Daniel noticed it immediately.
Jade was standing beside Riguel and Camilla, applauding politely, but her eyes were empty. Her mind was elsewhere. She barely reacted to Ella's charismatic speech, barely smiled, barely teased anyone.
That wasn't Jade.
When the applause ended and the guests began chatting again, Daniel excused himself and walked toward her.
"Jade."
She turned, forcing a smile.
"Daniel."
"You've been distant since the speech started," he said quietly. "What happened?"
She hesitated, her fingers tightening around her champagne glass.
For a few seconds, she seemed to debate with herself. Then she sighed and looked up at him.
"I saw her again."
Daniel froze.
"The woman," she continued. "The mysterious one. The one who mentioned VESPERIS."
His expression darkened.
"This time she didn't just talk," Jade whispered. "It felt like a warning… or a threat. I don't know. But it was terrifying."
Daniel's jaw clenched.
"Stop thinking about her."
"I can't." Her voice trembled slightly. "Her words were different. She said I should be careful. That the stars are already watching."
He stared at her, unreadable.
"Daniel," she stepped closer, lowering her voice, "tell me the truth. The constellation. The curse. Your family. Me. VESPERIS. What is the connection?"
Her eyes searched his, desperate.
"You know something. I can see it."
"There is nothing you need to know," he replied calmly.
"That's not true!"
She swallowed, then whispered, almost pleading.
"Please. I don't like being kept in the dark. Not about something that keeps making me faint. Not about something that keeps following me."
Silence.
Daniel looked away.
"Drop it, Jade."
Her eyes hardened.
"No."
He turned back to her, surprised by the firmness in her tone.
"If you won't tell me, I'll find out myself," she said quietly. "I already started researching once. I'll do it again. And this time, I won't stop until I know everything."
"Jade…."
"You can keep your secrets, Mr. Ooman," she interrupted with a faint, sarcastic smile. "But I don't plan to stay ignorant forever."
She walked away, leaving Daniel alone in the middle of the elegant rooftop.
And for the first time that night, Daniel felt something he hadn't felt in years.
Fear.
.
.
.
Daniel and Jade left before midnight as usual
Ella whispered to herself,
"So that rumor was true".
She watched them as they entered in the elevator .
.
.
The ride back to the penthouse was silent. The city lights blurred past the window as she tried—and failed—to push the image of that woman from her mind.
She lingered by the window for a long moment, her heart pounding with a strange mix of curiosity and unease. Something about that mysterious woman she had seen earlier refused to leave her thoughts, lingering like a shadow at the edge of her mind.
.
.
.
Finally back at her hotel room after the party at her honor, Ella sank onto the edge of the bed, exhaustion tugging at her limbs yet restless. She reached for her phone and called her father, needing to give him a full report.
"Hi, Dad… I just got back from the ceremony. Everything went… really well," she said.
"That's good to hear. Was everything as expected?" he said.
"Yes… and more…"
Ella watched the city lights from her hotel window while still on the phone with her father, a small, satisfied smile tugging at her lips. The night had been… interesting. Daniel—the so-called "famous man"—had crossed her path, and she'd seen exactly what the rumors were about. Powerful. Composed. Commanding. But that didn't intimidate her. If anything, it made her want more.
She straightened in her chair, letting the weight of her ambition settle around her like armor. The city was vast, full of opportunities, of players, of secrets—and she was here to take it all. No one would underestimate her. Not Daniel, not anyone..
"Nothing that could stop me. But I did meet him—the famous Daniel," she said, her tone steady, almost calculating.
"The Daniel? Everyone's talking about him," he said.
"Yes. He's impressive, yes—but he's just one player in a city full of games. I intend to understand the rules… and then I'll control them," she said.
"Ella… remember to be careful," he said.
"I know, Dad. But this city… it won't wait for anyone. Neither will I," she said.
She hung up and turned toward the skyline, her mind already racing. Deals to close. Connections to make. Power to claim. The night had been a reminder—Daniel, the ceremony, the whispers—they were all part of the game. And she? She was here to win.