Chapter 15
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Moonlight gleamed across his golden irises with hypnotic intensity.
Her pulse raced wildly within her ribs.
Carolina Diaz attributed the sensation to nothing more than neural fireworks from the lunar glow.
She resisted the night’s enchanting veil.
Composure reclaimed her senses.
Her rhythm evened out bit by bit.
Concealing the flicker of vulnerability, she ventured a breezy query.
“Sir Rojas, what draws you out here tonight?”
The emperor’s natal celebration dominated the hour.
Everett Rojas had no business lingering now.
Tension etched his features as he weighed his reply.
“That event held zero charm for me.”
Right then, far-off clamor pierced the quiet.
Everett pivoted toward the racket. Anxiety gnawed his lower lip. Fingers tangled roughly in his strands.
A hushed oath slipped free before he turned back.
“Miss Diaz, I need a small boon from you.”
Edwin tracked the approaching hunters, venom on his tongue.
Capture promised mortifying fallout.
He’d stake imperial relics that posturing amid revelers trumped this chaos by leagues.
Desperation colored the glance he cast Rina’s way.
“Miss Diaz, a request if I may.”
Violet depths sharpened with guarded doubt.
“No great burden.”
Simple diversion from patrols—that was all.
Distrust held firm in her gaze, though consent followed.
His gentlest mask in place, Edwin sketched the dilemma.
“The masked gala in the annex palace—you’ve heard?”
She fixed him with rebuke, sibling to scamp.
Eyes downcast, he pushed ahead.
“Duty called me there too.”
His own commemoration, no less.
“Yet festivities like those grate on me.”
Handkerchiefs fluttered earthward by design. Fans trailed. Daring sorts collapsed dramatically his direction.
The boldest doused him outright.
Memory dragged a groan from deep recall of claret-soaked finery.
Evident exhaustion thawed her reserve.
“Fair point—some recoil from the whirl.”
Nod granted, her sympathy skewed toward presumed reticence.
Timid swordsman role served Edwin adequately.
“Made a token showing, vanished quick—snag hit.”
Key omissions sweetened the recap for Rina.
Thirty minutes past.
Refuge in the salon, wine pretext fleeing a cloying apologizer.
Dallied, anticipating her retreat.
Admirers amassed instead.
Sparkling deluge loomed next, intuition warned.
Hostile ring closed, foes unrelenting.
Sovereign or not, youthful coquettes demanded finesse.
Premature departure sealed: livery donned, hasty veil.
Personal guise passed to frame-matched adjutant—the genuine Everett Rojas.
City-bound proxy role thrust upon him, aide’s caveats waved aside.
“Exit attempt foiled—sentries marked me.”
Prophetic caution, perhaps.
Edwin exhaled long.
“Deemed infiltrator; chase ignited.”
Revelation at first sighting might’ve salvaged it.
Repulsion spurred concealment, birthing bedlam.
Layouts ingrained let him weave free.
Blind spot: breach implications.
Summit alarm blared. Patrols swarmed comprehensive.
Disciples exceeded drills.
Praiseworthy, barring his involvement.
“Why not claim error?”
Rina’s insight cut keen post his tale.
“Mess ballooned beyond confession.”
Forehead met palms in defeat.
Unvoiced peril registered with her.
Suspicion thawed incrementally.
“Help how, precisely?”
Promising tilt.
“Palace perimeter first.”
Evasion blueprint unfolded.
Kyle’s network outpost beyond.
Relay via him: operative dispatch, not breach.
Secrecy cloaked identities seamless.
Kyle’s mock obliviousness inevitable.
“Clever. Lacking gate token?”
Her acuity nailed it.
Meek affirmative, heat rising.
Providential pass notion dawned mid-periphery trek to Kyle’s haunt.
Barrier clash? Abyss.
Spine iced over.
Treasury fringe adjacency, Rina’s ramble—providence pure.
Her writ granted egress.
Arms barred chest, scrutiny pinned.
Search cadence intensified.
Name invoked, plea edged.
Resolution snapped swift.
“Agreed—pause here. Duty interrupted; office pit stop.”
Everett’s relief bloomed radiant at her pledge.
Workplace kin deserved mutual succor, Carolina Diaz reflected.
She departed him for her chamber.
Tasks loomed incomplete.
Pass-less ally demanded tandem transit.
Reimmersion post-freedom chafed.
Tomorrow’s self inherited backlog; surface prepped.
Hasty bundle clutched, garden rendezvous reclaimed.
He stepped forth in welcome.
Fingers laced his in courtly poise.
Obscure archway beckoned.
“Token inspection.”
Gatekeeper’s palm beckoned, fatigue heavy.
She bridged seamless.
“Workmate—his slipped domestic.”
Staff anomaly rare.
“Personally ushered inbound.”
Log scrutiny launched.
“Morning ingress alternate…”
Bewilderment feigned soft.
“Escort sans token mandates mirror egress.”
Tone hardened official.
“Carnival pulse tonight. Bazaar beckons, origin far circuit.”
Eyes downcast, overtime litany for fest carve-out.
“Single lapse pardoned—no encore.”
Muttered leniency prevailed.
Strides lengthened till bastion faded pinpoint.
Shared breath released.
“Gratitudes accumulate.”
Smile warmed his thanks.
“Overtime grind authentic for revels?”
Tease drew her riposte, tomorrow’s toil laced bitter.
