Ava
gritted her teeth, staring at the dress in her hands. "You really expect me to wear this?"
Lucas
smirked, lounging against the wall. "Beauty, you’re about to walk into a den of liars, backstabbers, and the desperate elite. You need to sell the part."
Ava
rolled her eyes. "And what part is that exactly?"
Lucas
pushed off the wall, golden eyes gleaming as he stepped closer. "A trader. A powerful one. Someone untouchable."
Ava
narrowed her eyes. "And why, exactly, would they believe that?"
Lucas
grinned. "Because you have something they want. You’re a trader from another bunker, coming to sell fuel cells. And lucky for you—" he gestured dramatically toward a nearby crate, "—you have all my stock."
Ava
blinked, glancing at the crate. "Wait. All of it?"
Lucas
nodded. "All 11,000-ish fuel cells. Enough to make them drool."
Ava
exhaled sharply. "Bai, that’s insane."
Lucas
chuckled. "And yet, it’s going to work."
Ava
glared at him. "And what happens when they ask me for specifics? How do I explain my source?"
Lucas
tilted his head. "You don’t. You act like you have my system."
Ava
paused. "Wait—what?"
Lucas
grinned. "You just have to
act
like you have an appraisal system. Scan things, act bored, throw around numbers like they mean nothing. The more casual you are, the more powerful they’ll think you are."
Ava
folded her arms. "Bai, that’s ridiculous."
Lucas
smirked. "And yet, it’s going to work."
Ava
exhaled sharply. "You keep saying that."
Lucas
winked. "Because I’m always right."
Ava
gritted her teeth but shoved past him, stepping toward the mirror. "Fine. But if I’m doing this, I’m not going in looking like a shiny new victim. I need to look like I belong."
Lucas
grinned. "Already ahead of you, Beauty."
Ava
watched as he moved to a small case, flipping it open to reveal an array of makeup.
Ava
blinked. "Bai... why the hell do you have a full makeup kit?"
Lucas
chuckled, grabbing a small brush. "Relax, Beauty. I’m not using it on myself."
Ava
folded her arms. "That’s not an answer."
Lucas
paused for a moment, twirling a makeup brush between his fingers. Then, his smirk softened just slightly. "My dad used to do this for my mom. Every morning, without fail."
Ava
froze.
Lucas
shrugged, tapping the brush against the counter. "She had a scar she didn’t like. He covered it for her every day. Even when she didn’t ask him to."
Ava
exhaled. "That’s..."
Lucas
smirked. "Romantic?"
Ava
huffed. "Unbelievable."
Lucas
grinned, stepping closer. "Sit down, Zhang."
Ava
hesitated.
Lucas
raised a brow. "Trust me?"
Ava
rolled her eyes but sat. "No."
Lucas
chuckled. "Liar."
He
worked quickly, brushing soft powder against her skin, blending the lines just enough to smooth out the exhaustion she hadn’t realized was showing.
Lucas
tilted her chin slightly. "Look up."
Ava
sighed but obeyed. "You’ve done this before."
Lucas
smirked. "Told you. Learned from the best."
Ava exhaled as he lined her eyes, making them sharper, more calculating. More like him.
Lucas
grinned as he stepped back. "Perfect."
Ava
stood, glancing at herself in the mirror.
Gone was the scavenger. The fixer. The girl who spent hours hunched over broken tech.
In her place?
A trader. Someone who belonged in Level One. Someone untouchable.
Lucas
leaned against the desk, watching Ava examine herself in the mirror. His golden eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
"Not bad, Beauty. You actually look the part."
Ava
rolled her eyes. "I’ll take that as a compliment."
Lucas
chuckled. "You should." Then, his smirk faded slightly, replaced by something sharper. "Now, listen carefully. If we’re pulling this off, you need to understand exactly who you’re dealing with."
Ava
crossed her arms. "Angel and her boyfriend. What do I need to know?"
Lucas
grinned. "Where do I start?"
He
turned, tapping on his tablet, and a holographic screen flickered to life, displaying two profiles.
Name: Angelica "Angel" Vasquez
Affiliation: Level One Trade Elite
Primary Assets: Financial Backing, Black Market Connections, Information Network
Personality: Possessive, Vicious, Calculating
Name: Elijah Locke
Affiliation: Military (Captain – Strategic Operations)
Primary Assets: Government Ties, Security Access, Tactical Training
Personality: Charismatic, Loyal, Easily Manipulated
Ava
tilted her head. "Huh. That’s... a lot."
Lucas
grinned. "Oh, it gets better."
He
pointed at Angel’s profile. "Angel is smart, but her greatest weakness is control. She doesn’t just want power—she wants ownership. Everything in her life is curated, controlled, and if something doesn’t fit the mold? She eliminates it."
Ava
raised a brow. "Sounds like someone I know."
Lucas
laughed. "Beauty, if I were like Angel, you wouldn’t be standing here right now."
Ava
huffed. "Fair point. And Locke?"
Lucas
sighed. "Locke is military through and through. He’s got discipline, tactics, and a strong sense of loyalty. But the problem?"
Ava
glanced at his profile again. "He’s loyal to Angel."
Lucas
snapped his fingers. "Exactly. She sunk her claws into him years ago. He’s utterly devoted, but here’s the thing—" He leaned in, smirking. "She doesn’t let him
have
anything."
Ava
narrowed her eyes. "Explain."
Lucas
chuckled. "She controls everything. His career, his image, his
free time
. And you know what happens when someone gets
too
controlled?"
Ava
tilted her head. "They start looking for loopholes."
Lucas
grinned. "Bingo."
Ava
sighed. "And I’m supposed to be the loophole?"
Lucas
smirked. "You don’t have to
do
anything. Just exist. Be charming. Be a trader with something to offer. The second he thinks you might be useful—or worse,
interesting
—Angel will panic."
Ava
folded her arms. "And that helps us
how
, exactly?"
Lucas
grinned. "Because while she’s focused on you, I’ll be taking things she won’t even realize are missing."
Ava
exhaled sharply. "You
really
enjoy this, don’t you?"
Lucas
winked. "Beauty, I
live
for this."
Ava
rolled her eyes. "Fine. But I need details. What’s he like in conversation? What am I walking into?"
Lucas
sighed, tapping on Locke’s profile. "He’s flirty, smooth, but never crude. Military-polished charm. He likes to act like he’s
in control
, but if you push the right buttons, you’ll see he’s always looking over his shoulder for Angel’s approval."
Ava
smirked. "And what are those buttons?"
Lucas
grinned. "Talk business. He likes traders—especially ones who can handle themselves. Play confident, act like you don’t
need
the deal, and he’ll be the one trying to impress
you
."
Ava
tilted her head. "And Angel?"
Lucas
chuckled. "Angel will do everything she can to keep him from looking at you. Which makes this even more fun."
Ava
sighed. "You’re a menace."
Lucas
winked. "And you love it."
Ava
huffed. "I tolerate it. Now let’s get this over with."
Because if they were walking into a game of control—
she was going to make damn sure she played it better than anyone else.