Chapter 10: The Invitation

**St. George's College, London — Afternoon**

The final bell rang, releasing a flood of students into the sunlit courtyard. Victor Black walked beside Alex Gray, his tone casual but probing.

"Alex," Victor said, "why did your family really invite me?"

The boy glanced away, guilt flickering in his eyes. "It's… my sister. She's *really* pretty. You'll see."

Victor suppressed a sigh. *A blind date. How predictable.*

At the school gates, Sebastian Gray leaned against a sleek Mercedes, grinning like a cat with a secret. "Hop in, Professor."

---

**Linden Manor, Kensington — Evening**

The Gray family's mansion loomed behind wrought-iron gates, its marble facade glowing under dusk's golden light. Inside, crystal chandeliers cast prisms across oil portraits of stern ancestors.

Dinner was a masterclass in polite interrogation. Mark Gray, patriarch and former diplomat, dissected Victor's career plans between bites of seared scallops.

"Teaching is my calling," Victor replied, his smile unwavering.

Mark's nod was approving but hollow. Elizabeth, his wife, scrutinized Victor's every gesture, unimpressed by his reserved demeanor.

Isabella Gray sat silently, her icy elegance radiating disdain. She hadn't glanced at Victor once.

Sebastian observed it all, amused.

---

**Car Ride Back — Night**

Sebastian lit a cigarette, the ember casting shadows across his sharp features. "Ever feel like we're all just puppets?" he mused, exhaling smoke. "Parents pulling strings, society setting stages… Even freedom's an illusion."

Victor stared out the window. "The world's a chessboard. We're pieces."

*And I'll flip the board if I must*, he thought.

Sebastian laughed—a sharp, knowing sound. He tossed Victor a business card: **Sebastian Gray — Consultant, Ministry of the Interior.**

"Call me if you ever want to… play chess," he said, eyes glinting.

---

**Victor's Apartment — 10:00 PM**

Victor studied the card, then tucked it into a locked drawer. In the shadows, he donned black gloves and a mask.

*Tonight, David Smith.*

He slipped into the night, hailed a cab, and vanished toward the East End.

---

**East End Warehouse — Midnight**

A black Volkswagen emerged from an abandoned storage unit, its plates obscured. Victor drove with glacial focus, his mind replaying every detail:

- **David's routine** (leaves café at 11:15 AM).

- **Niutuo Mountain's backroads** (no cameras, no witnesses).

- **The syringe** (fast-acting, untraceable).

As the van's taillights blinked ahead, Victor's gloved hands tightened on the wheel.