Velora
A few days passed. The investigation into Lilith continued, yielding little details about her operations but no clear indication of her ultimate goal. Cassian and Lyriel kept digging but mostly met dead ends. The anonymous note remained at the back of Velora's mind but no new one had come in. The man from the rooftop bar had not reappeared, despite her inquiries.
Despite Velora's attempt to focus on work and the Syndicate's drama, the stranger's knowing look and the sound of the forbidden name, "Louisa" lurked in her mind. It felt like he could see right through her carefully constructed facade. She needed answers, and the only place that seemed perfect to start was back at the scene where everything began.
The sky was grey and threatening rain as Velora headed back to where she met him. The city was quieter now, not in its usual rush hour. The bar, which usually held a good amount of people, sat empty. The view, which was usually impressive at night, felt bland and dead under the dark cloudy sky.
She asked to see the manager and in no time, he was walking towards her, looking stressed out. His tie looked defeated and the bags under his eyes could hold her entire collection of black market contacts. She started with a "lost valuable" story, hoping to sway him into giving her the footage she needed.
"Hi, I was here a few days ago and I think I misplaced something really valuable to me."
"What valuable, ma'am?"
"My necklace. Gold necklace."
"I'm sorry ma'am but we haven't had a case of a lost and found gold necklace this month." He said.
"Wow. I can't remember taking it out of here with me."
"It's fine. I'll get my staff to check around again for you."
"That'd be so lovely. But while they are at it, is it okay if I get the surveillance footage for that day, the one in the area where I sat? Maybe I could see if I actually dropped it here?"
"But ma'am—"
"Please…that necklace is the last piece of my mum I have." She lied through her teeth with a pleading look.
He sighed, running a hand through the little hair he had on his head.
"Actually, our cameras were faulty for about a week. Although our technical team had it worked on after then." He gave a tired smile. "Sorry about that."
Velora's hopes shattered. Another dead end. Just as she prepared to leave, a young waitress, the same one from that night, walked over, with a cheerful smile.
"Excuse me, ma'am." She started. "You were here the other night, right? With a friend?"
Velora nodded. Friend? Not the right word to use for Marcello but she could manage.
"Well," the waitress continued, glancing over to the spot they had sat that night. "Another gentleman, the one talking to your friend, asked me to give this to you if you ever came back." She held out an ordinary black ballpoint pen. Seriously? A pen?
Velora took it, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She stared at the pen in her hand. Plain, black, what else?
"He wanted me to have…this?" She asked, turning it over her fingers like it was some ancient artifact.
"Yep." The waitress chirped. "He said and I quote, 'make sure the lady gets this.' Seemed like he knew you'd come again. Gave it to me right before he walked out." The waitress was right. He did seem like he knew she'd come.
"Did he…did he say anything else?" She asked, trying not to sound desperate.
The waitress shook her head, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Not really. Just that. Oh, and he didn't give me his name or anything. A bit mysterious if you ask me." She winked.
Velora knew exactly what the waitress was thinking; he was some guy trying to get her attention. He actually was, but not in that sense.
She thanked her, a mix of annoyance and intrigue building up inside her. A pen? Seriously? Maybe it was one of those fancy spy pens? Probably not.
She left the bar, the pen feeling strangely significant in her hand, her brain already trying to decode its possible meaning.
••
Back in the silence of her penthouse, she threw her bag on her sofa, but held the pen in her hand. She stared at the pen with much interest, and that was when she saw a writeup engraved in it. She squinted her eyes to read it. 'Hope and Harmony Foundation' She looked up, trying to think of something that sounded like that. She got her laptop to run a little search and just then, her black phone buzzed.
She picked up the phone and tapped on the screen. It was a notification of a new mission from Greco.. The usual clinical details popped up. Target profile, weaknesses and every other vital information she was going to need. The extraction point? A fancy charity gala in a few days. Perfect for blending in, and making a clear exit. Then, her eyes landed on the name of the event.
The annual 'Hope and Harmony Foundation' gala.
The same gala.