Kaivan shook his head lightly, his voice calm yet carrying a faint smile. "Enough. Let's go home. Frans and Thivi are waiting."
They walked out of the hotel together. The tension that had filled the place slowly dissolved, replaced by a quiet relief. One by one, they lifted their eyes to the night sky, as if offering silent gratitude.
But not everything moved as smoothly.
Darius, still drowning in guilt, headed toward his car. His gaze was empty, his thoughts lingering behind the hotel doors with Felicia. He drove for several kilometers before suddenly jolting upright.
"Damn… my phone!"
Letting out a long sigh, he turned the car around. The hotel's dimming lights welcomed him back, drawing him once more into a story that wasn't done with him yet.
Ten Minutes Earlier
The ballroom doors were sealed tight, creating an invisible barrier that held back hope. Inside, the crowd stood pressed together, faces pale, breaths uneven. Tension clung to the air, thick, cold, suffocating.
In the middle of that chaos stood Vella.
Composed, elegant, untouched, like a lone spire of stone rising against a storm. A faint smile curved her lips as her gaze swept across the terrified guests, studying them one by one, as though watching a play she herself had written.
"Looks like all of you are holding up quite well," she murmured, her soft voice echoing through the oppressive silence.
A middle-aged woman found a spark of courage and pointed at her with a trembling finger. "T-That's her! She killed someone… without touching him, using glass!"
Vella slowly shifted her gaze. Her eyes were sharp blades of frost. The woman immediately looked away, her courage draining. Nearby, several of Vella's men lay sprawled on the floor, their bodies discarded like broken dolls.
Vella stepped toward them, crouching casually as she covered her mouth to suppress a small laugh. "Oh my… how did this happen?" she whispered, her tone almost playful, yet that was what made it terrifying.
Someone else in the crowd dared to speak up. His voice shook, but he tried to sound bold. "I'll report you to the police!"
His bravery didn't last.
A metal shard shot through the air, piercing his skull in an instant. He collapsed, the life in him snuffed out without mercy.
"Sorry," Vella said softly. "You should show a little respect to someone who's already hurting."
Screams broke loose. Panic rippled through the room. People pounded on the doors, raised their phones, yet there was no signal. No outside world. Only terror trapped inside with the smile of a dangerous woman.
With a slow, graceful motion, Vella lifted her hand.
The floor trembled.
Massive stones rose from nowhere, sealing every exit. They formed towering walls, cold and unyielding, like a final promise that no one would escape.
Despair erupted. Failed calls, desperate cries, and frantic footsteps blended into one horrific symphony, ricocheting off the stone prison they were trapped in.
Vella walked toward the center of the ballroom. Her steps were unhurried, confident. The air around her felt cool, yet suffocating.
Her gaze finally landed on Rapi, bound against the wall, trembling, her skin pale as moonlight.
Vella stopped before her, observing her like one might regard a cracked porcelain vase, beautiful, fragile, moments away from breaking.
A thin, bitter smile touched her lips.
"Oh dear… how did you end up like this?" Vella asked. Her tone sounded like harmless teasing, but her eyes cut like a reprimanding mother.
Rapi tried to speak, but only trembling breaths came out. "K-Kaivan… and his two friends… they helped…"
Vella lifted an eyebrow slightly. She watched Rapi in silence for a long moment, then spoke in a soft, icy tone.
"So… where's the contract now?"
Rapi's trembling hand lifted weakly, pointing toward the stage.