The moment Isidore released Aren’s waist, he stepped past her and disappeared into the nearest hallway leading toward the restrooms.
Once he was beyond the sightlines of the guests and security personnel, he slipped a discreet earpiece into one ear and tapped it several times.
A few moments later, Aren heard his voice through the tiny earrings.
"Communications check. Confirm once you hear me."
Careful not to draw attention to herself, Aren lightly tapped one of the earrings.
"Yes. I hear you, Master Accardi."
"Good. Contact me once you reach the fourth floor."
"Got it."
Her attention immediately shifted back to the exhibition floor.
By then, Isaac Accardi was leaving the exhibition hall alongside Ylenia Ombra, the pair seemingly heading toward a private showcase or meeting.
Ruben moved through the crowd with a polished silver tray balanced effortlessly in one hand, weaving between executives and politicians engaged in polite conversation over champagne.
Eventually, he reached a quiet corner of the exhibition hall where Micaela stood alone.
Remaining inconspicuous, Aren observed from a distance as Ruben approached Micaela with impeccable professionalism.
"Another glass, madam?"
Micaela smiled graciously.
"Of course. How lovely."
She exchanged her empty champagne flute for a fresh one. As Ruben accepted the empty glass, Micaela’s fingers slipped something impossibly small into his waiting hand.
A black USB drive.
The exchange was so seamless that no ordinary observer would ever have noticed.
Ruben never even glanced down. The drive disappeared into the sleeve of his uniform before he pivoted away, continuing across the exhibition floor as though nothing unusual had happened.
This time, however, he did not return to the champagne bar.
Instead, he headed directly toward the elevators.
Without hesitation, Aren peeled away from the crowd. Rather than follow him into the elevator, she slipped through a heavy fire door concealed beneath an illuminated emergency exit sign.
The instant the door closed behind her, the hum of the exhibition vanished, replaced by cool concrete walls and echoing silence.
She ascended the stairwell, reaching the fourth-floor landing without so much as quickening her breath. Touching her earring, she spoke quietly.
"Master Accardi, I’m on the fourth floor. Ready for the next move."
By then, Isidore had relocated to a secluded corner of the building where no curious eyes would notice him. His fingers moved rapidly across the screen of his phone as lines of code and surveillance feeds flickered beneath them.
"Good," he replied. "Every corridor on this floor is covered by cameras and security patrols. I can interfere with the surveillance feed long enough to freeze each camera for seven seconds before the monitoring system detects the anomaly."
"So I only have seven seconds to move through each monitored corridor?"
"Correct. After that, there’ll be a thirty-second cooldown before I can interfere again. The system needs time to normalize."
"Understood. Starting now?"
For the briefest instant, the corner of Isidore’s mouth almost twitched.
’She threatened to void our contract over something utterly trivial minutes ago.’
’Now she’s a flawless professional again.’
’...Disturbing.’
Suppressing the stray thought, he executed the prepared program.
"On my count."
His fingers flew over the display.
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
Every surveillance camera on the fourth floor froze simultaneously.
"Now."
The instant the word reached her ear, Aren moved.
She eased open the stairwell door just enough to peer into the executive corridor beyond.
Polished marble stretched beneath muted lighting.
Expensive artwork lined the walls.
The corridor itself was almost deserted.
Until—
Ding.
Far ahead, an elevator chimed, followed by footsteps echoing across the marble.
There were no additional footsteps. No guards. Only one person.
Aren couldn’t yet see Ruben, but simple timing told her there had not been enough time for anyone else to emerge from the elevators.
’These footsteps have to be Ruben’s.’
Closing her eyes, Aren concentrated entirely on the sound. Each footfall became another point on the mental map taking shape inside her mind.
The cadence.
The spacing.
The direction.
’He’s moving away from me.’
Without wasting another second, she slipped into the corridor, maintaining enough distance that even if he looked back, she wouldn’t immediately attract attention.
Decorative pillars, recessed office entrances, and expensive sculptures became natural cover as she matched his pace with quiet precision.
Unfortunately, seven seconds vanished frighteningly fast.
"Time’s up," Isidore’s voice came.
Aren reacted instantly, slipping into the nearest recessed alcove just as the surveillance feeds resumed.
"Did you acquire the target?" Isidore asked.
"I acquired his footsteps. He’s moving away quickly."
"You’ll have to wait. Thirty seconds."
"I know."
She closed her eyes once more.
Every passing second felt agonizing as Ruben’s footsteps grew fainter. Then, suddenly, other footsteps entered the corridor.
Different cadence.
Different weight.
Different rhythm.
’Those have to be the security guards.’
Almost instinctively, Aren filtered them away, isolating Ruben’s movements from the surrounding noise. She committed every turn he took to memory, constructing the route inside her mind while she waited.
’Left.’
’Straight.’
’Right.’
’Straight again.’
As the thirty seconds ticked away, the echoes grew weaker until they were almost beyond the limits of her hearing.
Thankfully, Isidore’s voice sounded through the earpiece before she lost them completely.
"On my count."
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
"Now."
Aren launched forward.
Her feet scarcely made a sound against the marble as she retraced the route she had reconstructed entirely from memory, turning each corner without hesitation.
Just as she rounded the final corner, Ruben’s footsteps stopped.
Aren immediately slowed. Peering cautiously around the wall, she saw him standing before a reinforced security door.
Before presenting his access card, he glanced over both shoulders, carefully checking whether anyone had followed him.
Aren reacted instantly, withdrawing before his gaze could sweep across her position.
The nearest concealment happened to be a small hallway leading to the restrooms. She slipped into the women’s restroom just as Ruben turned back toward the secured door.
Apparently satisfied he was alone, Ruben swiped his access card and disappeared into the room beyond.
The heavy door sealed shut behind him.
Almost simultaneously, her seven-second window expired.
"Time’s up," Isidore said. "Report."
Remaining concealed just inside the women’s restroom, Aren replied quietly,
"Target stopped at a secured room. Possible server room."
"Your position?"
"I’m inside the women’s restroom across the corridor. I’ll wait until he leaves before approaching."
"Report again once you advance."
"Understood."
Aren moved deeper into the restroom, remaining concealed while positioning herself close enough to hear movement outside.
A long silence settled over the corridor.
Seconds stretched into nearly a minute before footsteps finally emerged once more.
Click. Click. Click.
Ruben had exited the secured room.
The footsteps should have continued directly toward the elevators.
Instead...
They drew closer.
Closer still.
Aren’s entire body tensed.
’Did he detect me?’
’...Or does he simply need the restroom?’
Click.
Click.
Click.
The polished marble carried each footfall with unnerving clarity until they stopped directly outside the hallway.
For one suspended heartbeat, absolute silence settled over the corridor.
A moment later came the unmistakable sound of another door opening. Then the footsteps resumed, this time echoing within the adjoining room.
The men’s restroom.
Aren exhaled silently.
’Perfect timing.’
She slipped out of the women’s restroom without hesitation, lightly tapping her earring.
"Master Accardi. Cameras."
Isidore had been waiting for exactly that.
His voice remained calm.
"Report once you’re inside. Ready... now."
The surveillance feeds froze once more.
Without wasting a heartbeat, Aren crossed the corridor during the seven-second window and presented the cloned credentials to the secured door.
The lock disengaged without a sound.
She slipped inside and quietly closed the door behind her.
Cold air washed over her immediately.
Towering black server racks stretched away in immaculate rows, endless arrays of blinking LEDs pulsing softly through the darkness like constellations imprisoned within steel cabinets.
Aren slowly swept her gaze across the vast room, relief quietly settling into her chest. The infiltration had gone exactly as planned, and a small flicker of satisfaction surfaced at how narrowly she had avoided being discovered.
Touching her earring once more, she lowered her voice.
"Master Accardi, I’m inside. Server room confirmed."
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