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“This is stupid, AJ,” Lila grumbled, tugging at the overly frilly sleeves of her dress. “It’s too… puffy.”
“Stop fidgeting, Lila.” AJ’s clipped tone reminded her too much of her mother. She straightened up immediately, her gaze dropping to the floor. “It's unbecoming of a young lady. This is a simple recon and protection mission—nothing more. It’s good practice for you. Or,” he added, his eyes narrowing, “have I overestimated your abilities? Should I send you back to Headquarters?”
Lila’s scowl deepened. “No, sir,” she muttered, casting a glare at the mirror in front of her. “But I’m not a lady either.”
“You are, for tonight,” AJ continued, his voice detached. “Baron Timble’s party starts in half an hour. Your mark is Victoria Timble, his 10-year-old daughter. She is crucial to a political treaty we need signed. If his daughter is kidnapped or dies, the treaty will fail and threaten the Timeline. You need to shadow and protect her.”
Lila’s smirk returned. “Piece of cake.”
Five tugged at the stiff collar of his suit, trying—and failing—not to look irritated. These parties were always the same: Reginald Hargreeves parading him and his siblings around like prized possessions, showcasing their talents in front of politicians and aristocrats. He would pick one or two of them, turning the night into a lesson on undercover work, role-playing, and mastering self-restraint.
It only ever set Five on edge.
Allison was a natural at these things, effortlessly charming the room with her smile and grace, wrapping people around her finger without even needing to use her power. Klaus, for all his recklessness, could pull it off too when he wasn’t distracted or hungover. These events were practically his playground, a perfect chance to slip away and sample new liquors, always chasing the next high.
Five hated it.
It meant dealing with far too many people, mostly grannies who would coo at him as he recited Homer in Ancient Greek or worse—showcase the ballroom dancing lessons that Father insisted were ‘essential.’
He’d already endured the piano recital and one miserable dance with a girl who could barely keep time. He caught his father’s cold, calculating gaze from across the ballroom. A slight nod. That’s enough. Permission to slip away.
Finally.
He moved swiftly through the throngs of guests, dodging the pinching fingers of overenthusiastic partygoers like a soldier maneuvering through enemy lines. His fake, polite smile was probably permanently stuck—he could feel the strain tugging at the corners of his mouth, threatening to give him a painful face cramp.
There had to be a library or study somewhere, a place where he could finally breathe and drop the perfect child act for at least a few minutes.
Lila had stuck close to the slightly older girl all night, just like AJ had ordered, but now that they were in Victoria’s bedroom, things were getting intolerable. First, Victoria had demanded Lila brush her hair, and then insisted she take off her little Mary Jane shoes.
Lila could feel the throb of a headache forming behind her eyes. Not maiming or killing her mark was becoming a challenge.
“Give me your dress. It’s too nice for you. I want it.”
That was it.
AJ wanted her to protect this girl? Fine, there was more than one way to protect someone.
Shadowing them wasn’t the only option.
Without a second thought, Lila stepped closer, making sure to hide the smirk that tugged at her lips. One quick motion at the back of her neck, and Victoria was out like a light, slumping onto the floor with all the grace of a dropped doll.
Lila dragged the limp girl toward the bed. "Can't kidnap someone if they’re hiding," she muttered, stuffing Victoria under the bed. If anyone asked, she'd simply say they were playing hide-and-seek.
Problem solved.
Lila tensed as a knock came at the door.
“Miss Timble?”
“Yes?” she answered, trying to keep her voice even.
The door creaked open, setting off alarm bells in her head. Who would walk into a lady’s room without permission? Something wasn’t right. She braced herself.
“Your father is asking for you,” a valet announced as he stepped inside, looking directly at her. He didn’t even hesitate or question her identity—not a flicker of suspicion that she wasn’t Victoria. Lila narrowed her eyes, thinking fast.
Idiot. A bad kidnapper who didn’t even double-check their intel.
“What does Father want?” she asked, testing the waters. She needed to confirm whether the valet actually believed she was Victoria.
“He’s waiting for you in his office. Would you follow me, please?” He gestured toward the hallway, his fingers twitching slightly, as if itching to reach into his pocket.
Lila’s mind raced. Should she knock him out right now? There could be others waiting outside.
“Alright,” she said with a sweet smile, stepping toward him with deliberate slowness. As she approached, she took a discreet but deep breath, preparing for whatever came next.
Just as she expected, he didn’t waste a second. In one swift motion, he pressed a cloth over her nose and mouth, the sharp scent of chloroform flooding her senses.
Bingo.
She went limp in his arms, expertly faking unconsciousness as the valet scooped her up and covered her body with some thing. Amateur, she thought again, her mind already working on her next move as he carried her out of the room.
Five had barely made it to the side hallway when a flash of movement caught his eye. A valet, carrying what appeared to be a bundle of sheets, was making his way discreetly down the corridor. Another valet joined him near the end of the hallway, glancing around nervously.
Strange. Who changes bedding during a party? Nothing screamed suspicious like two men quietly sneaking away with something wrapped carefully in their arms.
Five’s curiosity piqued. His mind began running through the possibilities. He could call them out now, but something told him waiting would yield more information. Father wouldn’t want a scene. Any unnecessary attention would be frowned upon.
He tucked himself behind one of the large marble pillars, waiting for a beat before quietly trailing behind them. He moved with practiced silence, slipping between the shadows cast by the dim lighting and the decorative plants along the corridor.
Let’s see where this goes. Five’s pulse quickened as he moved deeper into the shadows. The stuffy atmosphere of the party had nearly driven him mad, all the forced smiles and endless small talk grating on his nerves.
This—this—was far more his area of expertise.
He always enjoyed the thrill of solving a mystery, and right now, with so much pent-up energy from the night’s events, it was exactly what he needed. His fingers twitched, eager to see how this would unfold. Whatever those valets were up to, it was definitely more interesting than dancing with a bunch of pretentious brats.
They slipped through the backdoor of the laundry, leaving the house behind without crossing paths with a single person.
Lila, still limp in the valet’s arms, was shocked at how easy it had been for them to smug her out.
Either these guys weren’t completely clueless and had planned this out, or the Timble family was foolishly overconfident, hosting a party full of high-profile guests with no guards inside AND outside the house.
Maybe she was just unlucky enough to get kidnapped—or lucky enough depending on the perspective. She was unable to suppress the smug smirk tugging at her lips. She’d managed to divert the kidnapping of one Victoria Timble—in her own twisted way.
"I parked the car there," one of the men muttered to the other. "You drive, John. I'll put the brat in the trunk."
No way in hell.
Lila could feel her pulse quicken. It was time to put a stop to this. These guys were clearly incompetent, and they were operating on their own. She'd played along long enough.
As the man shifted her towards the trunk, she took a deep breath, preparing to make her move.
“Hey, assholes, a bit late to be smuggling dirty sheets out of the house?” Five’s clear voice rang out, laced with sarcasm as he stepped into view.
“Shit, John—” the man holding Lila started, but he didn’t get the chance to finish.
A small heel jabbed into his throat, making him choke and instinctively release the bundle he was carrying.
Before they could react, the sheet was flung at their faces, blinding them for a split second. It was all Lila needed.
She planted both hands on the ground and launched a swift kick into the nearest man’s stomach, grinning as a painful grunt escaped him. Fluidly, she sprang to her feet, gave a pointy kick at the back of the goon’s back knee before leaping onto her target’s back. With a final sharp blow to the back of his neck, the man crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Lila spun, ready to take down the second kidnapper—only to freeze.
He was already limp, collapsing as a skinny boy her age delivered a sharp kick to the side of his head.
“Amateurs,” they both muttered in unison.
Their eyes met, widening in surprise.
“Hi!” Lila waved merrily at the boy, as if they hadn’t just taken down a pair of kidnappers together.
“Good evening,” Five responded, raising an eyebrow.
“Nothing beats being kidnapped at a party.” She pointed at the unconscious man at Five’s feet, then flashed a wide grin and tossed her hair back. “Makes it more lively. Thanks for the helping kick.”
“You’re welcome, Miss—”
“Nobody,” she completed with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“Right. Of course.” Five gave her a skeptical look but played along. “Should we get back to the party before they sound the alarm when they realize you’re missing?”
“Race you.” Lila's grin widened as she slipped off her shoes and took off running before Five could react.
“You little cheat!” he shouted, eyes widening as he bolted after her.
Only her laughter echoed back through the garden.
“The wannabe kidnappers have been neutralized, AJ,” Lila reported proudly, grinning as she glided beside the older agent.
“Well done, Lila.” AJ replied without giving her a glance. “Baron Timble is currently negotiating the terms of the Treaty. Let’s move out discreetly,” he ordered, signaling for a quiet retreat.
As Lila sauntered behind her companion, she glanced back, her eyes meeting a pair of sharp, green ones. The smartly dressed boy from earlier was watching her, eyes full of suspicion.
With a smirk, Lila gave him a cheeky wink and blew an exaggerated air kiss his way.
The boy’s frown deepened, irritation flashing across his face.
Cute, she thought to herself, amused. Maybe parties weren’t so bad after all.
Five stood there a moment longer, staring at the space where she had just been. Something about her didn’t sit right with him, and he didn’t like not knowing.
“Crazy girl,” he muttered under his breath, shaking his head as he turned to make his way back to his father. She had been too good. Too quick and confident. He wondered which organization she was working for.
Somehow, Five knew that wouldn’t be the last time he crossed paths with that girl.
Chaos seemed to follow her.
And he walked in chaos.