they walked out, Lilly's voice trembled.
"What will we say to Mom? This is because of me… I'm sorry, sis."
Sophia stopped and turned to her, holding her shoulders.
"Hey.. No," she said softly.
"It's fine. I'll handle it. Don't worry, okay?
And… don't say anything to Mom."
"But the due?" Lilly whispered. "It's in a few days. This was the biggest order we had."
Sophia forced a small, steady smile "I'll manage."
Sophia stood there for a moment, steadying herself, before stepping out. Carrying the weight of what had just been lost… and what still needed to be fixed. The doors closed behind them, the city rushing back in as the moment ended.
-----
Later that day
2:35 PM — The Veynar Eminence, New York City
The data center floor was dimly lit, with screens lining the walls with quiet efficiency. At the center of the room, a projector cast a large graph across the glass wall, mapping month-by-month data flows, each spike and dip marked with timestamps, sources, and sharing points.
Kayla stood near the display, one hand gesturing toward the projected curve as she spoke.
"These are the cumulative transfers over the last six months," she explained calmly.
Alana stood slightly aside, noting down key events as Kayla spoke. A few junior analysts were seated around the table, occasionally leaning forward to add suggestions.
"Most of the data shared recently," Kayla shifted the slide and continued,
"is concentrated between three entities: Marinaris Charters, Aethon Properties, and Elevora."
Riven watched quietly as she explained.
"Marinaris Charters, in particular, had a recent transfer that doesn't align with the accounts you mentioned earlier, Mr. Veynar."
Riven frowned, "That's odd," he said. "I'll ask George to pull those reports."
With that, the meeting was dismissed. While the analysts gathered their notes, the others stepped out of the room.
Riven turned slightly, as Kayla spoke, explaining how the data had been shared. Somewhere between access logs and timelines, something about her voice… pulled his attention away.
For a man constantly immersed in meetings, and negotiations, this moment felt unfamiliar and distracting. Like a chapter he hadn't planned to read, which is unexpectedly compelling, and far too tempting to skip. Perhaps because, for the first time in a long while, he found himself liking it. Kayla stopped mid-sentence, l catching his gaze lingering longer than it should have.
"Mr. Veynar… you're hearing me?"
He snapped out of it at, clearing his throat.
"Yes. Yes, I am. Well.. yeah."
Internally, he cursed himself for losing focus in front of her. Just then, the door slid open and George stepped in.
"We're done with today's work, ma'am. The remaining reports will be ready in a few days after we collect everything. I'll have them mailed to your server."
Kayla nodded. "Thank you."
George glanced at the time.
"Everyone's gone for lunch, sir. You both should too. I'll take my leave now."
He exited quietly. Riven turned back to Kayla, hesitating a second.
"Shall we head out for lunch, Miss Winsler?"
Kayla looked at him, clearly not expecting that. After a brief pause, she nodded slowly.
"It's already past lunch," he added, a small smile forming as he said, "On me."
She smiled back, just as softly. "Alright."
With they left together, the conversation easing as they headed out for lunch.
-----
15 minutes later
The Langham, Fifth Avenue
By the time they were seated, the table began to fill with fresh bread, simple starters, along with well-prepared main dishes. As they ate, Riven glanced around the room, then back at her.
"New York's cuisine keeps changing," he said.
"It shifts with trends, new fusions, whatever people start liking next." He paused, then added with a light chuckle, "But well… fine for people who aren't addicted to homely food like me."
Kayla smiled slightly. "That's true," she said.
"But honestly, I miss the older places. Despite all these fancy dining spots and new cuisines, I still find myself missing the old cafés and the times that came with them." She paused,
"Those were different," she added softly. "They still stay with us."
After a moment she paused, unsure why she'd said it. Riven simply nodded, a small smile crossing his face. This was a new side of her…
One he found himself liking. So different from the person he had spoken to just a few minutes ago. And somewhere inside, he wanted to know more about this her… By the time lunch ended, Kayla checked the time.
"I need to head back to the office. I have a meeting." Her car arrived shortly after.
She nodded once in farewell and stepped inside. Riven watched as the car pulled away, then turned back toward his own, the afternoon settling in quietly around him.
-----
Few days later
01:24 PM — Conference Room, Legal Office
The room was silent, save for the low hum of the old tape recorder. Everyone's attention was on the recording as it played:
Mathew Lee:"Yes… I need the money."
Other line:"It will take some time. I want you to wait till then."
Mathew Lee:"I can't ! Try to understand… I need to leave New York within three days."
Other line:"I will try my best."
Mathew Lee:"Do not contact me after this."
The line clicked off. Catherine exhaled heavily, leaning back in her chair. Robert broke the silence.
"This was his recording five days before Richard Graves was murdered."
The Chief looked at Catherine.
"Well, Miss Catherine, would you like to add any leads based on this tape?"
Catherine sighed, frowning. "Are there any more tapes connecting to this?"
She asked Robert. Before he could answer, the Chief interrupted.
"What more clues are needed, Miss Catherine Vaughn? I notice you've been stressed over this case recently. I'll be handing this over to Robert to lead from hereon."
Catherine blinked, taken aback. "But I was already handling this…"
"Indeed," the Chief said, nodding. "Handled very well. So I'm assigning you to a new case. We'll discuss the details after this meeting is done."
The meeting concluded a few minutes later. As the team began to disperse, Catherine spoke near the doorway, her voice slowly fading as she walked out of the room.
"Well I'm close and all I need is to just meet Mr. Lee… or at least his family."
Meanwhile, Kayla spoke with Robert about some records. As they finished up, her phone buzzed.
"Yeah, Tess? Just finished up…
Will be returning soon. Tonight?
I'll see if I can make it !!
Okay, okay… hold on! I'll be there.
Well… I don't think Cat is gonna join…"
She said, glancing toward Catherine, who was frustrated in the Chief's cabin.
"Kay… bye," Kayla said, hanging up the phone and slipping it back into her pocket. The room quieted again, as everyone moved on with their work.
-----
Hours later
12:45 AM — Rooftop Lounge, Manhattan
Music drifted through the air under low amber lights, softer and slower. The rooftop felt tucked away from the city exclusive without being loud, the kind of place where conversations stayed close and the skyline did the listening.
Tessa and Kayla sat side by side near the edge, the city glowing beyond them. Kayla was busy on her phone, before she finally looked up.
"You literally dragged me here," she said glancing at Tessa. "To join your date? Seriously?"
Tessa rolled her eyes, amused.
"It's not like my usual dates. He's… different."
"Yeah," Kayla said flatly. "And you said the same about Rohn. And Kev. And—"
Tessa laughed, cutting her off.
"Okay, okay. Fair. But we haven't even started off yet, y'know? I just like talking to him. And it's his party. He invited me and said to bring my friends. Like, all of us catching up."
She made a small, cheeky face, clearly trying to sell it. Before Kayla could respond, a voice cut in.
"Hey, Tess."
Edwin stepped up beside them. Tessa brightened instantly. "Hey!"
She stood and hugged him, then gestured toward Kayla. "This is Kayla."
He smiled easily. "Nice to finally meet you. Welcome."
Kayla returned the smile. "Nice party."
Just then, Edwin glanced past them and lifted a hand. "Hey!! Over here."
Passing through the guests, Riven walked in from the side, stopping short the moment he saw them. For a beat, both of them froze.
"Mr. Veynar?" Kayla said before she could stop herself.
Edwin's eyebrow arched in confusion. "You two know each other?"
Riven replied, reaching for the drink. "We met at a business party."
Kayla frowned slightly, then nodded. "Yeah."
"Oh," Edwin said, drawing it out. "Interesting."
Suspicion flickered across his face as he wondered why Riven hadn't mentioned any of this before. He shot him a we need to talk look, one that didn't go unnoticed, earning nothing more than an eye roll in return. Riven looked back at Kayla smiling, a hint of surprise still lingering.
"Well… this wasn't the kind of next meeting I anticipated, Miss Winsler."
She let out a small chuckle before replying,
"Seems we were both wrong."
Edwin laughed, holding up his hands.
"Alright, alright… Aren't you guys a little too formal for the occasion?"
Tessa nodded with a grin. "Exactly. "
"No need to make this awkward,"
Riven said before extending his hand toward Kayla. "Well, Riven then."
Kayla stared at him for a second before taking his hand. "Kayla."
For a second, the rooftop felt familiar in a way he hadn't expected. Once, he'd sat here with nothing but a face he couldn't name and a feeling he couldn't place. Now she stood in front of him, no longer as a passing thought, but a presence far from forgotten…
Some questions had found their answers. Others had only just begun to form. He realized then that what lingered that night hadn't been curiosity.
And standing here again, he knew this time… it wasn't meant to fade.