Standing right in front of the mirror was a woman.

And that woman was Livienne.

Their eyes met through the reflection. Then Livienne slowly turned to face her directly. "Wow, Elara," she said stepping forward with a soft laugh. "It’s been a long while. Who would’ve thought this is how and where we’d meet again?"

Her lips curved into the same warm smile Elara knew far too well.

Elara calmly walked past her and stopped in front of the sink. She turned on the tap and splashed cool water against her face. She took her time, the water dripping from her chin as she leaned against the counter slightly.

Now she felt much better.

Then she finally looked up into the mirror again.

"True," she replied smoothly. She reached for a paper towel and wiped her face slowly. "I’d say I’m surprised to see you here, but not really. This lounge is exactly where people come when they’re searching for a new ’investment.’"

Livienne snorted crossing her arms beneath her chest. "Investment? I’m here as Cassian Kai’s guest Elara. I guess you’ve heard that name before. We’re celebrating a partnership."

Elara let out a short, dry laugh and turned to look at her. "Of course I can see you’re celebrating a partnership," she murmured calmly. "Partnerships. Affairs. Sponsorships. You always did enjoy collecting different names for the same thing."

Livienne opened her mouth, but Elara smoothly cut her off.

"But let’s be honest. You were always very good at changing labels to match the man holding the checkbook." Her lips curved faintly. "I suppose I should congratulate you. It must be exhausting, climbing onto a new pair of shoulders every time the old ones finally collapse from carrying you."

Livienne’s eyes flickered toward the door nervously, as if worried someone might hear them.

"You’ve become quite arrogant for someone who was nothing a year ago." Then her expression suddenly brightened with fake realization. "Wait, that’s so rude of me. I didn’t even congratulate you properly."

Elara only stared at her coldly.

"I heard about your song," Livienne continued sweetly. "It’s honestly impressive what the right connections can do for someone’s career."

Then her eyes slowly swept over Elara again.

"But seriously, from the look of things... have you finally left Adrian Vale?" She tilted her head slightly. "At least if you wanted another man, couldn’t you pick one from Aurelia? Or is chasing foreigners your new hobby now?"

Elara’s lips pressed into a thin line as Livienne kept talking.

"It’s really sad though." Livienne sighed dramatically. "Did Mr. Vale finally use you and throw you away? Is that why you’re hanging around Carris Riole now?" She giggled softly. "Moving up the ladder again as usual."

Elara suddenly laughed under her breath. "Livienne," she said calmly, "have you ever considered opening a hospital?"

Livienne frowned. "What?"

"You’d do very well there." Elara’s expression remained cold. "You already spend your entire life creating imaginary stories. All you’re missing now is a padded room and a professional evaluation."

Livienne’s face flushed instantly as she stepped forward angrily.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that no matter what you say now..." Elara moved closer to her a little, her voice calm and sharp at the same time. "The difference between us is that I’m at this lounge because of my music. You’re here because you’re the decorative side dish for someone else’s evening."

Livienne’s brows shot up. A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

But Elara already looked tired of the conversation.

"Now, if you’ll excuse me," she murmured smoothly, "my friends are waiting. Some of us actually have people who value us for more than our ability to pose nicely in a VIP booth."

As Elara moved to walk past her, Livienne suddenly grabbed her wrist tightly.

"Let go," Elara said immediately, the corner of her lips lifting in disgust.

"You think you’re untouchable?" Livienne snapped. "You think because..."

"Ouch!"

Her voice suddenly rose sharply.

Elara had grabbed her fingers and peeled them off her wrist with frightening ease. Livienne winced and stumbled back slightly, clutching her hand in pain.

"Shameless," she muttered hatefully.

Elara simply brushed past her, her shoulder intentionally knocking against hers as she walked to the door. She pulled it open. But the moment she stepped out, an unfamiliar face entered her sight.

A tall man in a grey suit stood quietly leaning lazily against the wall opposite the door. He smiled the instant Elara’s eyes met his.

"Elara Veyne," he said with an easy smile. "I’ve been wanting to meet you."

He didn’t look cruel. If anything, his face carried the kind of charm magazines loved to print beside words like young genius and elite heir.

But Elara had learned long ago that monsters rarely arrived looking like monsters.

"Livienne has told me so much about you," he continued stepping closer to her. "Though honestly, she really undersold you."

So this should be the Cassian Kai Livienne was talking about.

Livienne had already walked past Elara and moved to his side, staring at her with poorly hidden hatred.

Elara didn’t look away from him but she said nothing.

Cassian stepped even closer.

"But Livienne forgot to mention you were this..." He slowly reached out toward her hair.

Elara slapped his hand away instantly.

"...Exquisite." He added, then the corner of his lips lifted in surprise.

"You actually dared to slap me," he muttered with amusement moving even closer. "Even the bitch standing behind me doesn’t try things like that."

"You shouldn’t speak like that Cassian," Livienne muttered her expression turning sulky immediately.

"Oh sorry baby. My mouth slipped." He winked at her carelessly. "You know how cocky I get whenever I see something... authentic."

Then he turned back to Elara, his expression sharpening. "I have a proposal for you," he continued smoothly. "A very good contract. Something entirely your own. Interested?"

Elara moved to walk past him but he shifted and blocked her path immediately. She tried the other side. He blocked that too.

"Don’t be in such a hurry to get back to your table sweetheart," Cassian purred lazily. "A beautiful and talented woman like you shouldn’t rely on one pillar alone. It’s quite risky."

He tilted his head a little. "You need powerful men around you. Men who know how to value an asset like you properly."

"Move." Elara’s voice turned sharp.

Cassian only smiled wider and raised both hands beside her trapping her against the wall.

Elara snorted coldly. "Move before I do something your dentist will have to fix."

The corner of his lips lifted in amusement at her words. He reached again toward her chin. "You’re quite interesting. But you should really learn to listen to reason before you get hurt in this..."

He never finished the sentence.

A fist slammed into his face with a brutal thud.

The impact sent him crashing backward straight into Livienne who let out a horrified shriek as both of them stumbled hard against the wall. Blood instantly bloomed at the corner of Cassian’s lips.

The corner of Elara’s mouth lifted mockingly as she looked at him. Then her gaze slowly rose toward the person who had thrown the punch.

The satisfaction inside her chest froze instantly into ice. Her eyes darkened.

She had been so certain it would be Tonio.

Or Carris.

But the man standing in the narrow hallway calmly adjusting his cufflink like he had merely checked the time instead of punching someone across the corridor, was neither of them.

Her lips pressed tightly together as she stared at him, her hands clenching at her sides.

It really had been a long time. Or maybe not long at all.

But to her, it felt like years.

"I believe the lady isn’t interested Cassian." his voice was low and hollow, his expression emptier than cold marble.

"Adrian," Cassian muttered nervously, a shaky laugh slipping past his bloodstained lips. "I thought you were still at the bar. I was only joking around with the lady. Didn’t realize you were so protective of her."

Adrian only looked at him calmly. But that calmness somehow felt worse than anger.

Cassian’s lips twitched awkwardly. Then he slowly straightened up from where he had folded Livienne into the wall like human luggage. He shot Elara one last cold glance before adjusting his clothes and walking out of the corridor. Livienne hurried after him immediately, her steps uneven.

Adrian didn’t move. He simply stood in that same place, his lips pressed together as he watched them leave. He hadn’t glanced at Elara even once the entire time.

A scoff escaped her lips involuntarily. She shook her head and walked forward intending to pass him. But after barely two steps, Adrian suddenly moved into her path. His hand closed around her arm instantly.

"Let go." Elara said sharply, her chest rising with restrained anger as she tried to pull back.

But he didn’t release her. She could already feel the coldness of his palm against her bare skin and it made her feel sick.

She looked down at his hand before lifting her gaze back to his face. "I said let go," she muttered through gritted teeth. "Are you going to punch me too, Mr? Because I know your violence is not reserved only for your business partners?"

Adrian didn’t flinch or tighten his grip. But he didn’t loosen it either. Finally he turned his head, his unreadable gaze lowering to meet hers.

Elara stared at his face calmly. Then, against her will, her eyes dropped briefly to his throat catching the slow movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed.

"The money you left on the table," he spoke up at last, his voice a low vibration in the narrow hallway.

"It wasn’t necessary."