Chapter 44: Chapter 7.6 : After the Spotlight Fades
One by one, the guests began leaving the Tamarvich family estate. Luxury cars returned to the front gates, ready to pick up the important figures departing the venue.
David approached his sister, who was preparing to leave.
"Hey, Sis," he asked quickly. "Did you... get Miss Aiza's contact?"
Aurielle turned, a little surprised at her brother's forwardness.
"Hmm? Oh, of course. I got her business contact, yes. Why?"
David quickly looked away.
"Ah… her business contact, huh... I see. N-no reason. Sorry, he-he… Let me walk you to the front," he added, hastily taking her hand.
Aurielle smiled, amused.
David... you've fallen for Miss Aiza, haven't you?
Once outside, waiting for her car to arrive, Aurielle glanced at her brother and smiled softly.
"David... focus on Nayala, okay? You're getting engaged in a few months. Don't overdo it. Don't make trouble for yourself. Got it?"
David lowered his head and answered briefly, "Yes, Sis."
As Aurielle's car pulled up, Al stood at a distance on the other side.
"I'm not heading back yet, Sis. I have somewhere to go first. I'll take a taxi home later."
Aurielle shrugged. "Up to you."
But she still reached for her wallet and handed him some cash.
"Here, for the taxi. And maybe some snacks."
Al accepted it with a slight bow. The car slowly drove off.
From the sidewalk, Al gave a little wave, even though he knew she probably wouldn't wave back.
Behind the tinted glass, Aurielle glanced at him from the backseat. She held back from showing any emotion. But deep down inside...
That kid... even though he's always quiet and awkward, he was a big help. Without him, tonight wouldn't have gone as smoothly.
Especially since Al's presence helped her open up conversation with Miss Aiza more comfortably.
Suddenly, Aurielle frowned.
"Wait... I didn't even thank him properly."
She reached for her phone to send a message.
"Oh no… I don't even have Al's number?"
She scrolled through her contact list. Nothing. Not even in the Virellano internal group—Al's name never appeared.
"Even though he's been living with us for two months now..."
Aurielle leaned back into her seat and sighed deeply.
"Damn... I've been so busy I forgot he's part of our family too…"
---
Elsewhere, Al returned to the now-empty hall. A few people were still lingering inside.
David and Rudi approached him. From a distance, Idham Tamarvich stood silently, watching.
Al looked at him and sensed something strange about Idham's aura. But he took no action.
David spoke up with a half-hearted tone.
"Wow, Al. Pretty lucky tonight, huh? Sitting at the main table... right next to Miss Aiza."
Rudi chimed in with a sly smile.
"Yeah. Who would've thought... the little cutie managed to ride on someone's name and end up with a seat of honor."
Al didn't respond. He simply glanced their way, then walked off expressionless.
"Hey! Don't act all cool!" Rudi growled, stepping in front of Al, intending to shove him—but was stopped by a hand suddenly appearing between them.
It was Idham.
"This is my family's house. Watch yourself. You're still a guest, Rudi."
His voice was calm, but firm.
Rudi clicked his tongue loudly. "Tch. Whatever…"
He grabbed David and left with him.
Now only Al and Idham remained.
Idham wanted to say something—but held back.
He really wanted to ask:
What was it like sitting next to Miss Aiza?
But... he knew he wasn't that close with Al. Asking would be embarrassing.
Idham was secretly nursing a crush after falling for Miss Aiza at first sight.
He simply bowed his head a little and offered thanks.
"Thanks for coming. And… sorry about their behavior earlier."
Al gave a slight smile and nodded.
"It's fine. Thank you for the party. The cake was really good."
Idham then quietly walked into the night.
His steps were calm.
But in his mind—one name echoed…
Miss Aiza. Only I am worthy of you.
---
Al left the Tamarvich estate and headed into the forest nearby.
A light mist covered the tall trees that stretched into the night sky. In the silence, faint footsteps rustled through the underbrush.
Al stood in a clearing, bathed in moonlight.
With a calm voice, he said,
"Come out."
Two men in black uniforms stepped out from behind the trees. Both wore masks bearing an unfamiliar insignia—a small, faded symbol on their chests.
They were dragging two male bodies and one female body, all dressed in formal party clothes—suits and an elegant gown—but their heads were destroyed, as if they had exploded from the inside.
One of them, Sebastian, gave a respectful nod and reported.
"We found three infiltrators. But... this..."
Al raised an eyebrow, curious about the condition of the corpses.
"This wasn't your mistake again, Michaelis?"
"No, Master. Not me this time," the other one—Michaelis—replied in a flustered tone.
"I tried to extract their memories," Sebastian explained. "But it seems they had a neural restriction system. The moment I started reading, their heads exploded. A suicide protocol was activated. However…"
He lowered his head.
"I'm fairly certain they're from that Organization, Master."
Al stared at the bodies with calm eyes.
"They were targeting... Ai and my sister Aurielle. But why?"
He crouched down, reaching into one of the corpse's pockets. His hand felt around and pulled out a small object—an ID card from Australea.
"If this is real… then they're hunting talented individuals. Especially women. Potential targets for their project," Sebastian said.
"We'll monitor all suspicious activity. This threat will be eliminated before it grows..."
Al gave a slight nod.
"We'll dig deeper into this. No rats will escape tonight." Michaelis added confidently, though his delivery was a bit comedic—almost like copying Sebastian's line.
Al chuckled at that dumb remark, then looked away. He gazed up at the night sky.
"Alright, Michaelis. Just like you said—make sure no one escapes.
And… clean everything up."
"Order received, Master."
The two men vanished into the darkness of the forest.
Al remained standing there, alone with the sounds of the night and the rustling leaves.
Humans. Just to gain power… are you really willing to do anything?
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