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"Are you ready for this?" Steve asked from where he sat beside me in the backseat. I swallowed, balling my fists. And I nodded. I had to be ready.

The car slowed to a stop in front of a massive art gallery, and I gaped, as Steve exited the car, paying the driver and offering a smile.

Before I could do it myself, Steve opened my door and offered a hand.

I stepped out, looking around immediately for Loki. He was set to be arriving before Steve and I. Nat, who remained on the laptop at our hotel, had said it would look less conspicuous.

He must already have gone in, because he was nowhere to be seen.

I slipped my mask over my eyes, and Steve did the same. We'd been happy to learn that the dress-code for the Gala was a fancy masquerade. That way we were far less likely to be recognized, or picked out from the crowd.

We approached the bouncers at the door, offering our aliases that Natasha had conjured in the span of a day.

And in we went.

I kept a hand on Steve's arm as we merged with the crowd, all speaking an array of languages. I recognized some English and Italian as we cut through the crowd.

And then I saw him, back to Steve and I, as he chatted with an elderly couple.

Steve cleared his throat, and Loki turned to face us.

He hadn't seen me until now, and his eyes roamed my body carefully, drinking in every detail.

I wore a sparkling red dress with lace decals that were transparent at my legs, and darkened near my hips and chest. The dress had long sleeves that touched the floor, and my fingers were clad in rings of silver. My hair was swept from my shoulders into a low hanging bun, and my lips were painted a dark brown.

"Darling, you're a vision," he mused.

I felt my cheeks redden.

"Don't get too comfortable," Steve warned, "Lida here is supposed to be my wife, remember?"

Loki hadn't been happy when he'd learned our covers. Lida and Nicolas, played by Steve and I—the rich couple from the Netherlands who'd made it big playing the stock market. And Loki was under the guise of Jakob, a big investor in up and coming tech companies. Which Trutex was, allegedly.

Despite Steve's warning, Loki didn't lift his eyes from me. I made the mistake of meeting his gaze. Heat pooled in low in my stomach as he smirked. And then winked. Like we shared a secret. And well, I guess we did.

I squirmed under his hard, deep gaze. It was like he was trying to remind me that he was very familiar with everything under my dress.

"Alright you three," Nat's voice in my earpiece startled me, "You know your target. Fan out. Find him."

My gaze swept the room. Nat had shown us a picture of Van Leer, so we knew who to look for. Only problem was, we had to pick him out of a sea of masked people.

"I'll bet I can find Van Leer before Rogers," Loki said lowly to me.

Steve's eyes bulged. "Nicolas."

"Right, right," Loki waved his hand, "Nicolas." He said it like an insult.

"And not everything has to be a game," Steve reprimanded him.

"Those are the words of someone afraid to lose," Loki prodded, before looking to me, "Is he really the man you picture when the two of us are fuc—"

"That's enough." My face was likely more red than my dress as both men stared down at me, Loki wearing a smirk, and Steve, a look of bewilderment. "That's more than enough. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go do what we came here to do."

I scurried off before either of them could comment further. I moved in a heated tizzy, my face hot and my mind replaying Loki's words and Steve's expression over and over.

Which led me to bump directly into someone.

I looked up, an apology already on my lips. "I'm sorry—" The apology died before I could fully get it out, when I met the man's gaze. It seemed so, strangely familiar. But, masked, I couldn't recognize him.

"Please, don't worry about it," he said, in a voice that, like his eyes, was weirdly familiar.

I frowned softly, as he offered me his hand.

"Do you dance?"

"Not if I can help it," I said jokingly, unable to place him.

"Might I persuade you to do so tonight?"

"Hmm," I gingerly took his hand, "I'll make an exception, just this once."

He smiled, and led me toward the floor where couples danced to an orchestra. While we danced, I tried to inconspicuously search the crowd for Van Leer. I saw Loki and Steve working their way through the crowd. Every so often, they both glanced my way.

I almost did a double take when my eyes swept over the shoulder-length white hair Van Leer had had in the photo Nat had shown us.

I kept my eye on him as I willed the song to come to an end.

I let out a pent up breath when, finally, it did. I bid my dance partner a quick goodbye, before rushing off to get to Van Leer.

"I've got him," I said quietly into my earpiece, "Keep your distance for now. I'll let you know if I need back up."

"Be safe, Al." Came Steve's reply.

I didn't quite know the best way to start up a conversation with him, so I opted for bumping into him. He caught me by the elbow before I could pretend to fall, and I righted myself, schooling my features into a look of surprise.

"I'm so sorry, that's about the fifth person I've bumped into this evening," I said, willing my voice to sound very feminine and soft.

"No worries, dear," he said, his eyes looking me up and down. I forced myself not to squirm uncomfortably under his gaze. I didn't love the way he was looking at me, considering that he was old enough to be my dad.

"I'm Lida," I said warmly, extending my hand to him, "Lida Jansen."

"Bram Van Leer," he said lowly, taking my hand and bringing it to his lips.

I tried not to gag.

"Oh!" I feigned surprise, "The CEO of Trutex, I believe?"

"My name precedes me, does it?" He asked with a sleazy smile.

"It certainly does. My husband and I hoped to meet you, but I don't know where he's run off to," I said sheepishly.

"I'm more than happy to discuss my business affairs with you," he said, "Unless your husband is the only one that deals in investments?"

I really wanted to smack this guy. He was sleazy, sexist, and corrupt. But I only smiled.

"I would be delighted to discuss Trutex with you," I said, looking around, "Is there perhaps somewhere quieter we might talk?"

He inclined his head. "Of course," he smiled, as he offered me his arm, "Follow me."

We cut toward a staircase that ascended to a hallway that branched off beyond sight. Hopefully he'd lead me far enough away that I could question him without being... Overheard.

I glanced over my shoulder at the top of the staircase, and saw Loki and Steve standing side by side, watching me go. I nodded softly to them, before Van Leer pulled me into the hallway.

He opened a door, and swept his arm toward the room. I entered gingerly, ready to summon my flame at the drop of a dime.

The door close behind me. I didn't turn to face him, unsure of how long I should keep my charade going.

"So, how long has Trutex—" I began, but he cut me off.

"Let's not pretend with each other any longer, Alivia," Van Leer said lowly, and every nerve in my body froze.

I whirled to face him, a flame already ignited in my palm.

He smiled delightedly. "Beautiful," he said, his eyes alight from my flame.

"It'll be less beautiful when it's burning the hair from your scalp," I spat, "Cooperate, and I won't have to use it on you."

"Oh, you misunderstand," he said, waving his hand nonchalantly. "You aren't the one with the upper hand here."

"How could you possibly—"

I was cut off when a cloth was pressed against my mouth, and a strong grip held me in place. The moment I inhaled, I knew what the cloth was soaked in. And that's when panic began to set in. I tried to summon a flame, but could hardly think with the chloroform invading my mind, and sapping at my strength.

"It's lovely to see you again," a voice said at my ear, and I looked up.

It was the man I'd danced with. Only his face was no longer obscured by a mask.

Recognition was the last thought in my mind, before the world went black.

The man who held me was Alessandro.

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