The Phantom's Gambit Chapter 78: Who are you?

Ava sat beside , her presence a mix of comfort and urgency.

Monts earlier, I had lost consciousness, spiraling into darkness that felt like a void swallowing whole. When I finally stirred, I was t with a wave of weakness that coursed through my body, leaving exhausted and unable to summon even the faintest trace of magic. Frustration simred just beneath the surface, but I pushed it aside for the mont.

Ava had made the decision to let Octavius go, promising him she would reach out again later. I could sense the tension in the air; there was so much left unsaid. I longed for a mont alone with Octavius, a chance to voice my thoughts and questions that had been nagging at since everything began. But circumstances swirled around us like a tempest, making it impossible for to pull him aside. The urgency of the situation lood large, and I knew ti was not on our side.I thought it was a weird coincidence that I had just called him earlier, only for him to show up later in the evening. I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask him, but one I wanted to do alone.

I wanted to do more than sit around and monitored. Without Ava or Celine scrutinizing like Ava’s doing now.

She had told earlier she wasn’t going to accompany , but seeing how trying to get in touch with my magic had left even more weak, she decided to follow.

She had made it clear that she wouldn’t be sticking close to , emphasizing that it was crucial for Dominique not to trace her movents back to . Instead, she inford that Octavius would be the one driving back while she planned to linger in the shadows, observing how the situation would unfold.

As I stepped out of the car, a wave of unease washed over . My heart raced at the thought of being alone in this precarious situation. To my surprise, I spotted Octavius standing in front of the building, his tall fra silhouetted against the dim light. As soon as our eyes t, he strolled over with a casual deanor, extending his arm and holding out his hand toward in a gesture of welco.

Yet, sothing in bristled at the sight. I couldn’t shake off the tension, so I let his hand hang in the air as I shot him a pointed question instead. "What are you doing here?" I demanded, wanting an explanation that felt grounded in clarity and reassurance

"Playing my cards right," Octavius replied with a hint of amusent.

"Ava briefed on what you plan to do here," he continued. "I’m just here as your pretend spouse, to make you feel at ease and assist you."

I scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "I didn’t ntion I needed help," I said, taking his hand as we entered together.

Octavius handed a coffee cup. "Here, drink this. It’ll help."

I gulped it down imdiately, expecting coffee, but it was so sort of concoction. I swallowed hard, trying not to curse at Octavius since we were making our way past people.

As we approached the security checkpoint, the guard stopped us. "I need your na, please," he requested.

After I provided it, he apologized, "Sorry, but you’re not on the list of authorized individuals."

Octavius murmured to , "Whatever you do, don’t let go of my hand until we’re out of here and further in."

Then, he spoke incoherently to the security guard, who looked confused, and stepped aside, dazed.

I breathed a sigh of relief. That was a close call. I had planned to fake an illness and use my knives later on, and I had already taken care of the security caras.

Octavius’s quick thinking had just saved us from a potentially sticky situation. I glanced at him, curious about what he had just done.

"What was that?" I whispered, as we continued on our way.

Octavius smiled, his eyes glinting with amusent. "Just a little trick I learned," he replied, his voice low.

As we stepped onto the main floor, the hum of murmured conversations and the clinking of glasses filled the air. The eting was already in full swing. Our eyes scanned the room, and mine locked onto the two hefty n standing by the door, their arms crossed and eyes fixed on us.

"You’re not supposed to be on this floor," one of them growled, taking a step forward. "Please leave."

I whispered to Octavius, "I’ve got this," before he could react. I subtly positioned myself between him and the approaching n, my eyes never leaving theirs.

As they closed in, I waited for the perfect mont to strike. My training kicked in, and I assessed their stances, anticipating their moves. The larger one, with a thick beard, took the lead, his fists clenched.

I dodged his clumsy swing with ease, using the montum to fuel my counterattack. A swift kick to his stomach sent him doubling over, gasping for air. The second man, caught off guard, charged forward, but I was ready.

With a fluid motion, I sidestepped his attack and delivered a precise strike to his temple, sending him crashing to the floor. The first man, still recovering from my kick, stumbled backward, giving the opening I needed.

A quick combination of punches and kicks sent him joining his companion on the floor, both n unconscious.

I turned to Octavius, who watched with a mixture of surprise and admiration. "Shall we?" I asked, nodding toward the eting room.

Octavius smiled, offering his arm. "After you."

I pushed my way into the room where nurous n and won were seated. And made my way straight to where my lawyer was seated.

"What did I miss?" I asked him.

Just as he started to stutter out a response,

I heard a masculine voice asked from behind.

"Who are you?"