"You look beautiful, Natalia."
Kimiko stepped back, admiring her handiwork. Natalia stood before the full-length mirror in a backless midnight-blue gown that made her look like she had stepped out of a painting. Her hair was swept up in an elegant updo, a few strategic strands left to frame her face.
"Thank you," Natalia replied, her voice distant, her eyes fixed on her reflection.
From my position in the hallway, I could see them both without being seen. Kimiko’s expression was a mix of pride and sadness as she adjusted the necklace at Natalia’s throat.
"Are you going to be okay tonight?" Kimiko asked softly.
Natalia’s mask never slipped. "I’ll be fine. It’s just one night."
"I’m proud of you," Kimiko said, squeezing her shoulders gently. "I know this has been hard."
I slipped away before they could notice me, returning to my own room where Luka waited with my suit.
"There you are!" he boomed, holding up the tailored black jacket. "Let’s get you dressed for battle, son."
I smiled at his choice of words. If only he knew how accurate they were.
Luka helped me with my tie, his massive hands surprisingly deft with the silk fabric. "You clean up good, kid. You look like a man."
I caught my reflection in the mirror. The tailored suit clung to my frame, highlighting the muscle I had built over the last months. My hair was styled back from my forehead, revealing more of my face than I usually showed. I looked older. Sharper.
For a moment, I saw Kaelen Leone looking back at me – not the fat, lazy teenager I had replaced, but the cold-eyed enforcer I had once been. I subtly touched the Liar’s Brooch pinned to the inside of my lapel, drawing comfort from its presence.
"Thanks, Dad," I said, the word still strange on my tongue.
Luka gripped my shoulders, his eyes suddenly serious. "Listen, son. Tonight is important. You’ll be meeting people who could shape your future. The Hunter world is as much about connections as it is about strength."
"I understand."
"Just be yourself," he continued, oblivious to the irony of his advice. "You’ve got nothing to prove to these people."
My phone chimed with a notification. I checked it after Luka left to help Kimiko with her dress.
It was a video call from Emi. I answered, my expression instantly warming.
"Oh wow," Emi gasped. "You look amazing!"
I adjusted the camera angle to show more of the suit. "Not too bad?"
"Are you kidding? You look like you just stepped out of ’Hunter’s Vogue’!"
"That’s a stretch," I replied with a warm smile. "Still wish I was going with you."
Emi’s face flushed crimson. "M-me too..."
The brooch remained cool against my chest. Again, interesting.
After we disconnected, I turned back to the mirror, studying my reflection. A new notification pinged in my vision – a message from Nel.
\[Mission Activated: The Alpha’s Debut\]\[Objective: Decisively humiliate an arrogant Scion without revealing the full extent of your power.\]\[Reward: ??? | Failure: The Title \[Beta Bait\]\]
I adjusted my tie one final time, a slow smile spreading across my face.
"Bring it on."
===
The limousine glided through the neon-washed streets of New Vein, its obsidian windows reflecting the kaleidoscope of city lights. Inside, our family maintained a carefully orchestrated silence, each of us absorbed in our own thoughts and preparations for the evening ahead. Luka fidgeted with his cufflinks for the third time, his massive frame barely contained by the tailored suit, excitement and pride radiating from him in palpable waves. The man was like an overgrown puppy about to show off his pups at a dog show.
Kimiko sat with the effortless poise of old-world royalty, her emerald dress catching and scattering light with every pass beneath a streetlamp, the shimmering effect highlighting the elegant curve of her neck and the quiet strength in her posture. She was nervous—I could see it in the barely perceptible tightening around her eyes—but she would rather die than show it.
Across from me, Natalia was a breathtaking vision in midnight blue, the form-fitting gown accentuating every curve I had claimed as mine. Her face remained a cold, beautiful mask, worthy of a renaissance painting—distant, imperious, untouchable.
To anyone watching, we were nothing more than two estranged step-siblings enduring each other’s company for a family obligation, our knees almost touching in the confined space, the proximity a cruel test of our mutual restraint. Beneath the veneer of indifference, I could feel the electric current flowing between us, invisible to everyone but us—a secret language of suppressed desire and unspoken promises.
"I heard President Vance herself might be there tonight," Luka said, trying to fill the silence.
"That would be something," I replied.
"Seraphina rarely attends these functions," Kimiko added. "But there are always Vance family representatives."
The Liar’s Brooch warmed slightly against my chest. Interesting. Not a complete lie, but not the whole truth either.
"We’re almost there," Luka announced as the car slowed.
Through the tinted windows, I could see the glittering lights of the VHC Central Plaza. Limousines and luxury vehicles formed a steady procession toward the entrance, disgorging the elite of New Vein’s Hunter society.
"Remember," Kimiko said, her eyes flicking between Natalia and me, "tonight is about making connections. Be polite, be engaging, and please—" her gaze lingered on me "—no trouble."
"Yes, Mom," I said, the picture of filial obedience.
The car stopped. The door opened. Luka exited first, then turned to help Kimiko out. I followed, stepping onto the red carpet that led to the towering glass edifice of VHC Headquarters.
Natalia emerged last. As she stepped from the car, our eyes met for a fraction of a second. The public mask slipped just long enough for me to see the fire burning behind her ice-queen facade. Her lips quirked in the ghost of a smile, a silent promise passing between us.
I offered her the slightest of nods in return. Message received.
The four of us formed a perfect tableau of Hunter family excellence as we approached the entrance. Photographers captured our arrival, flashbulbs popping in the night air. Above us, the VHC logo glowed like a second moon against the darkening sky.
Showtime.