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Chapter 17 - More Decoys
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2024-12-05 04:23:57It was impractical to search the entire city for her, Ayra knew. But if she really did disappear without a trace then it would merely be a matter of minutes before she was caught and dragged back.
Hence she had set up for her father two leads - Marcy and Sarah.
The train tickets from Sarah would ensure he directed manpower that way given that the chances of her taking the train was practically fifty fifty.
Marcy was a done deal, and perhaps he would suspect aunt Eleanor too and waste his efforts on her.
That would give her the opportunity to strike out on her own and actually have a chance at fleeing.
With their minds so fixated on the decoys she had set up and trying to see if they had ignored any other, she would run for the hills and have a pretty good headstart.
It was rather clever, but Ayra did not quite come up with it in her own. Her mother had to take credit for the general idea. She had taught Ayra much.
At the moment, Ayra sat in the dimly lit corner of a café, a cup of lukewarm tea in her hand and her gaze fixed on the people moving in and out.
The small café was rather cozy, tucked into the corner of a bustling street. It was the kind of place where patrons sipped coffee slowly, lost in books or quiet conversations.
Ayra sat near the back, her head low, hands wrapped around the steaming cup of tea she hadn’t touched. Her eyes flicked around the room intently, studying the people within it.
The next step of her plan was... risky, to put it mildly. It relied on quick thinking, sleight of hand, and a bit of charm. The first two which she was quite good at.
See, she couldn’t use her own cards anymore. All that would do is leave a trail - a literal beacon and breadcrumbs of clues for her father to follow. The only option left was to... Borrow... Someone else’s. Permanently.
She didn't quite like it but she had no choice - she planned to stay ahead of her father, and to do so, she needed to be able to move freely and anonymously.
A stolen credit card, if handled carefully, would provide just that.
After a good while, her gaze stayed on a man seated a few tables away.
He was in his mid-thirties and was dressed in a tailored suit that spoke of wealth. His leather briefcase rested beside him, and he seemed engrossed in his laptop.
A prime target.
Ayra had watched him for several minutes while she pretended to scroll on her phone, observing his behavior.
He was fully absorbed in his laptop, typing occasionally and sipping from a cappuccino that was steadily cooling.
He didn’t notice the café around him, let alone a young woman sitting several tables away.
Ayra waited, watching for a chance. He typed something on his laptop, then reached for his wallet to retrieve a card.
He swiped it through a reader plugged into his laptop, and her pulse quickened as he entered his passcode on a small keypad.
Eyes peeled, Ayra easily caught the motion of his fingers and noted the sequence: 3, 8, 2, 5. She repeated the numbers silently in her head, committing them to memory.
The man tucked the card back into his wallet, and put his wallet into the pocket of his jacket which hung from the back of the chair. He was unaware he had just been marked.
Ayra pulled out a brand new phone - gotten from the proceeds after she had pawned off her earrings and necklace to a shady broker - and pulled up her bank app.
There and then, in a matter of a few minutes, she changed the passcode of her card to 3825.
Everything was set.
Her heart pounded as she rehearsed the plan in her mind. Approach him. Make small talk. Slip away his card and replace it with one of hers. It was deceptively simple.
She stood, smoothing her sweater and adjusting her demeanor to one of casual confidence. Grabbing her cup of tea, she approached his table with a disarming smile.
“Excuse me,” she said, her tone friendly and carefully unintrusive. “Is this seat taken?”
The man looked up, startled for a moment it seemed, before offering a polite smile. “No, go ahead.”
“Thanks.” Ayra slid into the chair opposite him, placing her tea on the table. “I couldn’t help but notice you’re working on something important. I dearly hope I’m not interrupting.”
He chuckled lightly. “No, no, not at all. Just some last-minute adjustments to a presentation.”
They talked easily. Ayra had a natural charm when she needed it, and she leaned hard into that now, steering the conversation with care.
She had always been a social butterfly, and had inadvertently picked up a few tricks from Lisbeth too.
She asked about his work, laughed at his jokes, and feigned polite interest in his anecdotes. In mere minutes she found that his name was Simon and he was a rather boring man.
As the minutes passed, she noted the details of his wallet, where he kept it in his suit jacket, and how often he touched it as she prepared to slip it, her heart pounding.
Then he excused himself to take a phone call and Ayra saw her chance and thanked her stars. Simon was a blessedly careless person it seemed.
She swiftly reached into his jacket, careful not to disturb the fabric, and retrieved the wallet.
Slipping out his credit card, she replaced it with her own - a fully functional card tied to an account with enough money that he would not be inconvenienced anytime soon.
Then she tucked his card into her sleeve and set his wallet back exactly as it had been.
By the time he returned, Ayra was leaning back in her chair, sipping her tea as if nothing had happened. “Everything okay?” she asked, her tone light.
He nodded. “Just a quick work call.”
They chatted a bit longer before Ayra glanced at her phone, feigning surprise. “Oh, I didn’t realize the time! I really should get going.”
Just then the phone buzzed and she saw that Sarah had sent her the train ticket details. She was not going to use it of course - the tickets were for her father.
The man smiled warmly. “It was nice talking to you. Maybe I’ll see you here again.”
“Quite likely,” Ayra replied, standing, giving him another smile. “Good luck with your presentation.”
She walked away calmly, resisting the urge to look back.
As soon as she was outside, her calm demeanor faltered.
Ayra's heart raced as she power walked down the street, her fingers tightening around the card hidden in her sleeve. She simply could not believe it had worked.
Once outside, she ducked into an alley and pulled out the stolen card, her breath coming in short bursts.
She repeated his PIN in her head - 3, 8, 2, 5 - and pocketed the card.
Now she had what she needed: a way to access funds and move without drawing attention.
Ayra exhaled deeply, letting the tension of the moment dissipate. She had taken a risk, but it had paid off.
And no, she was not taking a train or anything like that. Any form of public transportation was a lead for her father and Lucian to follow. No, she was going to rent a car.
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The Devil's Game Chapter 18 - A Cabin in the Woods
Ayra was well aware she only had a small window of time before Simon realized his card was missing and blocked it. Every second counted.Her first stop was a car rental office she knew since she was a kid. Obviously. The nondescript building, squeezed between a laundromat and a pawnshop, was the kind of place where people didn’t ask too many questions. Inside, the air smelled strongly of coffee and air freshener. Uncle Jim - the man who owned the place - was severely addicted to caffeine. The clerk, a young man with messy hair and a bored attitude, barely glanced up as Ayra approached the counter. “How can I help you?” he drilled, looking like he did not actually want to help her in any way. “I need to rent a car,” Ayra said, keeping her voice calm.The clerk slid a form across the counter. “Fill this out. ID and payment when you’re done.”"No ID," she said, handing over Simon’s card.He grunted and swiped the card, handed it back, and pulled out a set of keys.“Parking lot, stall
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-05The Devil's Game Chapter 19 - His Runaway Bride
Lucian leaned back in his chair, the weight of the negotiation pressing uncomfortably against his temples. Across him, Gregory Wendell, the eldest son of the Wendell family, sat with an - in his opinion - rather dumb smile etched into his face. The meeting was a vital one - a... rare moment of diplomacy between two families whose history for the past few years had no end of spite and betrayal.“The embargos benefits no one,” Gregory said, his tone calm and clipped. Lucian thought he was trying to appear serious. He only came across as slightly comical. “Resuming trade would strengthen both our sides.”Lucian’s fingers tapped a steady rhythm on the polished mahogany table. He kept his expression flat, and his voice sharp as he replied, “Strength isn’t gained by mere convenience. The terms must benefit me enough that I would lift it. The situation of the Wendells won’t sway me.”Truthfully, Lucian was annoyed at this. He was not meant to be here. He had a wedding waiting, damnit, a
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-06The Devil's Game Chapter 20 - Ramping Up
The pale light of dawn crept into the study, weak and hesitant, brushing against the mess Lisbeth and Ferdinand had made of the room. Papers and maps were everywhere, with photos and frantic scrawls barely keeping track of their failed attempt to track Ayra.Ferdinand leaned back, rubbing at his temples like that would help him think any clearer. “She’s clever,” he muttered, his voice flat and tired. They had been awake all night, their frustration mounting as lead after lead fell apart and no other turned up. “Too clever,” Lisbeth shot back, pacing like a caged animal. Her hair was a mess, her face drawn and pale. It was quite unlike her. "This is insane. How does a kid with no backup, no cash, and no clue manage to stay ahead of us? How has she managed to just disappear?"At least she's not in Eleanor's hands. That would be a whole other problem were it so. Ferdinand sighed. “She’s clever. But we’re running out of time. If we don’t find her soon, Lucian -”A sharp knock interrup
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-08The Devil's Game Chapter 21 - Long Forgotten Memories
Lucian sat down on the sofa without another word, leaving Lisbeth and Ferdinand in tense silence. Lucian’s men came and went from the room, bringing news while he went over their actions so far. It was contrary to Ferdinand's plans - they had not expected that Lucian would actually care so much about Ayra. As the hours passed, Lucian’s suspicions only deepened. The more he reviewed their efforts, the more he noticed gaps and inconsistencies. Certain areas hadn’t been thoroughly searched, and some key resources hadn’t been utilized.“You’ve been holding back,” Lucian said coldly. “Admit it.”“We did everything we could,” Lisbeth retorted, her voice more measured now that more time had passed. Lucian countered; “If you’d treated this with the urgency it deserved, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, don't you think?”As Lucian delved deeper into the situation, he had begun to piece together the events leading up to Ayra’s escape. He realized how little agency she’d been given i
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-09The Devil's Game Chapter 22 - The Letter
One thing cinched the decision to head into the city for her - a letter from her mother. Late one afternoon, while rifling through an old storage box, Ayra stumbled on something that stopped her cold: her mother’s journal. Ayra had spent hours sorting through the contents of a rather obscure cupboard. There were boxes of old photographs, faded linens, and rusted tools her mother had stored away. It was amidst this clutter that she stumbled upon a plain wooden chest, tucked beneath a pile of moth-eaten blankets.The chest was unremarkable at first glance, but as Ayra opened it, a wave of memories flooded back. Inside lay a neatly folded scarf she recognized as her mother’s favorite, a collection of piddly trinkets, and a leather-bound journal.Ayra’s hands trembled as she pulled the dusty journal from its hiding place. The leather cover was worn but sturdy, its edges soft from years of handling. It smelled faintly of lavender despite the dust; her mother’s scent. As she opened it
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-10The Devil's Game Chapter 23 - Following the Letter
An hour later, Ayra held a license plate in her hands, turning it over as though its weight could reveal her mother’s intentions. It was wrapped in a protective plastic sleeve, its edges pristine despite its apparent age.The numbers and letters were unfamiliar, but the very sight of it had Ayra marveling at how meticulously her mother had planned for everything eventuality. Every nook and cranny of the quaint cabin had something potentially useful to her stashed away. They had been detailed in her mother's journal, and the least of which was a veritable sack of cash wrapped in plastic. Simon's card was useless now. There was also a fake ID of a blonde haired, blue eyed version of herself, a blonde wig, and blue contacts. She glanced out the window of the cabin at the car she’d rented, its current license plate reflecting the midday sun. Her lips pressed into a firm line as she considered her next move. She wasn’t naive - her mother’s precautions were useful as far as she coul
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-10The Devil's Game Chapter 24 - Visit to Mr. Landon
Ayra hesitated for a long moment before entering the office building. The air felt heavier, the weight of the last few days pressing down on her shoulders. Her nerves acting up while she did her damnedest to calm herself. She adjusted her blond wig, tugged her scarf tighter around her neck, and smoothed her borrowed coat. Her mother’s letter had led her here, but doubt gnawed at her. Would Mr. Landor even remember her mother? Would he even be willing to help her?“Hi,” Ayra greeted, keeping her voice carefully polite. “I need to speak with Mr. Landor. It is urgent.”The young woman behind the desk barely glanced up at her, engrossed as she was in a book as she asked; “Do you have an appointment?”“No, but it’s about a more... personal matter. Please, do tell him it’s from an old friend,” Ayra replied, leaning forward slightly.The receptionist frowned, but perhaps there was something in Ayra’s tone that convinced her to pick up the phone and phone the man's office. After a brief co
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-11The Devil's Game Chapter 25 - Lucian's Uncertainties
Ayra’s heart pounded in her chest as she walked briskly down the street, the cold wind biting at her face. The encounter with Mr. Landor had left her both frustrated and disappointed. She clutched her coat tighter around herself, her thoughts spiraling.Seeing the veritable lockdown the city was in just to find her, she felt Lucian's determination not to let her slip through his fingers.She had a sinking feeling that her original idea to first lay low and then slip away would not work. Her mother had led her here, but the man she had pinned her hopes on was unwilling to help. Her disguise itched against her scalp, yet she didn’t dare to remove it just yet. She kept her head down, blending into the crowd as best she could, each step toward her car feeling heavier than the last.Every passing figure seemed to glance her way. Every shadow stretched just a little too far for comfort; the hustle and bustle of the street should have been reassuring, but it felt suffocating instead. She
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-12
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The Devil's Game Chapter 68 - Unintended consequences
The silence gnawed at Ayra.For all her careful orchestration—for the balcony appearances with tousled hair and artful smudges of lipstick, for the planted photographs handed to Nico, for the media blitz that followed—Lucian had yet to respond. No message. No confrontation. No fury.No presence.Ayra wandered through the silent halls of the manor like a ghost in her own haunting. It had been two days since she fed the flames of the scandal herself, tipping the scales and watching Lucian’s pristine, untouchable image buckle under the weight of betrayal. It had spread like wildfire—first, the hushed reveal of their secret marriage, then the carefully timed photos of her supposed affair with Leon. The media had eaten it up, ravenous for every scandalous morsel.The silence that followed was not relief.It was strange, like waiting for an earthquake after watching the ground crack beneath her feet. She expected retaliation, the burn of his fury, maybe even for Lucian to return and demand
The Devil's Game Chapter 66 - Media Frenzy
He set the envelope down, fingers tightening against the edges. "You’re playing a dangerous game," he murmured.Ayra tilted her head. "Am I?"He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he leaned back, assessing her with a careful, measured look. "What exactly are you trying to accomplish here?"She smiled, but there was no warmth behind it. "That’s for Lucian to figure out, isn’t it?"A beat of silence. Then:"You want me to do something with this."Ayra reached for her wine glass again, swirling the liquid absently. "I want it to be known," she said simply. "I want the world to talk."Nico exhaled, setting the envelope down as if it were something poisonous. "You do realize that if I take this to him, you’ll regret it?"Ayra’s gaze sharpened."I’ll regret nothing," she said quietly.Another silence stretched between them.Finally, Nico let out a slow, resigned breath. "You really don’t care if he burns everything down over this, do you? And by the way, it's practically impossible for him
The Devil's Game Chapter 65 - A Scandal Unfolds
She told herself it was necessary, what she was doing.But in the past few days, something inside her twisted in ways she couldn’t quite name.It was easy enough to play the role, to smirk when she needed to, to let her fingers trail over the stem of a wine glass as if she had all the time in the world. But every time she stepped onto that balcony, feigning the remnants of an intimate encounter, a part of her coiled tight in discomfort.Lucian had done nothing but let her fester in silence, leaving her with no choice but to force his hand. She needed him to react—to do something. If he wanted to play the game of indifference, she would break that facade piece by piece.And yet, she hated that it had come to this.That she had to use someone else just to make herself seen.At night, when the estate was quiet, she would stand by the mirror in her room, staring at her own reflection as if it held the answers.What did she expect Lucian to do?What did she want him to do?She wasn’t sure a
The Devil's Game Chapter 64 - The Slow Unraveling
Ayra led Leon into her chambers with steady steps, her fingers brushing against his arm in a way that suggested intimacy. Yet as she stepped over the threshold, a quiet revulsion coiled deep in her stomach.The thought of him here—of his presence in this space—left a bitter taste in her mouth.Still, she had to see this through.She glanced at the walls, at the high corners of the ceiling. She suspected Lucian had placed surveillance somewhere in the house. That would explain his silence—his patience. He’s waiting for proof. Waiting to see if she would really go through with it.Fine.If he needed proof, she would give it to him.Leon, oblivious to the storm brewing inside her, exhaled a slow breath as he stepped into the room. "You know," he murmured, turning to face her, "I wasn’t expecting this tonight."She forced a small smile. "Change of plans."He studied her for a moment, his gaze dark, his amusement barely concealed. "And here I thought you enjoyed the chase.""I do." She cros
The Devil's Game Chapter 63 - The Illusion of More
The game unfolded slowly, piece by piece, each move carefully placed on the board.It started with simple meetings—casual, almost meaningless to an outsider. Ayra and Leon continued their rendezvous in high-end cafés, lounges with dim lighting, and restaurants tucked away in discreet corners of the city. They never once met at the same place twice. That alone was enough to stir whispers among those who paid attention.She ensured Lucian’s men saw them. She played her part well, letting moments linger, leaning in a fraction closer than necessary despite the roiling in her gut, letting a smirk or a laugh escape at the right moments. There was no real intimacy, but to anyone watching, it didn’t matter. The illusion had begun to take root.And then, she took the next step.She invited Leon to the house.It was a slow escalation, deliberate in every way.The game unfolded over two weeks, methodical and deliberate. Ayra knew the power of suggestion, the weight of unspoken words, and the way
The Devil's Game Chapter 62 - Playing with Fire
The message came just before dinner.Leon: Had a great time chatting today. Wouldn’t mind another round—this time, somewhere quieter?Ayra sat back on the plush sofa of her sitting room, twirling the phone in her fingers. She had been expecting him to reach out. Encouraging it, even. Yet, staring at the message, she hesitated. The line between playing a game and getting caught in it was dangerously thin.But Lucian had yet to react to anything she’d done. Not the staff replacement, not the disorder she’d caused in the estate, not even her blatant attempts to provoke him. He remained distant, untouchable, as though she didn’t even exist. It burned.Maybe this would be the thing to get under his skin.She typed her response carefully.Ayra: I wouldn’t mind that. Where do you suggest?His reply came within moments.Leon: I know a private lounge near the East District. Great wine, even better company.She smiled faintly. He was charming, smooth. Just enough to make this easier.Ayra: Send
The Devil's Game Chapter 61 - Another Phase
The afternoon sun cast a golden glow over the city as Ayra stepped out of the car, the sleek black vehicle blending seamlessly with the polished luxury of the district. The streets here were lined with designer boutiques, private lounges, and high-end cafés—places that oozed exclusivity, where only the elite could afford to linger. It was the kind of setting she had been raised in for the later part of her life, yet now, standing before one of the finest cafés in the city, she felt strangely like an outsider.The café, Bellaria, was known for its privacy and refinement. It wasn’t a place for loud conversation or rushed meetings; here, the rich came to drink imported coffee, discuss business, and subtly flaunt their power. It was exactly the kind of place Lucian would be seen in.That was part of the reason she had come.Ayra pushed open the glass door, a small bell chiming above her head. Inside, the space was decorated in dark wood and gold, the air rich with the scent of roasted co
The Devil's Game Chapter 60 - A Thorn in His Side
Nico stepped into Lucian’s office, the weight of his report pressing down on him. The room was dimly lit, the glow of the evening cityscape filtering through the large windows behind the man seated at the desk. Lucian didn’t look up immediately, his attention fixed on the documents before him, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished wood.“Speak,” Lucian said, his voice low, controlled.Nico took a slow breath before delivering the news. “It’s about Ayra.”Lucian’s fingers stilled. He finally looked up, his expression unreadable. “What did she do now?”“She’s replaced the staff.”Silence.Lucian leaned back in his chair, studying Nico with an eerie calm. “Come again?”Nico’s jaw tightened. “She fired the entire estate staff. Threw them out and replaced them with her own people. None of the original staff are left. Worse, they refuse to return.”Lucian’s gaze snapped up. “Refuse?”Nico hesitated, then nodded. “They’re scared, boss.”Lucian scoffed, leaning back in his cha
The Devil's Game Chapter 59 - Come to Talk
By the time the dust settled, the house was eerily quiet.The last of the protesting staff had been escorted off the premises, their voices still ringing in Ayra’s ears.The replacement staff stood awkwardly near the foyer, waiting for orders. But Ayra had none to give.She should have felt victorious.She had made her statement. She had taken control.But all she felt was exhaustion.The butler was the only one who hadn’t been forcibly removed. He still stood by the staircase, arms clasped behind his back. Unlike the others, he hadn’t fought. He hadn’t shouted.And that made him all the more annoying.Ayra met his gaze, a strange tension hanging between them.“You’re still here,” she observed.“I am,” he replied.“I told you to leave.”“You told them to leave,” he said with an insipid little look on his eye. “But you did not fire me.”Ayra exhaled through her nose. “Do you really think Lucian would let me? Would he be happy if I did so?”The butler smiled slightly, but it was devoid o
