Nathan's POV
The applause still rang in his ears, every clap sharp as a slap. Avery Queen.
She stood on that stage, no longer the quiet art student he'd filed away as irrelevant, but the newly revealed daughter of Roland Queen.
He'd had the file. He'd had the briefing. Every clue had been there — and yet, he'd missed it.
Because she didn't match the photo. Because she hadn't acted like someone who could matter to his mission.
Because he hadn't been paying enough damn attention.
His jaw clenched as he tracked her across the hall. Her father's hand rested possessively on her arm, parading her like a prized asset before a room full of people whose names moved markets.
Then his earpiece crackled. Javier's voice came low, taut.
> "Cross. East wing corridor. Two men just ducked into a locked room. No security escort, no staff clearance. You're the closest."
Nathan's gaze flicked toward the far side of the hall — the east wing entrance, half-hidden in shadow, far from the gala's golden light.
He moved. Smooth. Unhurried. Just another guest circulating.
The music dulled as he slipped down the corridor, replaced by the low murmur of voices behind a closed door. Javier's feed picked up faint noises: the clink of glass, paper sliding across a table.
A voice spoke a date and a location.
> "The shipment will arrive at the port at dawn. Dock seven. Offload immediately."
A pause. Then the same man added, almost lazily:
> "Those are Mr. Queen's orders."
Nathan committed every detail to memory.
By the time he returned to the hall, the crowd was still thick, the music swelling again — but the small space near the stage where Ava had been standing was empty.
---
Ava's POV
If one more person smiled at her like she was an exotic pet and asked the same empty questions, she might actually bolt.
The gala was suffocating — too much perfume, too many eyes, too many hands that lingered just a fraction too long in greeting.
She slipped away, weaving through the edge of the crowd and out the side doors into the Queen family's private garden. The cool night air rushed to meet her, scented faintly with jasmine. She leaned against the stone balustrade and breathed.
"Running away from your own party?"
She turned. Zadu stood at the garden's edge, hands tucked casually into his pockets, a grin playing at his lips.
"Not my party," she said flatly.
He stepped closer, his gaze sweeping over her with open familiarity. "Could've fooled me. You're easily the most interesting thing in there."
"That's not saying much," she said, but a tiny smile tugged at her mouth.
"It is when you've got ministers, tycoons, and half the country's eligible bachelors in that room — and I still ended up out here with you."
She shook her head, amused despite herself. "So you were spying."
"Observing," he corrected, leaning against the rail beside her. And we've known each other since we were eight. I notice things."
Her brows rose. "Like what?"
He smirked. "Like how you've upgraded. Sleek new look. Sharper edges. Still the same eyes, though — you can't change those."
She let out a soft laugh, trying to mask the faint heat in her cheeks. "I'm not a piece of software, Zadu."
"Could've fooled me. You're running smoother, looking better… and a hell of a lot more likely to crash someone's heart."
---
Nathan's POV
Through the glass doors, Nathan spotted her. Ava — no, Avery — standing in the moonlight with some tall, dark-haired man who looked far too comfortable in her space. She was laughing at something he'd said, her body angled toward him.
Something in Nathan's chest tightened.
At himself, for being careless enough to miss her identity.
At her, for sharing that easy smile with someone else when she barely looked at him anymore.
And at him — whoever he was — for standing there like he belonged in her orbit.
---
Ava's POV
Footsteps crunched on the gravel behind them. A Queen family security aide appeared, bowing slightly.
"Miss Ava, your father requests your presence immediately."
She sighed. "Can it wait—"
"He was very clear," the man said, with a meaningful glance at Zadu.
"Guess that's my cue," Ava said with a sigh. "Then I guess I should escort you" Zadu said lightly, falling into step beside her as they followed the aide back toward the hall.
Just before they reached the doors, movement inside caught her eye. For a fraction of a second, she thought she saw him — standing among the crowd in a perfectly tailored suit.
Her breath hitched. No. It can't be him.
---
Inside the Gala
Roland Queen turned as she approached, his smile practiced and charming. "Ah, here you are. And… Zadu."
"You wanted to see me?" Ava asked.
Her father's eyes glittered. "Yes. I see you've already met the reason I called you back." He gestured toward Zadu, his voice smooth. "Old friends should be properly reunited — especially when they're going to be seeing a lot more of each other."
---
Nathan's POV
From his vantage point across the hall, Nathan watched the three of them.
Ava standing beside Zadu — close enough that their shoulders brushed.
Roland Queen speaking like this was the most natural arrangement in the world.
Nathan's jaw flexed, heat coiling low in his chest. It wasn't just the mission anymore. It wasn't just missed intel. It was the sight of her with him, and the knowledge that she wasn't looking for him in the crowd.
Not for him.
"Get a grip, Cross." He forced his jaw to unclench. "Why would she be looking for you at this gala? In her mind, you're not even supposed to be here."
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