Lunch with a Devil

Rhea didn't need the menu.

She needed control.

The rooftop lounge was a masterpiece of luxury—sunlight glinting off champagne flutes, white marble tables, and waitstaff who knew better than to speak unless spoken to.

Kairo Alden sat at the center of it all, effortlessly powerful in his navy suit and silver cufflinks. A king surveying his empire.

And she? She was the girl who'd once fetched his coffee and dreamed he'd look at her the way he looked at power.

Not anymore.

Today, she wasn't here to beg.

She was here to play.

"Rhea," Kairo said, rising as she approached. His eyes lingered for a beat too long. "You clean up well. I almost didn't recognize you."

She smiled without warmth. "Shame. I never forgot you."

He chuckled, motioning to the seat across from him. "Still sharp-tongued, I see."

"Still a liar," she said sweetly, sitting down.

A flicker of amusement danced in his eyes. "You've changed."

You have no idea, she thought.

The waiter arrived. She waved off the menu. "I'll have what he's having. Assuming I can stomach it."

Kairo laughed. "You used to be quieter."

"I used to be naive."

Silence stretched for a moment. Wind teased the edges of the linen tablecloth.

Then Kairo leaned forward, his expression softening—just enough to make her gut twist.

"I meant it, you know. I was glad to hear you were back."

She sipped her water. "Back from the grave, or from disgrace?"

He tilted his head. "Does it matter? You're here now. That's what counts."

No, Kairo, Rhea thought. What counts is what I'm going to take from you.

The waiter returned. Plates of seared steak and saffron risotto were placed gently on the table, but neither of them touched their food.

Kairo's gaze sharpened. "So. What do you really want, Rhea?"

She met his eyes.

And smiled.

"I want a seat at the table," she said softly. "The one you kicked me out of."

Kairo leaned back, intrigued. "Big ask."

"Bigger game," she replied.

He watched her for a long moment, then slowly smiled.

"Alright," he said. "Let's see if you can still play."

Rhea's phone buzzed under the table.

A system alert.

[System Notice]

New Task Unlocked: Crack the Vault

Objective: Extract encrypted files from Arden Blake's private server

Reward: +10 Memory Fragments

Risk: High

Status: Active

She didn't flinch.

The game had officially begun.

Kairo's words echoed like a starting gun.

Rhea forced her pulse to stay steady, her smile perfectly measured. "I never stopped playing. I just stopped playing nice."

He laughed—a deep, rich sound that made people lean in and trust too easily. But Rhea wasn't leaning. She was calculating.

What does he know already?

What has Arden told him?

And more importantly… What is he hiding?

The system notification burned at the back of her mind like a fuse waiting to ignite. Arden's private server held more than just confidential files. It held leverage. Secrets. Insurance policies. If she cracked it, Kairo would no longer have control.

But it came at a cost.

Everything in this new life did.

"So tell me," Kairo said, lifting his glass, "why now? Why come back to this company after everything?"

Rhea lifted her own, eyes locked with his. "Because ghosts don't haunt ruins. They haunt the living."

His smile faltered for half a second.

Then he set the glass down. "You always had a way with words."

"You taught me how to lie beautifully," she replied. "Thank you for that."

The silence that followed was thick with unspoken history—boardroom betrayal, whispered rumors, a love that was never love at all.

He leaned in, voice low. "You think you're ready to sit at the table again, Rhea? Then prove it. There's a board meeting tomorrow. Be there."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're inviting me back?"

"No," Kairo said with a cruel smile. "I'm letting you watch."

Her knuckles tightened under the table.

But her lips curled.

"Oh, I'll watch," she said softly. "And when the time's right, I'll speak."

Later that night, in the dim blue light of her apartment, Rhea stared at her laptop screen.

[System Task: Crack the Vault]

Access Arden Blake's encrypted server

Time limit: 72 hours

Risk: Arden's countermeasures detected

Cost of failure: -12 Memory Fragments

Reward: +10 Memory Fragments, Classified Intel

She hesitated.

Each decision chipped away at her identity. She didn't know what she'd forget next. A birthday? A friend's face?

But she pressed her fingers to the keyboard anyway.

"I came back to win," she whispered.

And she hit enter.

[To be continued....]