Eligos leaned back in his chair, phone in hand, grinning as he gave Cindy the rundown of histest scheme. "There''s a banquet this Saturday, Cindy. I need you to be there. Think you can manage that?" Cindy chuckled, tapping her fingers on her knee. "Is that even a question? I''m practically made for banquets."


    "Good. Now, the main objective is simple," Eligos continued. "Find ire and get under her skin. If you can, throw in a little hint to make her wonder. I want her to have you on her mind all night."


    Cindy grinned, picturing the chaos she could stir up. "Oh, don''t worry about that. If there''s one thing, I''m great at, it''s living rent-free in someone''s mind."


    "Perfect," Eligos replied, his tone dripping with satisfaction. "I''ll leave it in your hands then. Just make sure she remembers this banquet, yeah?"


    "Consider it done," Cindy said, a glint of mischief in her eyes as she ended the call. Ideas were already racing through her mind about what she could say or do. She didn''t need specifics-just a bit of improvisation, a few calcted hints, and she''d have ire fuming in no time. Across town, Christian strolled into Alexander''s office, pushing the door open without bothering to knock. Alexander red up at him, eyebrows drawn. "There''s this thing called a door, you know," he grumbled.


    Christian didn''t bat an eye, casually setting a steaming coffee cup on Alexander''s desk. "Thought you could use a little pick-me-up," he said, ignoring Alexander''s grumbling. "Oh, by the way, did you hear about what ire did at the Venus AMD press release? Apparently, she saved the day."


    Alexander kept his expression neutral as he picked up the cup, taking a sip. "Mm," he mumbled, clearly trying to act uninterested.


    Christian''s eyes narrowed, not buying it for a second. "You''ve already seen it, haven''t you?"


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about," Alexander replied, but his poker face was slipping.


    Christianughed, shaking his head. "Oh,e on. Everyone''s talking about it. ire went up there and fixed Venus AMD''s little robotic disaster. The guy talks trash about Metacortex, and she still goes up and saves his bacon. Honestly, that''s gutsy."


    Alexander hummed again, clearly irritated but trying to hide it. "Venus isn''t that great of apany anyway," he muttered.


    Christian smirked, satisfied that he''d cracked Alexander''s usual stone-cold exterior. "Anyway, you know the new hotel in Vegas? It''s officially opening December 25, and you''ll need to be there."


    "Vegas, right." Alexander leaned back in his chair, considering the trip.


    Christian raised an eyebrow. "Are you bringing ire along? She''s part of the team, and she''s been helping with the tech. Seems only fair to invite her."


    Alexander stayed silent, frowning slightly as he mulled it over. Why hadn''t he thought of that? Bringing ire along could be... interesting. Not to mention, it''d be an opportunity to spend more time with her. He shrugged, keeping his expression as unreadable as possible. "We''ll see," he said nonchntly.


    Christian chuckled. "Sure, keep ying it cool. Oh, by the way, any luck finding out who the Raven is?"


    Alexander sighed, scratching his head. "Honestly, with everything else going on, I haven''t really had the time."


    Christian tilted his head, looking thoughtful. "What about the kid you hired to help with that?"


    Alexander shrugged. "Eh, I told him to keep digging, but at this point, who knows? If the Raven wants to stay hidden, she''s doing a fine job of it. I hate secrets, and this one''s getting stale."


    Meanwhile, ire was paying Adrian a visit at his parents'' house. He was sitting by the window in his wheelchair, looking out at the street when ire walked in. He turned, a big smile lighting up his face.


    "Hey! Didn''t expect to see you today," he said, his eyes brightening.


    ire returned the smile, her tone soft. "Thought I''d check in. How are you feeling?"


    Adrian gave a little shrug. "Getting there. Still stuck in this thing," he said, gesturing to the wheelchair, "but I''m starting rehab soon. They say I''ll be walking properly in no time."


    ire''s smile widened, a warmth in her eyes that Adrian hadn''t seen often. "That''s great news! You know I''m here if you need anything. Just give me a call."


    Adrian nodded, feeling a bit of his own heart melt at her kindness. "Thanks, ire. It''s nice to see you being... well, you know, all warm and fuzzy."


    ireughed, rolling her eyes. "Don''t get used to it."


    They shared a smile before ire asked, "So, are you nning on going to the banquet this Saturday?"


    Adrian shook his head. "I think I''ll pass. My priority right now is getting better, not hobbling around some fancy party."


    "That''s probably a good idea," ire agreed, her tone light but understanding. She nced at her watch, knowing she''d have to get going soon but wanting to make sure Adrian was truly okay.


    Adrian noticed her looking at the time and chuckled. "Already in a hurry? Go on, I''ll be fine. Besides, I know you''ve got plenty to handle right now."


    "Alright, alright, I''ll stop bothering you," she teased. They shared onest smile before ire headed out, feeling a bit lighter knowing Adrian is feeling much better than before.


    By Saturday evening, the banquet


    hall was


    with chatter and


    clinking sses as guests arrived.


    Cindy entered, her sharp gaze sweeping the room. She spotted ire almost immediately, standing off to the side, mingling politely with a few familiar faces.


    Cindy smirked to herself, gearing up for her mission. This was her moment to stir things up.


    "Fancy seeing you here," Cindy said, a little too cheerfully, swirling her champagne.


    ire, who had just finished whatever intense discussion she was having, turned to Cindy with a frown. "Do I know you?"


    Cindy rolled her eyes, setting her ss down on a nearby table. "Oh, stop ying dumb. We met just a few days ago. Or are you forgetting me already?" she teased, though her gaze was sharp.


    A smile tugged at the corner of ire''s lips. "Oh, right. Cindy. I nearly forgot about you," she replied smoothly, brushing a lock of hair back with an air of indifference.


    Cindy pursed her lips, feigning disappointment. "Well, I''m sure that happens when you''ve got so many people vying for your attention," she said with a sarcastic undertone. "How''s yourpany going, by the way?" ire gave a quick, dismissive nod. "Good." Her gaze was steady, as if she didn''t quite understand why Cindy would care. "How about you? Last I heard, your career was... well, ruined by Alexander, wasn''t it?"


    The mention of Alexander made


    Cindy''s expression stiffen for a second, though she quicklyposed herself. Annoyance simmered just beneath the surface. She hated that reminder, but she reminded herself of her mission tonight-to get under ire''s skin, not the other way around.


    "Oh, we all have those little career bumps, don''t we?" Cindy shot back with forced lightness. "Besides," she added, her voice dropping to a low, conspiratorial whisper, "I might have a bit of insider info these days... about you." ire raised an eyebrow, giving Cindy a look that seemed to say she wasn''t amused. "Insider info, huh? Cindy, I don''t have secrets. But I guess it''s cute you think you''ve uncovered one."


    Cindy let out a chuckle, stepping


    back with a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Oh, ire, your secret is not so secret after all." She let her words hang in the air as she backed away, merging into the crowd and leaving ire standing there, slightly confused, watching her retreat.


    As Cindy disappeared into the sea of guests, ire frowned. What on earth could she be hinting at?