Lucas
glanced up at the screen, fingers tapping lightly against the desk. His golden eyes narrowed as he zoomed in on a live surveillance feed.
"They’re moving."
Ava
stepped closer, scanning the screen. "Who?"
Lucas
sighed, tilting the display toward her. "Two top traders from Level One. One of them is a weapons dealer from Level Two."
Ava
folded her arms. "And?"
Lucas
smirked. "And your friend and Jessica? They’re double agents."
Ava
went still. "What?"
Lucas
sighed, stretching his arms like this was nothing new. "William managed to get the intel. They’re playing both sides—feeding information to the traders while working for Zhao."
Ava
gritted her teeth. "And you just found out?"
Lucas
grinned. "No, Beauty. I confirmed it."
Ava
exhaled, rubbing her temple. "You could’ve told me sooner."
Lucas
chuckled. "Where’s the fun in that?"
Ava
rolled her eyes. "So what’s the plan?"
Lucas
leaned back, smirking. "Simple. While they’re busy with their little trade negotiations, I’ll be stealing from a couple of their warehouses."
Ava
arched a brow. "And me?"
Lucas
tilted his head. "You, my dear Beauty, will be handling the distraction."
Ava
narrowed her eyes. "How?"
Lucas
grinned, zooming in on a different feed. "You’ll be drinking and talking with Angel’s boyfriend—the one in the military."
Ava
blinked. "Excuse me?"
Lucas
leaned forward, voice smooth as silk. "Very simple. You go to the bar, entertain him for the night, keep his eyes on you instead of the deal. Meanwhile—" He gestured to himself. "I’ll be elsewhere."
Ava
huffed. "So I get to babysit some military idiot while you commit grand larceny?"
Lucas
grinned as he leaned against the desk, arms crossed. "This should be easy for you, Beauty."
Ava
folded her arms. "Oh? And why’s that?"
Lucas
smirked. "Because he’s quite flirty."
Ava
raised a brow. "You’re telling me to seduce a man with a girlfriend?"
Lucas
chuckled. "Not seduce. Just... walk the line."
Ava
narrowed her eyes. "Clarify."
Lucas
sighed, like he was explaining something to a particularly stubborn student. "He loves Angel. No question. But she’s possessive—borderline obsessive. So while she controls every move he makes, he’s constantly looking for an outlet."
Ava
tilted her head. "And you think I’m the perfect outlet?"
Lucas
grinned. "You don’t know he’s taken, do you?"
Ava
huffed. "I do now."
Lucas
chuckled. "That’s the beauty of it. You get to be the
harmless
distraction. A little conversation, a little attention—nothing serious, nothing that crosses the line, but just enough to keep him occupied."
Ava
rolled her shoulders. "And if Angel finds out?"
Lucas
shrugged. "Then you’ll be the poor, innocent girl who didn’t know any better."
Ava
arched a brow. "You really think that’ll work?"
Lucas
grinned. "I know it will."
Ava
exhaled sharply. "I hate this plan."
Lucas
winked. "You hate that it’s good."
Ava
sighed, rubbing her temple. "Fine. I’ll play along. But if this gets messy, Bai—"
Lucas
grinned. "That was Plan A, Beauty."
Ava
paused, narrowing her eyes. "Meaning?"
Lucas
tilted his head, golden eyes gleaming. "Meaning I always have a Plan B."
Ava
crossed her arms. "Of course you do. What is it?"
Lucas
leaned in, voice smooth as silk. "If you get discovered—if they figure out you work for me—you flip the script."
Ava
arched a brow. "And do what, exactly?"
Lucas
smirked. "Act like you’ve gone rogue. Betray me. Make it loud, make it dramatic. Double-cross me in front of them."
Ava
blinked. "Are you actually asking me to sell you out?"
Lucas
chuckled. "Oh, Beauty. No one sells me out unless I let them."
Ava
exhaled sharply. "Alright. And if Plan B doesn’t work?"
Lucas
grinned wider. "Then we go to Plan C."
Ava
tilted her head. "Which is?"
Lucas
turned, tapping a spot on the map projected on the tablet. "This is the Bai Hotel. Fifteenth floor, Room 35. Two miles from here. That’s our regroup point. If everything falls apart, you meet me there."
Ava
studied the location, committing it to memory. "And if I can’t make it?"
Lucas
shrugged. "Then I’ll come find you."
Ava
rolled her eyes. "Because that’s reassuring."
Lucas
winked. "Always."
Ava
sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "You do realize how ridiculous this is, right?"
Lucas
grinned. "Beauty, everything I do is ridiculous. But it works."
Ava exhaled sharply. "That’s the problem."
Lucas
laughed. "Then let’s make sure we don’t need Plan C."
Ava
glanced at the screen one last time, then straightened. "Fine. Let’s get this over with."
Lucas
laughed, shaking his head. "Then let’s make sure we don’t need Plan C."
Ava
exhaled sharply. "You better hope so, Bai."
Lucas
grinned. "Oh, Beauty. That’s just where it starts. For me, I have Plans D to P already lined up. Lots to do, so little time."
Ava
narrowed her eyes. "Why am I not surprised?"
Lucas
smirked. "Because you’re finally starting to understand how I work."
Ava
crossed her arms. "You don’t plan. You prepare for chaos and pretend it was all intentional."
Lucas
chuckled. "Exactly." Then, with an easy flick of his wrist, he gestured toward her. "But first, I need to dress you."
Ava
blinked. "Excuse me?"
Lucas
sighed dramatically, stepping toward a nearby wardrobe. "Beauty, you can’t walk into Level One’s finest establishments looking like you just crawled out of a tech lab. If you’re going to play the part, you need to look the part."
Ava
glared. "I am not your dress-up doll, Bai."
Lucas
grinned as he pulled out a sleek, form-fitting dress, rich in color but simple enough to avoid drawing too much attention. "No, but you
are
my distraction tonight. And distractions should be... memorable."
Ava
snorted. "I hate you."
Lucas
winked. "That’s the spirit."
Ava
snatched the dress out of his hands, muttering under her breath. "If this thing is uncomfortable, I swear—"
Lucas
laughed, already turning away. "Hurry up, Beauty. Time is money."
Ava
gritted her teeth but headed to change, because like it or not—
Lucas was almost always right.