Dawn bled slowly over the horizon, painting the sky in bruised shades of rose and violet. In the heart of the estate, war plans were being drawn not with guns or grenades—but with secrets, whispers, and carefully calculated betrayals.
Evangeline stood at the long dining table, now converted into a command center. Blueprints. Surveillance stills. Facial recognition files. Killian leaned beside her, arms folded, eyes scanning the images Aria had laid out.
"We don't just walk into the Garden," Aria said. "It's invitation-only. That means we'll have to stage something worthy of Cael's attention."
Killian looked up. "You want to bait him."
"He's paranoid but predictable," she replied. "He's obsessed with power plays, legacy bloodlines, and collecting enemies the way people collect paintings. If he sees Evangeline as the 'swing vote' and potential heir to the High Table's throne, he'll want her."
Evangeline gave a dry laugh. "Great. I'm a collector's item now."
Killian's hand brushed her lower back. "You're more than that. He won't know what hit him."
"Exactly," Aria said. "So we'll use his own vanity against him."
Killian gestured to the blueprints. "What's the weak point?"
Aria tapped a red-circled corridor. "The vault is located here—underground. Guarded by biometric locks, motion detectors, and five layers of armed security. But once you're inside as his 'guest,' you'll have a window of about twelve minutes to access the core system."
"Assuming he doesn't try to poison me first," Evangeline muttered.
"I'll be inside with you," Aria said. "But you won't be alone."
She reached into a leather folder and slid a photo across the table. A striking man with tousled dark hair, a scar cutting through one brow, and eyes the color of molten silver.
"This is Malric Crane," she said. "My contact inside the Garden. He works in Cael's inner circle as a security strategist. Once, we were… more than allies."
Killian arched a brow. "Let me guess. He thinks you're dead."
Aria smiled grimly. "No. Worse. He thinks I left him to die. He won't be thrilled to see me, but he's smart. If we play this right, he'll help us."
Evangeline studied the photo. "And if he doesn't?"
"Then he's expendable."
"No one in that building is expendable," Killian said darkly. "Every one of them is a viper. One wrong step and—"
"Then we don't take a wrong step," Evangeline interrupted, steel in her tone. "We're done being prey. It's time to play predator."
Killian's eyes locked on hers. "You know what this means, don't you? Once you step into his world, you won't come out the same."
She gave a faint smile. "I haven't been the same since the day you left me on that rooftop."
A shadow passed behind his eyes.
"I'll never leave you again," he said.
Evangeline reached for his hand, entwining her fingers with his. "Then let's end this. Together."
Aria cleared her throat. "Touching. Really. But we need to talk about your cover identity."
"Cover identity?"
"You'll be introduced as 'Lady Sable Valen,' a rare heiress of a fallen bloodline believed to have vanished. Cael loves resurrecting legacies—it makes him feel like a god. You'll be his latest obsession."
Killian scoffed. "And I assume I get to be her loyal lapdog?"
"Hardly," Aria said. "You'll be her disgraced bodyguard. A man with no tongue—silent, loyal, lethal. Cael finds damaged men amusing."
"Perfect," Killian growled. "He'll love me."
Evangeline hid a smile. "And what about you?"
"I'll be what I've always been—his shadow. No one will expect me to betray him again."
Just then, the door opened.
A young woman stepped in—slim, with short honey-blonde curls, sharp cheekbones, and wide, curious eyes.
"Sorry to interrupt," she said nervously. "I was told to deliver the burner tech and earwig devices?"
Aria turned. "Ah. Evangeline, Killian—meet Delia. She's the best encryption hacker this side of the Atlantic."
Delia flushed. "I just—uh—make things blink and beep."
Killian tilted his head. "How old are you?"
"Old enough to reroute your retina scan and steal your identity in under sixty seconds," she said sweetly, then offered Evangeline a tablet. "This is your alias profile. I embedded a real-time GPS tracker in the necklace you'll be wearing. You'll also have a micro dart hidden in the clasp—coated in neurotoxin. Just in case things go bad."
"Nice," Evangeline said. "I like her."
Delia beamed. "Most people do. Except, you know… the ones I tase."
Killian looked at Aria. "This is your backup team?"
"She's better than most of my front-line agents."
Delia leaned close to Evangeline, whispering, "And between you and me, Cael has a weakness."
Evangeline arched a brow. "Tell me."
"He hates mirrors."
"…What?"
"Swear to God. Something about reflections showing what he truly is. There's not a single reflective surface in his entire estate. Even his glassware is frosted."
Evangeline tucked that detail away. "That's... actually useful."
Delia winked. "Good luck, Lady Valen."
As the room emptied, Evangeline remained at the table, heart pounding.
The game had begun.
And this time, she would make the rules.