Ellara jerked awake in the passenger seat, instinctively reaching up to touch the white earpiece nestled against her ear. Neon lights from the airport shimmered outside the window. She had no intention of lingering in Velmont City any longer than necessary.
Rotating her stiff neck, she spoke into the earpiece, her tone almost ingratiating. "Hey, babe! You still there?"
She knew whoever was on the other end had been waiting a long time, and the last thing she wanted was to spark their anger.
A faint crackle of static, then Seraphina's voice floated through—airy and sweet, with just a hint of icy mockery. It sounded like a gentle breeze across crystal shards. "Your mission… failed, did it?"
Ellara's nerves went taut. "No way!" Her voice pitched slightly too high, then quickly deflated like a balloon losing air. "I just… dozed off for a sec."
She understood Seraphina's displeasure—Ellara's late check-in hadn't just been a breach of protocol; it implied she'd caused worry. Striving for a lighter tone, she teased, "Relax, I was just taking a quick nap."
"Ohhh…" Seraphina drew out the syllable, catlike and leisurely, as if trailing her claws across glass. "Sounds like you're not all that interested in the payout. Funny you mention it—Uncle Nan reminded me of something. Remember that gem worth a hundred million?"
Ellara held her breath. "N-no, I mean, of course I care! I'm broke, flat-out broke." She sniffled theatrically. "My little angel, cut me some slack."
"Relax," Seraphina replied, casually, as if discussing the weather. "I've already settled that for you. But congratulations—you've just picked up a new creditor. Now you owe me a hundred million."
Ellara froze, stunned. "Why… why would you help me? I never even thought about—"
"Paying it back?" Seraphina's chuckle was feather-light yet needle-sharp. "I know."
Behind the wheel, Mora was smoking quietly, trying not to laugh at Ellara's predicament. After all, Ellara was still her boss.
Seraphina's voice softened, though it held a gentle cruelty. "Don't fret, Ellara. Two hundred thousand should cover a ticket home, right?"
Ellara sighed, knowing Seraphina wouldn't give her a free pass. She put on a half-whiny, half-playful tone. "Fine, dear. Just don't let me starve, okay?"
"Boss," Mora cut in with a good-natured reminder, "we should get moving. The flight leaves in an hour."
Once the call ended, Ellara looked up at Mora, eyes misty with feigned misery. "Mora, did you hear that? I'm flat-out broke. That ruthless capitalist is even docking my coffee money!"
Mora tried not to grin. "Boss, come on. With your face, if you claim you're broke, I bet the entire airport would line up to give you free tickets."
Ellara's expression chilled. She ripped off the earpiece and tossed it at Mora. "It's yours now." There was a hint of defiance in her voice as she swung open the car door and stepped out into the night. A gust of wind caught the hem of her light-colored coat, sending it billowing behind her.
Mora shook her head, unsurprised by the banter between Ellara and Seraphina. Their clashes were a familiar routine; Ellara never really won, and Mora knew perfectly well this was just the way they teased each other.
As Ellara strode ahead, Mora followed, calling after her reassuringly, "Don't be upset, Boss. You know Miss Seraphina isn't going to give up on you."
Ellara couldn't recall how she made it onto the plane. Throughout the boarding and settling into business class, her mind circled back to the money Seraphina had casually skimmed off her reward. She was in a daze, barely aware of her surroundings.
Noticing Ellara's lethargy, Mora reached into her briefcase and pulled out a slim file. "Boss, here's what's been happening in Elysian Bay lately. Might catch your interest." Her tone was gentle, hoping a bit of gossip would distract Ellara.
Elysian Bay—Ellara's hometown. A city where glamour and shadows intertwined, and also their current destination.
But Ellara didn't like this city, because the Perez family had deep roots here.
Ellara Voss wasn't always named "Voss." Her original name was Ellara Perez, and she was a child cast out by the Perez family.
Six months ago, Miguel Perez—Ellara's father and the current head of the Perez family—encountered her by chance during a visit to the Caledara royal court. At the time, Ellara was at the Caledara royal hunting grounds, involved in some business tied to the royal family. Because of her delicate connection with the Caledara royals, the man who had never shown her a shred of paternal affection brought her back into the family.
The irony? It was Miguel Perez himself who had abandoned her years ago in a cold, desolate clinic.
"I don't want to look…" Ellara muttered petulantly, turning her head away.
Mora sighed patiently. "Come on, there's some good stuff you'll enjoy. For example, one of the Perez sons got on the wrong side of a local gang. He's… well, let's just say he's going to be in traction for a while."
Ellara's eyes lit up. Bad news for the Perez family was good news in her book. "Oh? Anything else?"
Mora smiled, indulging her boss's schadenfreude. "Of course. Miguel Perez apparently hired a new secretary. I hear Mrs. Perez has no idea."
Ellara's mood lifted a fraction, gladly soaking up these tidbits of Perez family misfortune. She took the file from Mora and started flipping through it herself.
There weren't many major events in Elysian Bay recently, so she scanned the documents quickly. Her gaze paused on a particular file—a photograph of a beautiful young woman with silky black hair and angelic features.
Those eyes… they made Ellara think of her first meeting with Seraphina, who had a beauty more exquisite than any angel's. The girl in the photo resembled her, at least around the eyes.
Ellara lowered her gaze to read the name: Natalie Vale.
The name rang a bell. Ellara's gaze drifted out the airplane window, catching the twinkle of distant stars. She fell into quiet thought.
Ellara always preferred night flights. From high above, the stars and moon shone brighter than they ever did on the ground. Gazing at them, she always found herself mulling over people and events long past—things that could never return, not since she'd joined MOON.
She snapped the file shut, refusing to stir up old memories, and leaned back, eyes closed, pushing everything else aside for now.
By the time dawn's first light peeked over the horizon, the plane was on the ground. No one was there to greet them, but Mora had left a car in the airport parking lot before they'd left Elysian Bay. After claiming it, they headed not toward the Perez family's lavish villa, but straight to the Shadow Crescent District in the city's northern slums.
There, an underground fight club awaited—a hangout for gang leaders and their cronies.
A rusty iron gate swung open, letting in a gust of chill wind and the taste of iron in the air.
Ellara and Mora, both wearing trench coats, stepped into the entrance of the arena.
Elysian Bay always felt colder before dawn, but the underground ring was as lively as ever—shouts and the clash of metal echoed through the space.
Their appearance instantly drew every eye. The crowd hushed, and men who'd been leaning back with drinks in hand suddenly stood at attention, watching the two women ascend the stairs toward the second floor.
"Who are they?" someone at the bar whispered.
"Kid," the bartender growled, "if you know what's good for you, don't ask questions."
The second floor was where power convened in this underground world—the very place they needed to be tonight.
The fight club's manager hurried over, bowing and scraping. "Miss Voss, welcome back to Elysian Bay. This way, please."
Following him into a dimly lit but lavishly furnished room, they found it filled with men and women dressed in expensive suits and gowns. Each held a glass of wine or champagne, whispering to one another about recent underworld disturbances in Elysian Bay. The moment Ellara entered, all conversation ceased.
Everyone stood.
Ellara gave them a disarmingly pleasant smile. "Relax, no need to be so tense. I don't bite."
But they all knew this was a vixen's smile. In the six months since she'd arrived, Ellara had brought a bloody reckoning to the city—cutting off illicit trades in drugs, contraband, and loan sharking.Heaven knows, those were the most profitable ventures in their entire network of operations.
At first, there were those who refused to submit. When the first defiant organization was wiped out, they didn't take it seriously. But two months later, when every gang that opposed her—whether or not they had government ties—vanished without a trace in Elysian Bay, fear finally set in among the rest.
To them, it was just a few businesses. Losing those was a small price to pay compared to losing their lives.
As a result, Elysian Bay's crime rate had improved dramatically. What started as isolated defiance against her ended in disappearances and hushed whispers.
"I need a favor from all of you," Ellara said, her eyes drifting over each face in turn. Her red lips parted in a calm tone that carried a subtle allure. "Let's talk business."