>Mallory
"I’ll just go to the bathroom first," I said, standing up and excused myself.
I barely took a few steps before I heard the door open behind .
"Yo!" that voice was familiar to .
I let out a quiet sigh and closed the bathroom door harder than needed.
The soft yellow lights ward the room, and the sll of lavender filled the air. I paused for a second. I never understood why he liked that scent so much. Still, he always bought lavender soap, lavender spray, lavender everything for the house.
I turned on the faucet and cupped cold water into my hands, splashing it onto my face. The chill made gasp, but it helped. My thoughts slowly settled. I shut the faucet with a small push and leaned closer to the sink.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My face looked calm, but my eyes said otherwise. I took a few deep breaths, then dried my hands under the air dryer, the low hum filling the silence.
Once I felt ready, I pushed the door open.
Venz was sitting on the sofa. In front of him sat a man with his back to . His hair was vibrant red. My steps slowed just a little.
I already had an idea who he was.
The red-haired man shifted slightly, laughing at sothing Venz said, he was sitting casually with his arm spread in the sofa, legs crossed. My husband lifted his head and noticed walking over.
His expression changed, softening.
"Here’s my wife," he said, standing a little straighter and taking grabbing my waist as we both sat down, the cushion dipping slightly with our weight.
I physically saw how Kaizer froze at the sight of .
It wasn’t subtle at all. His shoulders stiffened, and his whole body went still like soone had hit pause. His eyes widened as they locked onto my face, shock clear in them.
I smiled.
A calm, polite smile—one that pretended I didn’t notice a single thing.
"Hi!" I greeted, waving slightly.
"Hi." He replied, but it ca out tight. His eyes narrowed right after, and his smile didn’t reach them. I noticed the vein forming along his jaw, pulsing as he clenched his teeth hard.
He looked like he was holding himself back.
"I didn’t expect to see you here," he said after a short pause.
The words sounded normal, but the tone wasn’t. There was sothing sharp underneath, sothing only I could hear.
I tilted my head a little. "Really? Small world, I guess."
Venz looked between the two of us, clearly confused. His brows pulled together as his eyes moved from Kaizer to .
"Do you know each other?" my husband asked.
Kaizer’s gaze snapped to Venz for a second, then back to . The room felt heavier, quieter, like everyone was waiting for an answer.
I kept my smile in place.
"We’ve t before," I said lightly. "A few tis actually."
Kaizer let out a slow breath through his nose, his lips pressing into a thin line.
"Yeah," he added, forcing a short laugh. "You could say that."
Venz frowned, the lines between his brows deepening as his gaze moved slowly from Kaizer to . He leaned back into the sofa, one ankle resting over his knee, fingers tapping lightly against his thigh. His eyes narrowed, not in suspicion, but in confusion, like he was trying to solve a puzzle that refused to make sense.
"I see," he finally said.
The words ca out slow. Thoughtful. He nodded once, then again, as if agreeing with a conclusion only he could hear, though his expression said he wasn’t fully convinced.
The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable.
I shifted slightly beside him, crossing my legs and straightening my posture. My eyes flicked from Kaizer to Venz before I spoke.
"Are you two done with your discussion?" I asked, keeping my voice light. "I can excuse myself if I’m interrupting sothing."
Venz waved a hand dismissively, turning toward . "Oh, it’s not important," he said. "He just ca to give this..."
As he spoke, he reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. The fabric rustled softly as his fingers searched before pulling out a small envelope. He held it between his fingers for a mont before lifting it into view.
The envelope was sleek and matte black, its edges clean and sharp. A gold wax seal sat firmly in the center, stamped with an unfamiliar emblem. It caught the light as he tilted it slightly.
Venz extended his hand toward . I hesitated for just a second before taking it, the envelope cool and smooth against my fingers.
"What is this for?" I asked, turning it over once before carefully breaking the seal.
The wax cracked with a quiet snap. I slid the card out slowly, my fingers brushing against the thick paper.
You are cordially invited to a Masquerade Party and have been selected as one of our most prestigious guests.
— The Union
Below it was a date set two months from now.
My eyes lingered on the words longer than necessary, it looks like an invitation to sothing very fancy. Even the paper sll good.
"It’s one of the yearly banquets hosted by the biggest investors in Europe," Venz explained, leaning forward slightly. "They control a massive portion of the world’s business and are still expanding."
He gestured toward the card in my hand.
"They invite only a select few companies every year. Who gets in depends on how likely you are to receive their investnt—or how valuable they think you’ll be."
He leaned closer and tapped the card lightly with his finger. "The color matters."
Then he pointed again. "Black ans we ranked at the top in Asia."
I nodded slowly, absorbing the information piece by piece. My fingers tightened around the card.
"But what does that have to do with ?" I asked, lifting my eyes to et his.
"One needs a partner to attend," he replied simply.
The words settled heavily in my chest.
Does that an I have to go with him?
But would I even look good when he introduced ? I don’t have anything to show for. I bit the inside of my lips. I know he choose this but I can’t help the insecurity forming at my chest.
I tried to open my mouth but before I could say anything else, Venz turned his head toward Kaizer.
"But wait," he said. "What about the woman you wanted to et? The one you’ve been talking about for so long. Aren’t you coming with her?"
Kaizer stiffened.
It was only for a second—but it was there.
His shoulders locked, his posture tightening like a wire pulled too fast. The fingers of his gloved hand curled slightly at his side, the leather creasing, before he forced them to relax again. His jaw clenched briefly, then loosened.
When he spoke, his voice was light.
"It’s a sha... that won’t be possible anymore," he said with a shrug. "I found out she was married."
His eyes slid toward .
They held mine—steady, sharp, unreadable—for a brief mont before a small smile tugged at his lips.
"It’s a sha, indeed."
My body stiffened.
Don’t tell he’s really been talking about .
I had thought he was just ssing around. Just provoking .
My husband scoffed beside , the sound short and humorless.
"And when did that ever stop you?"
Kaizer let out a quiet laugh and shrugged again. "That’s true," he said. "But soone wouldn’t like it very much..."
He tilted his head slightly, his smile widening just a bit. "Still, I wouldn’t mind trying."
"I’ll never know," he added casually.
I almost rolled my eyes—but stopped myself.
It wouldn’t be wise for Venz to find out.
Judging by his earlier reaction about the divorce, I knew he wouldn’t take this lightly. Nothing ever happened between us. It wasn’t worth bringing up at all.
My gaze drifted toward the table when a soft glow suddenly lit the surface.
The tablet.
My heart skipped the mont I saw the screen.
It was a photo of my son and asleep together on the sofa, his small head resting against my chest. The warm light made it feel almost too intimate.
Venz picked it up quickly, his thumb already tapping the screen as he opened the ssage.
"It’s Grandpa," he said. "He’s asking if we can have dinner with Asher at the main house."
"I’ll go first," Kaizer said, pushing himself to his feet.
He brushed imaginary dust from his pants, straightened his jacket, and adjusted his gloves as if he had all the ti in the world.
"Alright," Venz replied with a nod.
Kaizer turned, but his steps slowed just enough for his eyes to linger on my face.
"You’re right," he said calmly. "Your wife looks beautiful indeed."
Then he turned and walked toward the door.
"Wife?"
My husband’s voice dropped to a chilling degree.
"Do you have sothing to say?"
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