9:07 PM
The city sprawled beneath them in a cascade of lights, a quiet glitter against the velvet night. The rooftop terrace was reserved, cordoned off for privacy, though the soft clinking of glasses and murmured laughter from below reminded them they weren't entirely alone. Alina leaned on the balcony rail, her dress catching the breeze like a whisper. A rare smile played on her lips-unguarded, real. Jesse handed her a drink without needing to ask. No flash, no drama. Just knowing. "I still say you won that panel today," he said, easing onto the lounger beside her. "And you didn't even try." She gave him a dry look. "I didn't win. I redirected. They were circling around legacy metrics like they still mattered." "You made them sound obsolete in three sentences. That's a win." She took a sip, eyes on the skyline. "It doesn't matter unless they change their behavior." He watched her for a long moment. "You always do that." "Do what?" "Talk like you're not already shaping the direction." Alina rolled her eyes, but her smile returned, small and genuine. "Says the man who calls me 'the boardroom Houdini.'" "You are. And I should know. I've seen you turn a hostile merger into a standing ovation." She laughed-a soft, unguarded sound that Jesse would have killed to hear more often. --- 9:16 PM The private elevator doors opened behind them with a subdued chime. Neither of them turned at first-expecting a waiter, perhaps a delayed guest. Then came the unmistakable pause. That engineered silence, pregnant with intent. Alina glanced over her shoulder. The smile slipped before she could catch it. Damian Vale stepped onto the terrace like he'd bought the building. Tailored black suit. Understated watch. No visible entourage-but none was needed. His presence came with its own gravity. "Alina," he said smoothly. "Jesse." Jesse straightened, instantly more alert. "Didn't know you were a member here." "I'm not," Damian said. "But I'm persuasive." He offered Alina a glass-already poured, already chilled. "Sancerre. 2021. Your preference." She didn't take it. "You keep dossiers on everyone, or just the ones you plan to co-opt?" His smile didn't flicker. "Only the ones worth understanding." Jesse stepped closer to her. A subtle movement. Protective, but not possessive. "We were having a private evening," he said. "And I wouldn't dream of interrupting," Damian replied. "Merely passing through." He looked out over the city, hands folded behind his back-mirroring the posture Alina had just held. Then, as if noticing the symmetry, he turned slightly toward her. "You're the only person who's managed to outmaneuver me twice this quarter," he said. "It's becoming... thrilling." Alina's expression didn't change, but Jesse felt the shift in her posture-straightening, sharpening. "Is that what this is?" she said. "Flattery as a tactic?" Damian met her gaze with something almost soft. "No. This is respect. Earned the hard way." He looked at Jesse then, lingering just long enough. "Though I do wonder..." His tone lightened. "How do you find time for strategy when your hands are so full?" The implication was razor-thin but deliberate. Jesse tensed. "Careful." But Alina put a hand on his arm-a feather-touch that stopped him cold. "I can speak for myself," she said. Then, to Damian, "You're testing boundaries. I understand that. But you should also understand something else." She stepped forward, calm and poised, closing the space between them. "I don't need anchors. And I don't confuse curiosity with value." Damian's smile returned, this time more genuine. Or maybe just better rehearsed. "Noted," he said, inclining his head. "Though I suspect even you haven't mapped all your fault lines yet." Then he was gone-vanishing into the private lift with the same unnatural grace he'd arrived with. --- 9:29 PM The silence lingered. Jesse finally exhaled. "He's dangerous." "I know." "You handled him." Alina didn't respond right away. She set her drink down, untouched. Then, quietly, "Not yet." He looked at her, really looked-and for the first time that night, saw something crack behind her confidence. Not fear. Not exactly. Calculation. As if some new variable had just entered the equation. One she hadn't planned for.