Chapter 98 Front Row Seats
Xiomara’s fingers were still pressed into Caspian’s sleeve.
She could feel the tension in his arm. The way his muscles were coiled tight. The way his breathing was shallow.
She leaned closer. Her voice was low. Urgent.
"Xavier Lala has a grudge against the Zed family."
Caspian blinked. "The Zed family?"
"One of the three major families in Etran City." She paused. "They’ve been blocking his company for years. Every contract. Every approval. Everything takes longer for him."
Caspian’s brow furrowed. "So?"
"So if Grace knew about it, she would never choose to cooperate with him."
Caspian stared at her. His eyes narrowed.
"Are you sure?"
"I’m sure. Professor Sterling told me himself."
Caspian’s face shifted. The hollow emptiness began to fade. Something else crept in. Hope. Calculation.
"How do we use that?"
Xiomara released his arm. She reached into her clutch and pulled out a slim black card.
Professor Sterling’s VIP card. He had given it to her weeks ago. She had kept it for emergencies.
"With this," she said, "we can get upstairs."
Caspian looked at the card. "That’s Professor Sterling’s?"
"He gave it to me. Said I could use it if I ever needed to see him at Bordeaux."
Caspian’s jaw tightened. "And you’re just telling me this now?"
"I’m telling you now because we need it now."
She walked toward the spiral staircase. Her heels clicked against the marble. Caspian followed.
The bodyguards at the top of the stairs recognized the card.
They stepped aside. No questions. No hesitation.
Xiomara tucked the card back into her clutch. She walked past them onto the second floor.
The private dining rooms were quieter than the main restaurant. Darker. The carpet was thicker. The walls were paneled in dark wood.
Xiomara’s eyes swept the hallway.
She was looking for someone. Anyone who might be Grace.
She spotted a figure near the window.
Sitting alone. Staring out at the city lights. The silhouette was familiar.
Xiomara’s heart jumped.
Veyra.
She was sitting at a small table near the window, her back to the hallway. A glass of water sat untouched in front of her. She was lost in thought. Her gloved hands rested on the table.
Xiomara’s anger surged. Her hands curled into fists.
She wanted to march over there. To grab Veyra by the hair and drag her out of the restaurant. To humiliate her the way she had been humiliated on the plane.
But she forced herself to stop.
She turned away.
Not yet, she thought. First, find Grace. Then deal with her.
She scanned the hallway again.
Carl pointed. "There."
A private dining room at the end of the hall. The door was open. Inside, Dr. Harrison was talking to a plainly dressed old man.
The old man had white hair and a weathered face. His clothes were simple. Unremarkable. He looked like a retired farmer.
Xiomara stared.
That’s Grace?
She had expected someone else. Someone younger. Sharper. More polished.
But the old man was sitting at the table, nodding calmly, listening to Dr. Harrison with a quiet intensity.
It had to be him.
Xiomara grabbed Caspian’s arm. She pulled him behind a tall storage shelf.
"Wait," she whispered.
Dr. Harrison stood up. He shook the old man’s hand. He said something. Then he walked out of the private room and down the hallway.
Xiomara watched him go. His footsteps faded.
She looked at Caspian.
"Now," she said.
They stepped out from behind the shelf. They walked toward the private room.
The old man was still sitting at the table. He was sipping tea. His eyes were half-closed.
Xiomara stepped through the doorway.
Veyra had been staring out the window when she saw them.
Caspian and Xiomara. Walking past her table. Heading toward the end of the hallway.
She had not expected to see them again. Not so soon. Not here.
She watched them disappear into a private room. The door was open. Dr. Harrison had just left that room.
Veyra’s curiosity flickered.
She stood up. Her chair scraped against the carpet. She walked down the hallway.
Her steps were quiet. Her gloved hands hung at her sides.
She reached the door. She stopped just outside. She could hear voices inside and Veyra leaned against the wall. She crossed her arms.
She stayed, she watched and she listened.
Well, the show was just beginning.