We watched everything unfold in silence, hidden behind the pillar. The mont the elevator doors shut, carrying the businessman and the woman into the depths of whatever hellish operation this was, a realization settled between us.
This was the place.
I t Serina’s eyes. Then Hina’s. No words were needed—just a single nod between us.
Step. Step. Step.
We moved out from behind the pillar, walking with purpose toward the elevator. Our footsteps echoed in the near-empty passage.
The two remaining n—Tony and the suited guard—imdiately turned toward us. Tony, now up close, was even more massive than he had seed from a distance. His red shirt clung tightly to his muscular fra, and his eyes scanned us with sharp calculation. The other man in the black suit remained silent but alert, his posture tense.
"Hmm?" Tony narrowed his gaze at us, his curiosity piqued.
Serina stepped forward, flashing a confident, almost playful smile. "Hello! We’d also like to visit the deeper market."
Tony’s eyes flicked between us, scrutinizing. "I don’t think I’ve seen you three before. First ti?" His voice was deep and carried an unspoken authority.
"Yeah," Hina chid in smoothly. "A friend of mine recomnded it. Said this place would be *perfect* for what we need."
"And what exactly do you need?"
Hina shrugged, keeping up the casual act. "Help around the house. You know how it is. Chores, running errands... other things." She let the words linger, subtly mirroring the tone the others had used earlier.
Tony nodded slightly, but his sharp eyes flicked toward . "And this guy is...?"
Our eyes t. I didn’t react. No smile, no fidgeting—just a neutral stare. He was testing .
Serina’s arm looped around mine, her grip possessive. "Oh, he’s our man," she said sweetly, resting her head against my shoulder.
"We three live together," Hina added, moving in closer on my other side.
Tony raised an eyebrow, amused. "Hah. Really?"
"Yeah," Hina smirked, then leaned in and placed a quick kiss on my cheek. "We love him a lot."
I barely stopped myself from sighing. These two were really committing to the act.
Tony’s smirk widened, but there was sothing behind it—sothing that felt less like amusent and more like challenge. "Damn... lucky guy. Two chicks at once, huh?"
I t his gaze again, this ti tilting my head slightly. "Is there a problem with that?"
A brief mont of silence stretched between us. His smirk remained, but his eyes sharpened, as if trying to gauge whether I was being cocky or just confident.
Then, with a chuckle, he waved a hand dismissively. "Nah. Don’t mind ."
I kept my face blank, but inwardly, I noted every shift in his posture. He might have brushed it off, but I could tell—he was watching us closely.
The question was... did he believe us?
Tony leaned against the elevator panel, arms crossed, watching us with a calculating gaze. The flickering overhead light cast sharp shadows across his face, highlighting the faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"So," he said, his tone casual but laced with underlying scrutiny, "may I ask what it is that you do? Because the deeper market isn’t for just anyone."
The question was harmless on the surface, but I could feel the weight behind it. A test. A trap.
I didn’t blink. "I don’t think that should be of any concern to you."
The air shifted.
My voice had co out heavier than intended, cutting through the conversation like a blade. It wasn’t what I said—it was how I said it.
Tony’s smirk faltered for the briefest mont, his expression flickering with sothing darker. His instincts reacted before he did, and a subtle irritation settled in his posture. His fingers flexed against his bicep, his jaw tightening just slightly.
"What did you just say?"
His voice had changed. Lower. Sharper.
A faint red aura seeped from him, curling around his fra like smoke from a dying fla. His eyes glead with sothing unnatural, sothing dangerous, but there was no emotion in as I stared back.
Beside , Hina and Serina tensed, their fingers tightening around my arms. I could feel their unease, the way their bodies stiffened as they sensed the shift in energy.
They weren’t the only ones—out of the corner of my eye, I saw the man in the black coat straighten, his hand subtly inching toward the inside of his jacket.
I exhaled slowly, shaking my head with a sigh. "Simply the rules..." I muttered, letting my voice carry the weight of my boredom. Then, I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out three sleek, gold-embossed cards, holding them up between two fingers.
"What should really matter to you is whether or not we have these."
Tony’s gaze shifted from my face to the items in my hand.
The man in the black coat stiffened. "VVIP passes..." he murmured, his eyes narrowing.
A flicker of surprise flashed across Tony’s face before it smoothed over into sothing more amused. He studied for a mont, his smirk returning, but this ti, it was different—less challenging, more intrigued.
"Well, well..." He lifted his gaze back to mine. "That changes things."
With a slight bow of his head, he took a step back. "Very well. You may go, sir."
The man in the black coat moved swiftly, stepping forward and pressing a button beside the elevator. With a soft *ding*, the doors slid open, revealing a polished steel interior.
"Follow ," he said curtly, motioning us inside.
I didn’t hesitate. With Hina and Serina close at my sides, we stepped into the elevator.
Just as the doors began to slide shut, Tony’s voice rang out again.
"Hey, you..."
I stopped, turning my head just enough to glance at him over my shoulder.
Tony’s smirk was gone and his eyes carried seriousness. "I didn’t get your na."
A brief pause. Then, I answered.
"Esther."
The doors shut with a soft *Ting.*
As the elevator descended into the unknown depths below, I could still feel Tony’s lingering gaze, like a weight pressing against my back.
Whatever we were walking into... things had just gotten a lot more interesting.
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