"Leo!" Kiera roared once more, making Leo frown, wanting to throw the earpiece out and run after her grandfather. But she did not do it because it was risky, especially with Magnus at Alister's side.
"Yes, I am going." Disappointed but with no choice, Leo made her way to the second floor and spoke into the earpiece. "What now? Where is he?" She asked, watching the area closely.
"He will be there in ten minutes. Keep your eyes on the balcony," Kiera instructed.
"Yes," Leo replied, pulling a long face and walking towards the balcony she was supposed to guard. The place was beautiful, open, with the wind blowing across the floral vines that grew over the stone structure. 'Hah! It is a pretty place. Also, the music from the party is reaching here, but it is not loud and just right,' she thought to herself, a smile appearing on her face. 'If I were still Viviana, I would never have come to a place like this. Or would I have been here?' Leo's lips turned into a line, and she started to move her head with the soft beats of the music. The serene sound of the violins made her feet move rhythmically, and she danced in a somber way, extending her arms into the thin air as if holding an imaginary partner.
Leo hummed along with the tune, feeling elated, a sense of joy taking over her chest. "Oh, if I could only dance here for a long time and not go back with these men," she whispered, slowly coming to a halt as her shoulders fell sadly. "Just a little more! I can do it!" She threw her hand in the air in determination, as if talking to the sky.
"Ahm!" Kiera's voice crackled through the earpiece, causing Leo to roll her eyes and pout. "Yes, yes, I know I don't deserve to be happy," she grumbled under her breath, deciding to walk away from the balcony because Argon was about to arrive any moment now. But as she turned around, she was surprised to see Argon already standing just a few steps away from her, so silent that she had no idea how long he had been there. Her face turned red with embarrassment, but Argon's straight face somewhat relieved her. 'It doesn't seem like he saw me dancing on my own,' she thought, feeling slightly flustered. The idea that Argon might have fancied her as Viviana made her chest feel a little funny. Argon had his phone against his ear and was talking to someone. She instantly lowered her head and walked past him, not initiating any sort of conversation with him.
'Yes! I should leave without becoming suspicious to him,' she told herself, walking away. Argon, upon seeing the balcony empty, stepped ahead. Just in time, Leo slipped to the side of the wall, making sure she was invisible to him.
"He is here," Leo reported to Kiera.
"Yeah! We see him–" Kiera replied, but his last words were cut off suddenly.
"Should I go?" Leo asked, but there was silence on Kiera's end. "What the hell? Hello?" she said, but there was no response. Leo's expression turned irritated. "Is he for real?" She was baffled by the fact that he wasn't replying in such a crucial moment. "Hey!!" she hissed, stepping away from the wall just to get a glimpse of Argon and ensure everything was still in place. But as she turned, her eyes fell on the wall before her, where three red spots blinked for a few seconds, causing her eyes to widen. "Has it already begun?" She was horrified and turned to look at Argon, who was standing on the balcony, carefreely talking on his phone.
"Hey!! Say something!" she said urgently into the earpiece, but there was no reply. Suddenly, the three lights on the wall disappeared and reappeared on Argon's body.
"No!" Leo leaped forward and rushed to his side. Argon, looking ahead, didn't notice her sudden approach and was caught by surprise when he felt a harsh tug on his suit from behind. His phone flew away in one direction, and he stumbled back. Just then, a bullet whizzed past him, causing his heart to stop beating for a fraction of a second. The world around him spun, and for a brief moment, his eyes met a pair of black eyes that seemed as surprised as his.
"D*mn it, answer me!! Leo!!" Kiera roared into his device as loudly as he could, but there was no sound from the other end. "What is happening?" He looked at the men around him, who were surveying the area to stop anyone from entering. The rest of the cameras had been disabled by them, so they couldn't see anything. Kiera's eyes fell on his watch; it was 11:45, the time when the sniper was to shoot.
"No! Don't shoot now! Send the message to not shoot!" he roared, throwing his hand aggressively. The men around him hurriedly rushed, picking up the radio to send the message. "What are you standing there for? Tell him to stop!" Kiera grabbed a man by his collar and looked at him with a deathly glare, his hand tightly clenched around the collar. The man looked at him and spoke, his tone cracking. "The sniper already shot at the target."
Kiera's brows moved apart, his eyes widened, and he let out a shaky breath. "No!" he growled, his voice echoing in the room. He grabbed his leather jacket that lazily fell on a chair and dashed out of the room.