Blue returned to the VIP room, her mood slightly sour after running into Natasha. Still, she wore that familiar smile—the one that had long become her default expression.
Inside, the room was thick with laughter, smoke, and the dull glow of expensive liquor bottles. She walked over casually and handed Xavier the glass of soda water she had brought for him.
Her sharp eyes quickly noticed something.
Lisa was gone.
Blue leaned back into the couch beside Xavier as if nothing mattered, though her mind quietly filed the detail away.
Natasha stepped out of one of the restroom cubicles, sniffing as she lightly touched up her makeup. She adjusted the powder carefully so the tears wouldn't ruin her face.
She was here on assignment—undercover.
But never in her entire career had she expected to see something like that.
A woman who looked exactly like Paige.
Natasha had trained herself to observe everything. For a moment she had genuinely thought it was Paige wearing colored contact lenses.
But those blue eyes…
They were real.
"Hi?"
The voice startled her. Natasha turned.
Lisa stood there, smiling brightly—like someone who had just won the lottery.
***
Rain fell softly over the city. Police sirens echoed somewhere far away while red and yellow lights reflected across the wet asphalt. The rain wasn't violent—just steady and cold.
Inside his study, Alexander worked quietly at his desk.
The clock on the wall read 11:30 PM.
The door suddenly burst open, and Ruben stepped inside, folding his umbrella. Water dripped from his coat onto the floor.
"Hey," Alexander said, glancing up. "That mat is new."
Ruben stomped his muddy shoes on it anyway.
"I don't care. You'll buy another one."
He tossed a USB drive onto Alexander's desk.
Alexander picked it up.
"Tell me again what this is for? You've been acting strange lately," Ruben said while removing his coat and hanging it on a nearby rack. He dropped into a chair and released a long, exhausted breath.
"You're tired, huh?" Alexander asked while inserting the USB into his computer.
Files immediately appeared on the screen.
"You think?" Ruben replied dryly.
Alexander had sent him to break into the John family estate's security system, hack the camera feed, and retrieve files connected to Sarge Eatery, a small business renting space there.
"I'm sorry… you can go rest now," Alexander said, waving him off.
But before leaving, Ruben's eyes drifted to the screen.
A photograph filled the monitor. The same woman who had slapped Alexander days ago.
Ruben frowned.
"What's going on?" he asked slowly. "Are you planning to sue that poor soul?"
He stood up and walked toward the desk. Knowing Alexander's hunger for power, he's capable of it.
"No—um… no!" Alexander stuttered, adjusting his glasses.
He couldn't exactly explain the truth.
That he was investigating her because someone wanted her dead. In the past years, he noticed how Ruben secretly got rid of, supposedly, his enemies and kept it a secret from him.
And that for some strange reason…he wanted to protect her.
The thought sounded ridiculous even in his own head.
"What's with that face?" Ruben asked, watching Alexander's expression twist like he'd bitten into a lemon. "Answer my question."
"I'm not going to sue her, alright?" Alexander said quickly. "I just… want to know her." He hesitated.
"She intimidates me."
Ruben stared at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"A woman you nearly destroyed… who slapped you… now intrigues you?" he said. "Do you even know her name?"
"I'm about to find out."
Alexander turned back to the computer.
But suddenly—
Ruben pulled the USB out. The files vanished instantly.
Alexander shot to his feet.
"What the hell? Ruben, I'm your boss!"
"At the office," Ruben replied calmly, stepping back toward the door. "Not here. Here, I'm your guard."
His voice hardened.
"I'm not letting you ruin this girl. Her name is Vicky. She runs a small eatery to support her sick mother and two younger siblings. She already has enough problems."
Before Alexander could respond, Ruben turned and left the room.
He had seen enough today—Alexander chasing ghosts and trying to buy shares from shadows.
He wasn't going to let the man drag an innocent girl into whatever dark game he was playing.
"Vicky… Victoria…"
Alexander whispered the name slowly after the door closed.
He repeated it again. And again. As if the sound of it carried warmth he didn't want to lose.
He hated her.
Truly.
But earlier, when he had caught her in the parking lot…he had smelled her lavender scent.
Soft.
Sweet.
Almost innocent.
Maybe Ruben was right. Maybe she already had enough problems.
Morning came quietly.
Inside their small home, Vicky's family prepared for the day. She feels exhausted again, her head spins like she hit it against a brake. She manages to work nevertheless.
"Okay, Emily," Vicky said gently. "These koeksisters should be enough for your breakfast. I'll try to go into town later to buy some stock."
"Why?" Evan asked while pouring tea into his cup. "What happened to the supermarket at the junction?"
"The brand I need is only sold in town," Vicky replied.
It was a lie.
"Oh—that reminds me," Evan said suddenly. "Can you buy me a new notebook? My language book is almost finished with summaries."
"Yeah… yeah," Vicky answered hesitantly.
She mentally counted the money she had left.
Taxi fare alone might take most of it.
"Sis," Emily said, pouting while holding up her school bag. "My zipper is broken again."
The bag hung loosely in her hands. Another expense.
"It's okay," Vicky said softly. "I'll fix it."
She took the bag and walked into the kitchen, grabbing a sewing kit from the cupboard. Sitting on the couch, she began stitching the zipper carefully while Emily ate bread and tea at the table.
"I just hope I never see that rude man again," Vicky muttered to herself.
After a while, Evan appeared dressed for school.
"Alright, I'm off," he said. "Please don't forget your medication."
Vicky nodded.
He waved before leaving.
***
At AID headquarters, Natasha sat with the team around the boardroom table.
They were speaking quietly when Simon suddenly walked in.
He froze the moment he saw her.
"You're back already?" he asked.
Every head in the room turned toward Natasha.
Waiting.
"Yeah," she said calmly.
"I'm not going back."
A pause.
"I almost got raped there."
The lie dropped into the room like a stone.
Confusion spread across several faces. Suspicion across others.
Natasha remained silent.
But in her mind, one image kept returning—
The woman with the blue eyes. The woman who looked exactly like Paige. And Natasha knew one thing with absolute certainty.
That meeting in the casino…was not an accident.