The Invitation

The rest of the day blurred past in a rush of meetings, emails, and whispered conversations Mira only half heard.

She stayed alert, memorizing floor layouts, observing alliances between departments, catching the quiet nods that passed for power in a place like Han Group.

By the time she returned to her small desk, dusk was spilling soft gold across the skyline.

She had barely settled when a soft ping sounded from her computer.

An email.

Subject: Mandatory Attendance – Han Group Annual GalaFrom: Executive Office

Her fingers tightened slightly on the mouse as she read.

All executive staff and their immediate teams were required to attend the annual company gala. Formal attire. Full attendance was expected.

She didn't need a crystal ball to know this wasn't just a party.

This was a battlefield dressed in silk and champagne.

A chance to get closer.

Or a chance to get burned.

As she stared at the screen, a shadow fell over her desk.

"You're going, right?"

Mira turned.

Jae Min stood there, holding two event invitations in his hand, one already extended toward her.

His smile was easy, but his eyes watched her carefully.

"I.... I didn't know if I should," Mira said carefully, accepting the invitation.

"You're part of the team now," Jae Min said with a wink. "Besides.... I was hoping you'd come."

Her heart skipped, just once.

Before she could answer, another presence cut between them like a blade.

Ares.

He didn't speak immediately. Just stood there, silent, unreadable.

The tension snapped tight.

Mira swallowed.

"I trust," Ares said coolly, "that you understand the importance of this event."

"I do," Mira said, matching his calm.

"Good." His gaze dropped briefly to the invitation in her hand and something flickered across his face. Something almost like warning.Or possession.

"Be prepared," he said. "The real sharks swim after dark."

Without another word, he turned and disappeared down the hall, leaving a strange chill in his wake.

Jae Min let out a low whistle. "He's in rare form today."

Mira forced a light smile. "Seems like it."

But inside, she was coiled tight.

Because she knew exactly what Ares meant.

At night, masks slipped.

Secrets came to the surface.

And Mira would have to be ready for all of it.

That night, as she lay in her small apartment, the invitation sat on her bedside table.

The place was a far cry from the life she once had.Small, neat, with second-hand furniture she had carefully chosen herself an old leather armchair, a chipped wooden desk, plain white curtains that swayed with the night breeze.Everything here was simple. Stripped of history. Clean.

The only personal touch was a small potted plant on the windowsill, its leaves curling toward the moonlight.

It was lonely.

But loneliness had become an old friend.

Mira sat on the edge of her bed, the city lights twinkling beyond the cracked windowpane, and traced the golden edges of the gala invitation with her fingertips.

Elegant calligraphy. Gilded borders.A pretty disguise for the war she was about to walk into.

She allowed herself one small moment of weakness pressing the invitation against her heart, feeling its coolness seep into her skin.

Her mind raced faster than her heartbeat.

Tomorrow night, everything would change.

Tomorrow night....She would dance with enemies.She would smile at traitors.She would look beautiful.And dangerous.

And she would remember the mission:

Get close.Find the truth.No matter what it costs.

Even if it cost her heart.

Outside, the city murmured in its sleep.

Inside, Mira closed her eyes, breathed once, and let the storm inside her settle.

Tomorrow, she would become the woman they all expected to see.

And the weapon they would never see coming.

or not!