The applause was still rolling through the ballroom when Chaos lifted Kashi's hand.
His fingers were covered in black gloves, the leather smooth and cool where it enclosed hers.
For all the noise surrounding them— the scrape of shoes against marble as couples separated, laughter rising beneath the chandeliers, the orchestra settling after its final note— his attention remained entirely on her.
Chaos bent. His lips touched her knuckles. Not hurriedly or playfully. A slow, deliberate kiss against the back of her hand, his eyes never leaving hers over the dark edge of his mask.
Kashi felt the warmth of it despite the glove between his hand and hers.
Insufferable man.
Her pulse gave one traitorous little beat.
She ignored it. "Until later, then."
Chaos straightened. "Later."
Kashi gathered the edge of her dress between two fingers and dipped into a graceful curtsy.
Chaos bowed in return, for one ridiculous moment, they might have been two perfectly civilised people concluding an innocent dance rather than whatever the hell they actually were.
Then Kashi turned away.
She could feel his eyes following her. She refused to look back, mostly because she knew herself well enough to know she would probably smile, and Kashi Saints had already given that man entirely too much satisfaction for one evening.
Chaos watched the red of her gown disappear between the dancers, the warmth left his expression.
His gaze travelled beyond the dispersing couples, past champagne and masks, through clusters of politicians and executives already reforming after the dance.
Senator Mikhail Vross stood near one of the marble columns.
The senator had acquired another glass of champagne and an audience. A deputy minister stood beside him, along with two men from the trade commission and the port authority director Chaos recognised from Xavier's photographs.
Vross occupied the centre of them with the easy confidence of someone who expected circles to form around him.
Chaos adjusted one cuff.
Vross had no idea who he was. Not really. As far as the senator knew, Chaos Riegrow was precisely what the public record suggested, an obscenely wealthy businessman with interests spread across technology, logistics, property, entertainment and enough other sectors to make financial journalists miserable.
He did not know Chaos was part of the Underworld. Very few people did.
The Master had made sure some of the sins faces were liabilities. Their identities remained buried beneath intermediaries, layers of organisations and people useful enough to stand where the Master himself never needed to.
Alex was the exception.
Alex had never possessed the appropriate amount of fear required for secrecy, mostly because of his family and background.
He dealt with Vross on the Master's behalf, conducted business with him and generally behaved as though being identifiable to corrupt politicians was an amusing personality trait.
Vross also had no idea that Club X belonged, in part, to Chaos.
That ignorance had been useful.
Tonight, it would remain so.
Across the ballroom, Ivar looked at him.
The Crown Prince stood surrounded by people who had spent the evening attempting to make themselves memorable to him, his posture easy, champagne untouched in one hand.
Nothing in his expression changed.
Chaos gave the slightest inclination of his head.
Ivar's thumb moved once against the stem of his glass.
Understood.
No conference. No signal obvious enough to attract attention.
Just two men on opposite sides of a ballroom recognising that the dance was over and another one had begun.
Chaos moved first.
By the time Kashi reached Senator Vross's circle, she had acquired a fresh glass of champagne and the expression of a woman with absolutely nothing on her mind beyond the success of her grandfather's reception.
"Senator."
Vross turned immediately. "Miss Saints." His smile warmed. "An extraordinary evening."
"Grandfather has a weakness for excess."
From somewhere near the card room came James's distant, booming laughter.
Vross glanced towards the sound. "I would say the weakness runs in the family."
Kashi smiled over the rim of her glass.
Careful, old man.
Ivar joined them moments later, accompanied by the deputy minister who had spent most of the evening attached to him like an expensive accessory.
Introductions were made where necessary. Compliments were exchanged. Somebody praised Amara Clark's performance. Somebody else mentioned the orchestra.
Nothing important was said. Which was precisely how important conversations usually began.
Chaos approached last.
Vross recognised him. The senator's attention shifted with immediate interest. "Mr Riegrow."
"Senator."
They shook hands.
Kashi watched Vross closely. Nothing. No flicker of recognition beyond the ordinary awareness anyone in their world would have of Chaos Riegrow.
"I don't believe we've had the pleasure of speaking properly before," Vross said.
"We haven't."
"I've followed X Holdings for some time."
Chaos's mouth shifted by the smallest degree. "Hopefully for flattering reasons."
Vross laughed.
Kashi nearly rolled her eyes. The conversation widened naturally.
Trade became infrastructure. Infrastructure became international expansion. The deputy minister contributed something painfully diplomatic about cross-border investment.
Ivar listened with polished interest, occasionally asking a question that made whoever answered it stand a little straighter.
Kashi said less. She watched. That was the point.
Vross spoke differently depending on who was listening. With Ivar, he became statesmanlike. With the deputy minister, familiar. With Chaos, commercially knowledgeable. With Kashi, respectful enough not to become irritating.
More useful were the people who acknowledged him as they passed. A brief touch to the shoulder. A raised glass. A pause to exchange two sentences.
Kashi catalogued every one.
The customs director near the orchestra acknowledged Vross but did not approach.
The port authority director did. Expected. A woman from the foreign trade ministry crossed the ballroom and greeted Ivar first, Vross second.
Kashi's attention shifted towards the eastern side of the ballroom.
Director Emil Carrow.
He had appeared in Xavier's files twice. Not because he belonged to Vross, but because he sat above one of the regulatory chains Vross had spent years pretending he controlled completely.
Kashi took a slow sip.
One.
Her gaze moved on.
Deputy Minister Balvin stood three groups away, trapped in conversation with the chairman of a shipping conglomerate. Unlike half the people Vross had collected around himself tonight, Balvin had no documented personal relationship with him.
Two.
Near the staircase stood Helena Vos, regional director for cross-border trade, speaking with one of Saints Energy's executives.
Three.
The people who could answer questions without needing Vross's permission. A flash of burgundy appeared at the edge of Kashi's vision.
Zarri. Right on time.
She approached with a champagne flute between her fingers, gold catching at her throat beneath the chandeliers. Her mask had finally found its way onto her face, though it did very little to disguise her.
Zarri Mathias had built an international fashion empire partly by ensuring people recognised her from twenty metres away. "Kashi, darling."
Kashi turned.
Zarri's eyes moved past her and landed on Chaos. Her entire expression changed. "Ouu."
Chaos looked at her and she smiled.
Kashi admired the performance.
"Mr Riegrow." Zarri's gaze travelled deliberately over him. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
Vross noticed.
Kashi saw the senator's attention shift before he could conceal it. His gaze lingered on Zarri for a second too long, tracing burgundy silk, bare shoulders and the line of gold disappearing towards her neckline.
Tsk.
Men really were embarrassingly easy sometimes.
Chaos, to his credit, played his part without looking remotely pleased about it. "Have you?"
"Mmm." Zarri stepped nearer and touched two fingers lightly to his sleeve. "You promised me a conversation."
Kashi lifted her brows. Chaos looked towards her. She gave him a cool, faintly irritated stare, allowing just enough edge into it for Vross to notice. "Did he?"
Zarri glanced between them. "Am I interrupting something?"
"A business conversation," Kashi replied.
"How tragic."
Chaos's eyes narrowed by a fraction. Zarri was enjoying this far too much.
Vross laughed softly. "Surely even Mr Riegrow can be spared for a few minutes."
Kashi turned to him. She allowed a beat to pass. "Apparently."
Zarri slipped her hand through Chaos's arm. His gaze met Kashi's. Behind the pleasant expression on her face sat a very clear instruction. Go.
Chaos understood. "Excuse us."
"Of course."
Zarri led him away. Vross watched them. Not openly. He had enough practice not to turn his entire head like a schoolboy. His eyes did the work instead.
One second... two.
Enough.
Kashi looked beyond him. Carrow had finished speaking with the ambassador.
Ivar moved before she did. "Senator," he said, drawing Vross's attention back with almost insulting ease, "there is something I've actually been meaning to ask you."
Vross forgot Zarri immediately. Kashi nearly smiled. Royalty, apparently, was more effective than breasts.
The senator turned fully towards Ivar. "Of course, Your Highness."
Ivar lowered his voice slightly, giving the exchange the appearance of confidence without making it genuinely private. "My father and I have been discussing some of the difficulties surrounding regional trade corridors. Your name has come up more than once."
That did it.
Vross practically glowed. "Has it?"
Kashi wanted to applaud. Instead, she sipped her champagne.
Ivar's expression remained thoughtful. "You've spent considerably longer navigating these institutions than I have. I'd value your perspective."
There were few things more intoxicating to a powerful man than being asked to explain his own importance.
Vross took the bait beautifully.
"I would be honoured. Perhaps somewhere quieter?"
"Certainly." Ivar glanced towards Kashi. Nothing more than a courteous acknowledgement between cousins.
Then he and Vross moved away together, the senator already talking. Within seconds, he was pointing discreetly towards somebody across the ballroom, explaining something with the confidential gravity of a man who believed he had finally achieved what he had wanted for years.
Private access to the Crown Prince.
Kashi watched them disappear towards one of the adjoining salons and she turned.
Director Carrow was still near the terrace doors.
Alone now. Her smile changed. Finally.
Kashi set her unfinished champagne onto a passing tray and crossed the ballroom. She did not hurry. Women like her did not hurry across rooms to meet people. They simply moved, and rooms adjusted accordingly.
Carrow noticed her halfway there. "Miss Saints."
"Director."
His posture straightened. "A remarkable evening."
"So everyone keeps telling me. I'm beginning to suspect Grandfather bribed you all."
Carrow laughed.
Kashi stopped beside him, positioning herself so the ballroom remained visible over his shoulder. Somewhere behind him, Deputy Minister Balvin was still occupied.
Helena Vos had moved closer to the eastern doors.
Three conversations.
That was all she needed tonight. Nothing that could be traced back to Senator Vross.
Just the first tiny fractures in a wall one arrogant old man had spent years convincing everyone was solid.
Kashi smiled at Carrow. "I've actually been hoping to speak with you."
💜~~~~~~
Across the ballroom, Jaden Laurent watched Chaos leave with Zarri Mathias.
She had been listening to a French trade representative discuss electric-vehicle tariffs. At least, she assumed that was still what he was discussing. His voice had become background noise the moment Zarri touched Chaos's arm.
Jaden's fingers tightened around the stem of her champagne flute. Chaos hadn't merely spoken to Zarri. He had left with her.
Together, towards the terrace corridor.
Jaden's gaze remained there for one second too long.
"Miss Laurent?"
She returned her attention to the small group around her. Three people were waiting.
Jaden smiled. "Forgive me. You were saying?"
The representative resumed. Something about tariffs. Something about manufacturing.
Jaden listened for perhaps ten seconds before deciding she no longer cared. She lifted her glass, took the smallest sip and glanced casually towards the corridor again.
Empty.
Her jaw tightened.
Ridiculous. She had no reason to— Jaden stopped the thought before it finished. She knew herself better than that.
"Excuse me," she said pleasantly. "I've just remembered something." The lie was effortless. She stepped away before anyone could ask what.
Silver gown whispered over the marble as she crossed the edge of the ballroom, slipping between masked guests and passing waiters.
Nobody paid her departure any particular attention.
Why would they?
The Crown Prince had vanished with Senator Vross.
Kashi Saints was speaking privately with Director Carrow. Half the ballroom was too busy pretending not to conduct business to notice one woman leaving it.
Jaden reached the corridor. The orchestra faded behind her, reduced by heavy walls to a distant sweep of strings. The air was cooler here. Quieter. The perfume and champagne of the ballroom gave way to polished wood, night air drifting through partially opened terrace doors and the faint green scent of the gardens beyond.
Ahead, somewhere beyond the turn— Voices. One belonged to Zarri. The other was Chaos. Jaden slowed, her fingers tightened around the stem of her champagne flute, then she followed them.