Breaking the Order

Whisper of the Past

The door clicked shut behind me. The house greeted me with its familiar silence, broken only by the sound of my footsteps. I slipped off my shoes at the entrance, tossed my bag onto the couch, and took a deep breath.

— Elian? — I called out, walking down the hallway.

Silence. Of course, he wasn’t here. He was likely stuck somewhere with his errands or still busy with the renovations.

I entered the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. The mattress welcomed me with a soft bounce, and the pillow immediately cradled my head. My body ached with exhaustion, but adrenaline still buzzed through my veins.

My phone lay on the bedside table, and I reached for it. The screen lit up, showing several unread notifications, but I ignored them. Right now, I needed to talk to someone who could calm me down.

Scrolling through my contacts, I stopped at the name I was looking for. I tapped the call button and held the phone to my ear.

— Hello? — came the familiar voice.

— Hi, Mom, — I said, my voice softening instantly.

— Selina! — she exclaimed, her tone warm and cheerful. — How are you? Is everything alright?

— Yes, everything’s fine, — I replied with a smile, even though she couldn’t see it. — I just wanted to hear your voice.

— Mom, I might come to visit, but I won’t be alone, — I began cautiously, biting my lip to keep from laughing.

— Not alone? — she repeated, and I could almost hear the curious arch of her eyebrows.

— Well, Elian wants to escape the city too. He says he misses the quiet, — I added with a slight smirk.

— Elian? — Mom snorted. — The one who’s always joking and eating all your food?

— Yes, that one, — I replied, chuckling.

— Well, let him come, — she said with a laugh. — Maybe we can match him with someone here. We’ve got a few girls who are bored.

— Mom! — I exclaimed, unable to hold back my laughter. — Do you really think Elian would agree to that?

— And why not? — she said, her tone completely nonchalant. — Are there not enough girls for him in the big city? Let him take a look at ours.

— Mom, you’re unbearable, — I said, laughing as the conversation lightened my mood.

— I don’t care, — she replied with playful strictness. — At least let him meet them. Who knows, he might like someone.

— Elian will really appreciate this, — I muttered, shaking my head.

— Then we’ll expect you, — she concluded warmly. — But you’d better warn him that there won’t be enough pies for two, so he’ll have to work as well.

I laughed, imagining Elian stepping into the garden with the expression of someone sent to hard labor.

After the call with Mom, I decided to distract myself and made lunch. The quiet kitchen helped me focus as I chopped vegetables, grilled chicken, and added a few spices. It was a simple but hearty dish.

Placing the plate on the table, I sat down and took a few bites, savoring the moment. But my peace didn’t last long. The phone on the table buzzed, signaling a new message.

I picked it up, expecting something mundane, but the words I read made me frown:

"Meeting today. Main office of LUXOR Corporation. 2:00 PM. Be ready."

My breathing deepened as I reread the message, feeling the weight of the words sink in. LUXOR—the name sounded cold, flawless, and challenging. The corporation was infamous for its exclusivity, secrecy, and power.

Why had the client arranged a meeting there? It seemed both risky and meticulously planned.

I quickly finished my meal, tidied myself up, and checked the time. There wasn’t much of it, but enough to make it on time.

Standing up, I glanced at the message again, feeling a faint wave of tension rising within me. The key was to stay prepared for anything.

The taxi stopped in front of a building that immediately caught my attention with its grandeur. LUXOR towered above the surrounding structures like an isolated fortress of glass and steel. Its facade was so pristine it felt surreal—like it belonged to another world, governed by strict geometry and control.

I took a deep breath, feeling a subtle pang of unease. The name LUXOR echoed in my mind. I had heard it before, but I couldn’t remember where. It was irritating, like a faint whisper you couldn’t quite decipher.

Crossing the expansive lobby, which gleamed with immaculate whiteness and cold light, I noticed the people around me. They were dressed impeccably: suits, flawless hairstyles, and faces full of concentration. The place resembled a set for a movie about ultra-powerful corporations rather than a real building.

At the reception desk, a woman greeted me with a smile so strained it seemed rehearsed.

— Are you here for a meeting? — she asked, barely looking at me.

I nodded, avoiding unnecessary words.

— Elevator to the right, top floor, — she directed, returning to her paperwork.

As I approached the elevator, a slight tremor ran through my fingers. This place was strange—too perfect, too... detached. It felt as though everything here was designed to keep people from questioning what lay behind the facade.

The elevator ascended with a smoothness that felt unnatural. I watched the numbers change as the cabin climbed higher, the tension within me growing with each passing second. Why was I here? Why this place?

When the doors opened, I was greeted by a corridor bathed in soft golden light. The dark marble floors and walls adorned with elegant decorative panels exuded power and wealth. But this wealth wasn’t comforting—it felt like a cage designed to create the illusion of freedom.

I stepped forward, listening as the faint echo of my steps dissolved into the silence.

Before entering the office, I checked my appearance one last time in the mirror. A black pantsuit, a low ponytail, minimal makeup. Everything looked flawless, but inside, tension coiled tightly in my chest.

"Just another meeting," I reminded myself and took a deep breath before opening the door.

The office was spacious, with panoramic windows offering a breathtaking view of the city. Inside, there were three people.

My client stood near the desk. He was about forty, with closely cropped hair and a light stubble. His expensive yet understated suit and ever-alert gaze spoke of someone used to solving problems quickly and without fuss.

The second man stood by the window. Tall, with perfect posture, his hair slicked back, and his face chiseled like stone—cold, calm, but too sharp not to notice every detail. His presence sent a jolt of unease through me.

It was Kylin.

I did everything I could to mask my surprise, but inside, I felt frozen. What was he doing here? Why was he at this meeting?

— Who are you? — came the sharp, cautious voice of my client.

I stopped, trying to maintain my composure.

— For what purpose? — he added, narrowing his eyes. — We’re expecting someone else.

I glanced at him, then at Kylin, who was watching me with a slight smirk, as if the entire situation was an amusing game.

— You ordered documents, — I replied evenly, feeling the tension rising.

— Documents? — the client repeated, frowning. — But we were expecting…

He trailed off, and something between surprise and suspicion flickered in his eyes. Even he, it seemed, hadn’t realized that I was the one handling all the work.

Kylin, meanwhile, stepped closer to the table, crossing his arms over his chest.

— Amusing, — he said with a slight smirk. — It looks like she knows more than she’s letting on.

I didn’t let myself falter.

— Perhaps, — I said, returning his calm but firm gaze.

Inside, everything boiled. My presence here was too risky.

I took a step forward, maintaining a composed demeanor. All eyes were on me, but I forced myself to appear confident.

— It’s just a data transfer, — I said calmly, looking directly at the client. — The person who completed the work preferred to remain anonymous. I’m here only to deliver the result.

His brows furrowed, doubt evident in his expression.

— And how do I know this isn’t a fake? — he asked, scrutinizing me closely.

I allowed myself a faint smile.

— You don’t actually think that an anonymous professional would risk their reputation for a forgery, do you?

— A stranger in a fitted suit that accentuated her figure, her strikingly short red hair standing out, stepped forward. Her gaze was sharp, almost predatory.

— How convenient, — she said coldly. — You’re here, but there’s no proof you’re not connected to this ‘anonymous professional.’

— If I were connected, I wouldn’t be standing here, — I retorted, refusing to let her words pierce my composure. — I’m simply fulfilling my part of the agreement.

Kylin, who had been silently observing me this entire time, finally broke his silence.

— Fascinating, — he said, his voice soft but laced with a dangerous undertone. — You’re so calm it’s almost unsettling.

I met his gaze, which was both icy and... intrigued.

— Calmness is the key to productive work, — I replied evenly, trying to ignore the rising tension.

He tilted his head slightly, as if assessing me.

— And yet you do it with such ease. Almost as if you’ve had similar experience before.

— I simply know how to do my job, — I responded, holding his gaze steady.