The warmth and glow of the Christmas party were palpable.


    Soft music flowed through the air, mingling with the gentle clink of crystal sses and the murmur of elegant conversation.


    The hotel ballroom was bathed in golden light, and every corner reflected ire''s meticulous attention to detail - from the grand, towering Christmas tree adorned with sparkling ornaments to the gands wrapped around the sweeping staircase.


    Guests were in awe of the festive atmosphere.


    ire, poised and radiant in her midnight-blue gown, stood near the entrance beside Adrian. Their presence together sent ripples through the crowd. Whispers drifted around them-surprised murmurs about the powerful heirs making such a public appearance as a couple.


    "She really pulled this off beautifully," one guest whispered.


    "Look at them - ire Peterson and Adrian Saint Laurent. Who would''ve thought?" another replied. ire maintained her serene smile, a practiced mask she wore for such asions. Her fingers toyed subtly with the diamond bracelet on her wrist, a quiet outlet for the tension she refused to show. Adrian leaned in close, his hand gently resting on her waist. His touch grounded her, a reminder that she wasn''t facing this alone.


    "You''re doing amazing," he whispered softly, his breath warm against her ear.


    "Thanks to you," she replied, her voice low, a hint of vulnerability slipping through herposed exterior. Just then, Mr. Saint Laurent, Adrian''s grandfather, approached with a broad smile. His presencemanded the room; conversations momentarily quieted as he reached them. He wrapped ire in a warm hug, a rare gesture of affection that spoke volumes.


    "You''ve outdone yourself, ire," he said, his voice rich with pride. "This is more than I could''ve hoped for."


    ire smiled genuinely, a flicker of relief breaking through her mask. "Thank you, Mr. Saint Laurent. I''m d you trusted me with this, even if I wasn''t sure I could pull it off."


    He chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "I knew you had it in you. Sometimes, we just need a push to remember what we''re capable of."


    ire''s chest tightened. His words resonated more deeply than she let on. "I appreciate your faith in me." As Mr. Saint Laurent turned to greet another guest, Adrian squeezed her hand. "See? You were always the right person for this."


    ire smiled, feeling a touch of warmth seep into her guarded heart. Maybe, just maybe, she was finding her way back to the woman she once was.


    Meanwhile, across the city, Eligos sat in the dimly lit confines of a private office, his eyes cold and calcting. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the surface of his desk, a sinister melody apanying his thoughts.


    The intelligence he''d gathered had paid off. ire Peterson, the everposed and confident businesswoman, was hosting the Christmas party - the perfect stage for his next move. He''d spent too long in the shadows, watching, waiting. Now, it was time to remind her who held the strings.


    He picked up his phone and dialed a number. The line clicked after three rings.


    Andre''s hesitant voice came through. "I''m here."


    Eligos leaned back, his voice calm but menacing. "You know what to do?"


    Andre took a breath, his nerves barely concealed. "Yes. I''ve got it."


    "Good." Eligos''s eyes narrowed. "Remember, no mistakes. Follow the n exactly, or you''ll regret it." Andre swallowed hard. "I understand."


    There was a pause, the weight of the unspoken threat hanging heavy in the air.


    "Don''t disappoint me," Eligos said softly before ending the call.


    He leaned forward, the glint of satisfaction in his eyes chilling. Tonight would be a turning point.


    Eligos stepped out of his car as he fix his cuff link. He approach the security and nodded at him. The security stop him and scroll on the tablet to check on every guest list.


    Lucky for Eligos, he managed to hack into the devices and ce his face and fake name along side Andre so they both can have ess inside the party.


    "Good evening sir, can you please tell us your name?" The security said while scrolling down the tablet. Eligos smile since he knows his name will be there.


    "Aaron Smith."


    The security nodded and begin to find his name but weirdly enough, it took a long time.


    "Apologize sir but your name isn''t in the list."


    A frown appear on his face in an instant as he did not expect something like this about to happen.


    "Could check one more time cause


    kone


    I''m pretty sure my name is on that list." The security nodded and Eligos take that time to scroll on his phone and check seeing his name is still 99% on the process of hacking.


    He cursed under his breath as he did not see thising.


    Damn technology at times.


    "Apologies sir, seems like I missed out your name. Pleasee in."


    Eligos nodded as he give the security a tight smile before entering the ballroom.


    Back at the party, ire''s intuition prickled. Something felt off, a shift in the air she couldn''t quite ce. Her smile faltered for just a second before she pushed it back into ce.


    Adrian noticed immediately. "Are you okay?"


    She hesitated, her gaze sweeping the room. "I''m not sure. I just... have a feeling."


    "ire," Adrian said softly, his fingers tightening around hers. "If something''s wrong, we''ll handle it. You''re not alone in this."


    She nodded, drawing strength from his presence. "I know. But I can''t shake the feeling that something''s going to happen."


    Sandra approached them, her usual efficiency tempered by concern. "Everything''s running smoothly so far, but the security team mentioned a few unfamiliar faces. I''ve got them watching closely." ire''s jaw clenched. "Stay vignt. If anything feels even slightly off, I want to know immediately." Sandra nodded. "Understood."


    In a shadowed corner near the


    entrance, Andre adjusted the cuff of his jacket, his palms slick with sweat. He scanned the room, his


    eyesnding on ire. She was


    said, herposure unbreakable.


    A pang of regret shot through him. He didn''t want to do this- but he had no choice. Eligos''s threats


    weren''t empty, and his mother''s safety hung in the bnce.


    Andre took a deep breath and


    reminded himself of the n. All he had to do was nt the device


    Eligos had given him, something el


    small enough to go unnoticed but destructive enough to cause chaos. He wiped his hands on his jacket and moved forward.


    ire turned around as she greet the guest but her eyes caught at the familiar and yet familiar face.


    For ire it seems that she have seen him before but she couldn''t ce a finger where.


    "Are you okay, ire?" Adrian ask ire as he is standing right beside her.


    ire eyes still trained on that man who is making his way towards the buffer table.


    "Yeah, I''m okay. It''s just that...that man, I''ve seen him before but I don''t where. His face look familiar."


    Adrian follow her gaze and couldn''t help but frowned. "ire, you have met a lot of people. I''m sure he is one of your client or maybe your employee."


    ire thought for a while, she thought to herself. It is possible though but there''s this nagging feeling in her chest that she couldn''t quite ce it.


    "Yeah, maybe you are right."