Alice’s black hoodie clung to her from the sweat of the dog chase, and she was pretty sure her face was flushed beneath the mask. Her legs still felt wobbly from exhaustion, but she’d made it here—and that was a win in her book.
The steakhouse was small but ridiculously luxurious. Not a single server or customer in sight, just one man behind the counter, which was both a surprise and delight considering how she was here on a secret mission. However, the man eyed her warily as she stiffly walked in like some paranoid fugitive. Her nerves were on edge. Between nearly getting mauled by a dog and sneaking out of the estate, she was jumpy enough to dive under a table if someone sneezed too loudly.
Spotting a secluded table at the far end, Alice snatched the menu as though it were classified intel. The man at the counter took one look at her jittery movements and wisely decided not to approach. She let out a breath, triumph flickering through her chest—only for it to vanish when her eyes landed on the menu prices.
She gasped so loudly the man flinched from across the room.
"Is... is this for a single steak or the entire cow?" she whispered, utterly horrified.
Her fingers trembled as she scanned the options. The cheapest sausage was worth a month’s groceries back home. These people were clinically insane.
She forgot herself entirely, yanking down her mask to breathe properly. "Daylight robbery in the name of beef," she muttered to herself.
And that was when the door chimed.
Alice froze as three people walked in—two young men and a girl with perfect hair and a smug expression plastered across her face. Her heart sank the moment their eyes locked.
The taller guy’s expression shifted quickly from recognition into an obnoxious smirk. "Well, well, well..." he drawled.
Alice’s breath hitched. Her mission tonight had just gone from bad to catastrophic. Forget the dog; this was the real nightmare.
She fumbled to pull the mask back up, but it was already too late. Recognition glimmered in their eyes—especially the guy’s. He strutted toward her with the confidence of someone who thought the world was his personal playground.
"What is she wearing?" the girl asked, eyeing Alice like she was a particularly offensive stain.
Alice’s instincts screamed run. She adjusted the mask, ready to bolt, but the trio blocked her path.
"So it’s true," the guy sneered. "You found your way into this place."
Alice’s irritation flared. She didn’t know this guy at all, but it was clear *Aurora* did. He had that entitled, bitter energy of someone who’d been snubbed and never quite recovered.
Aurora is a snob. That much she remembered. Maybe it was time to channel that energy.
Tonight was just so... crazy.
She leveled a cool stare at him. "Excuse me."
He sidestepped with her, blocking her escape. "Wait a minute. You married into the Wildfire family, didn’t you?" He let out a laugh that grated against her nerves. "But not just anyone—oh no. You got the outcast."
The girl on his arm snickered. "Desperate times, I guess."
The second guy folded his arms, grinning as though this were quality entertainment. "Don’t make her cry, Vik. You know the family she belongs to now." The guy said in amusement.
Vik. So this annoying one was called Vik.
Alice gritted her teeth. "Move."
"But we’re not done talking," the first guy—Vik—said, his voice growing more aggressive. "What, you think you’re better than us now? You think being married to Hades Wildfire makes you royalty or something?"
"I said, *move.*" Her voice was low, dangerous.
She tried not to sound that way but she just could not help it.
She was far too irritated.
Running from a dog for close to 40 minutes, coming here and not getting anything and worst, finding out the cheapest sausage here was what she would work her ass off for days to get.
Now she had to deal with this?
Vik’s smirk widened. "Or what? You gonna cry? Run back to your creepy husband? Oh wait—he probably doesn’t even want you."
Laughter erupted from the group. Alice’s fists clenched, rage surging through her veins.
She *should* walk away.
She *needed* to walk away.
But Vik made the fatal mistake of grabbing her arm.
Her fist shot out before she even realized what she was doing. It connected squarely with his gut, knocking the air out of him. He doubled over with a wheeze, eyes wide in disbelief.
The laughter died instantly.
The girl let out a shriek, and the second guy took a step forward, but Alice was already in motion. Her hand shot to the nearest table, snatching a steak knife.
The blade gleamed under the lights as she pointed it at him, her eyes blazing.
"Will you respect yourself," she said coldly, "or do you want me to teach you how?"