As the party came to an end and most guests started leaving, Alice leaned against a marble pillar, taking a moment to breathe and gather her thoughts. Her eyelids drooped slightly, and her long lashes cast soft shadows on her cheeks. She didn't enjoy events like this, but to establish her business and gain a foothold, she had to attend and mingle more.
Her mind drifted back to her earlier encounter with Jermin. Her aunt abroad had warned her against getting involved with him, advising that if she had to associate with him at all, it should be as a friend, not an enemy. Her aunt had told her that, although he was the CEO of the largest enterprise at home and abroad, he was also an underground mafia boss—ruthless and unflinching when it came to taking lives.
Alice couldn't understand how she kept having coincidental encounters with him when she preferred to focus on her goals and avoid mingling. Her gaze scanned the room; most guests had already dispersed, and her eyes landed on Sherlin and John, their faces a blend of disbelief and simmering anger.
"How could she change in just three years?" Sherlin hissed under her breath, her gaze sharp enough to cut. She hated to admit it, but Alice looked exceptionally beautiful, her scars healed and her cold temperament lending her a magnetic allure. Even A-list celebrities would pale in comparison to her.
John, standing beside Sherlin, wore a mask of confusion, his earlier disdain giving way to a flicker of regret. He had witnessed Alice's transformation, and for the first time, he was confronted with the reality of what he had lost. Sherlin couldn't even compare to her in beauty. Alice was no longer the meek woman he had discarded but a force to be reckoned with.
Alice turned away from their piercing stares, noting that she would soon need to leave the party to return to her daughter. Thinking of her daughter, her lips curved slightly.
The moment was interrupted by a familiar voice—a low murmur that sliced through the din of the party. "What a display, Alice. Quite the crowd-pleaser, aren't you?"
Alice turned to see Raya standing there, flanked by a couple of friends. The smirk on Raya's face was unmistakable, a clear attempt to undermine Alice's moment. "Too bad it's just for show. People will see through it eventually."
Alice raised an eyebrow, the corners of her mouth curling into a sardonic smile. "Show or not, I believe it's better than remaining unnoticed, don't you think, Raya?"
The tension in the air thickened, but Alice was too uninterested to waste her energy on Raya. Instead, she walked away, navigating her way through the crowd. Raya clenched her fists in anger, watching Alice ignore her, her mind silently plotting to eliminate Alice before she became an obstacle.
Just then, Alice's phone vibrated. With a graceful yet subtle motion, she paused and glanced down to read the message.
"You finally came back. You can't run away from us... we are watching you. Be prepared for your mission."
The words appeared on her screen, with no sender details or identifying trace. For a fleeting moment, her lips curved into a cold, sardonic smile. Watching her? She was more than accustomed to having eyes on her. Unfazed, she tapped into her phone, expertly weaving through security layers to attempt a trace on the message's source.
Across town, in a darkened room, a man watched his screen with satisfaction. But as he observed, a notification flashed across his monitor: "Tracking detected." He froze, realizing she was tracing him back. Panic set in as he scrambled to disable his connection, yanking cords free and plunging his devices into silence.
Back at the gala, Alice's screen displayed the faint message, "Connection lost." She exhaled a cold laugh, amused by the sender's frantic attempt to sever the link. Whoever this anonymous sender was, they were not beyond her reach. Deciding to investigate further when the time was right, she returned her phone to its place, unfazed by the unknown threat.
As she looked up from her phone, her eyes landed on a calm, gentle figure approaching her. She recognized him from earlier—he had been with Jermin and appeared to be the very opposite of him, with a warm and approachable demeanor.
"Have time to spare for a chat?" he asked, breaking her contemplation. She turned to see one of Jermin's friends, a well-dressed man with an easy smile. "You looked so dazzling there…"
"I'm sorry, but I don't have the time. I was just about to leave," Alice replied coolly, her exhaustion evident in her tone.
"Well, if you change your mind, just let me know." He gave her a lingering look, but Alice felt no inclination to engage. With a brief nod, she walked away in silence.
As she reached the exit of the gala, Sherlin appeared, her expression smug as she moved closer to Alice. "You may look different now, but I know exactly who you are, little Alice," Sherlin said with a condescending smirk. "Nothing's really changed."
Alice turned slowly, her gaze sharp and cutting. "Believe whatever you wish," she replied in a calm, dismissive tone, her words enough to send a shiver down Sherlin's spine. Before Sherlin could respond, Alice had already moved on, uninterested in lingering in the past.
She stepped out toward her waiting car. As she walked, her gaze locked with Jermin's across the lot. He was heading toward a sleek black Rolls-Royce, surrounded by about twenty bodyguards. She wondered briefly why anyone would need so many guards. He was a striking figure, radiating an aura as cold as her own. Neither bothered with small talk; instead, their eyes met in a silent standoff. In his cold and dissatisfied gaze, there was an unfathomable intensity, as though he were assessing her without revealing a single thought.
She broke the gaze first, stepping into her car without looking back. Jermin watched her for a moment longer before he turned away, retreating into the shadows with his entourage.