After last night, from the moment Aliana left Karden until she landed in Astoria, she had not seen a single spirit, neither malevolent nor otherwise.

That fact unsettled her far more than it reassured her.

The last time she had experienced such an eerie calm, it had been followed by a full-blown attack, and she could not shake the feeling that history might repeat itself.

Nothing felt safe to her at the moment.

And that alone was enough to make her sit up abruptly on the sofa. She reached for her phone from the side table, which she had silenced earlier to escape Jacob’s relentless calls and messages after her... rather bold declaration.

The man was truly beginning to test her patience, constantly insisting that partnering with Archon Group was a terrible decision.

As if that were not enough, he had started interfering in her personal life as well.

Going so far as to suggest that it was not too late for her to reconsider her so-called relationship with Gavriel.

She understood that perhaps he was simply concerned for her.

He had always treated her with kindness and had a soft spot for her. Especially because she was Jade’s friend, someone he was clearly fond of.

But that still did not give him the right to tell her who she should or should not be with.

Hell, even her parents did not have that authority over her.

She made a mental note to have a proper conversation with him soon enough.

Scrolling through her phone, she tapped on a name, and the call was picked up on the first ring.

"Hi, boss! Is everything alright?" Nigel asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Stop worrying, Nigel. Everything’s fine. I’m calling to ask if what I requested has been taken care of," Aliana replied.

"Um... about that. I’ve actually still been working on it," Nigel said cautiously.

Aliana’s brows drew together in displeasure. "What’s the holdup?"

"Well... for starters, Mr. Valentine doesn’t have an assistant I can contact to coordinate with," Nigel replied, sounding slightly worn out.

"He doesn’t?" Aliana frowned in surprise before asking,"How is that possible? Isn’t he the chairman of the Archon Group? He should be the first person in that company to have an assistant."

"That’s exactly the issue, boss. I’ve used all my contacts to dig into him, but he’s about as mysterious as they come," Nigel replied.

Aliana fell silent for a moment before asking, "So what now?"

"I... I did find something that might be useful to you."

"Well, go on. Don’t hold back on my account," Aliana said, curiosity edging into her tone.

"I heard that the only person who is ever properly in touch with Mr Valentine is... Mr Pierce. But I’m not sure how to approach the CEO of Archon Group for... your request." Nigel sounded increasingly uneasy, and Aliana could practically picture him sweating at the mere thought of it. Given how absurd the situation was, she could not entirely blame him.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she replied, "Fine. I have Cillian’s number. I’ll ask him myself."

"Eh! Are you sure, boss? You really want to ask him something like this?" Nigel asked, clearly shocked.

"Oh, relax, I’m only going to ask for his number," Aliana replied nonchalantly.

"What? Boss, you cannot be serious. Isn’t exchanging numbers the first step before starting a relationship?" Nigel sounded like he was on the verge of hyperventilating.

There was a brief pause on Aliana’s end before she let out a small sigh. "I would have done that... if I had remembered to ask for his number." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"....."

"Well, I may have missed a step with things moving so fast. Anyway, I need to call Cillian. The sun is setting, and I don’t have much time," Aliana added quickly.

"Alright, boss, good luck. Call me if you need anything," Nigel replied promptly.

"I will."

With that, Aliana ended the call and, without wasting a moment, dialled the next person, someone she had not contacted in... quite a long time.

The call rang two, three times until a deep, amused voice rang out, "Ah, if it isn’t Miss Vanderbilt. Is the sun rising in a different direction today, or should I file a complaint about phone theft?"

"Good evening to you, too, Mr Pierce," Aliana replied coolly, rolling her eyes. Long accustomed to his sense of humour, she wasted no time indulging him.

"Mr Pierce, in light of the new partnership between our companies, I trust your words were sincere when you said you wished to put past grievances behind us and begin anew?"

"I did," Cillian replied, far too cheerfully. "So, what can I do for you?"

’Straight to the point, just like always,’ Aliana mused.

"Yes. Keeping that in mind, I would like you to forward me Gavriel’s number."

As soon as Aliana said this, she heard Cillian choke on something, followed by a series of muffled coughs.

She sighed internally, ’Why does everyone have to be so dramatic?’ before prompting, "Mr. Pierce? Are you alright?"

"Ah, sorry about that," he replied after clearing his throat. "I just thought you would already have it, given... you know... the status of your relationship."

"I forgot to ask," Aliana said plainly, as though the matter required no further explanation. "So, will you send it now? I’m afraid it’s quite urgent."

There was a brief pause before a soft chuckle came through the line.

"Yes, of course. I’ll send it right away. Anything else I can help you with?"

"That will be all. Thank you for your help," Aliana replied.

"My pleasure."

The line disconnected.

In his mansion, Cillian stared at his phone for a moment longer, a mischievous smile lingering on his lips long after the call ended.

His fingers tapped lightly against the screen before he proceeded to act.

A gruff voice spoke from behind him.

"I’m not sure Master would approve of that."

Cillian’s eyes flicked away from his phone as he turned to look at Reve standing behind him, his smirk only widening.

"Ah, Reve, I am sure your Master will thank me for this later. After all, I am playing Cupid in this grand story."

’Or a grand disaster,’ Reve thought, bracing himself for his Master’s inevitable wrath.

"Yes," Reve replied. "My source confirmed that a lower-level demon has taken over Karden after killing the one who previously ruled that territory."

"Is that so?" Cillian’s tone shifted, curiosity sharpening as the hint of amusement faded from his expression. "Do we have a name?"

A brief pause followed before Reve answered.

"Yes. He goes by the name Mord."

"Mord?" Cillian repeated, his eyes widening as he looked at Reve. "Is he the same Mord I’m thinking of?"

"Yes. He is one of the most notorious entities out there," Reve replied.

Cillian’s expression turned grave. "Just what the hell did Aliana do to attract his attention?"

"It likely has to do with the whispers surrounding her mysterious powers within the spirit circle," Reve answered.

Cillian quickly set his glass on the table and grabbed his coat. "We need to make him aware of this. Let’s go."

Reve nodded, and thick smoke immediately coiled around Cillian’s body, vanishing them both into thin air.