Under His Cover

CHAPTER 6: THE SILK AND THE BLADE


The tailored dress arrived at six sharp.
It was a custom piece made of dark, heavy silk that clung to Evangeline’s frame like liquid shadow. The cut was simple, elegant, and deceptive—designed with hidden slits along the left thigh deep enough to conceal two thin titanium blades.
Evangeline stood before the tall mirror, adjusting the delicate straps over her shoulders. Her long blonde hair fell in soft, golden waves down her back, contrasting sharply against the midnight color of the gown. She applied a bold layer of dark red lipstick, her golden-hazel eyes sharp and dangerous in the glass.
Behind her, the bathroom door opened.
Alexander stepped out, and Evangeline’s eyes flickered up in the mirror.
He was wearing a tailored midnight-black tuxedo that fitted his broad shoulders perfectly. His jet-black hair was styled back, though a few stray strands fell recklessly over his forehead. Held in his left hand was a sleek silver masquerade mask that matched the cool, electric blue of his eyes.
He looked like pure, expensive danger.
"Look at you," Alexander drawled, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe. A slow, sarcastic smirk played on his lips. "Ready to murder a dictator, or just planning to look drop-dead gorgeous while I do all the actual work?"
Evangeline turned around slowly, crossing her arms. "If you do the work the way you talk, Vance, we will be dead in five minutes."
"Ouch. Your sweet, loving wife persona really dies the second the door locks, doesn't it?" He walked toward her, taking a dark velvet mask from the dress box. "Here. Put your face away before someone realizes you have the temperament of a viper."
"Keep speaking," Evangeline murmured, stepping closer into his space as she took the mask. Her golden eyes locked onto his grey-blue ones. "And I will test if this knife fits between your ribs before we even reach the elevator."
Alexander’s smirk widened. He didn't pull back an inch. Instead, he reached out, his long fingers gently sweeping her golden hair over her shoulder so it wouldn't get caught in the ribbon. His thumbs brushed the soft skin of her neck, his touch sending a quiet spike through her pulse.
"I love it when you talk romantic, Eva," he whispered softly into her ear. "Gets me every time."
She tied the mask behind her head, her gaze cold. "Let's get this over with."
The grand ballroom was a glittering nightmare of high society.
Crystal chandeliers hung from massive ceilings, throwing warm light over hundreds of guests wearing tailored tuxedos, sweeping gowns, and ornate masquerade masks. Orchestral music echoed through the hall, competing with the clinking of champagne flutes and quiet laughter.
Underneath the glamour, it was a fortress. Armored security guards dressed as waitstaff stood at every exit, their eyes tracking the crowd.
Alexander slid his hand around Evangeline’s waist, pulling her comfortably against his side as they stepped off the main staircase. His palm was warm against the bare skin of her back, his fingers resting just above the curve of her hip.
"Try not to look like you're calculating the wind velocity to throw a knife at Silas," Alexander murmured into her ear as they crossed the floor. "You're supposed to be my starry-eyed bride."
Evangeline leaned slightly into his shoulder, her golden eyes scanning the room behind her mask. "I am starry-eyed, darling. I am imagining what you’d look like bleeding out on this marble floor."
"A tragic loss for women everywhere," Alexander replied without missing a beat, his low laugh vibrating against her side. "Keep smiling. Viktor is at two o'clock, watching your hips like he's expecting a grenade to drop out of your dress."
"Let him watch," she said smoothly. "Silas is at the main bar."
Across the room, Silas stood near a massive champagne tower. He wore a heavy velvet suit and an ornate golden mask. Fastened around his collar, resting right against his neck, was a thin silver chain bearing a small obsidian key.
The master server key.
"Ten minutes until the security protocol rotates," Evangeline whispered, her tone dropping into lethal focus. "Once the opening waltz starts, I make my move."
"Don't screw it up, viper," Alexander said, his voice dropping low, losing its sarcastic edge for a brief, intense second. His grey-blue eyes locked onto hers with sharp, heavy gravity. "I'm not coming down to rescue you if you get caught."
"I wouldn't let you," she replied coldly. "You'd just get in my way."
Before Alexander could reply, the grand orchestra stopped playing. The room fell into a soft hush as the lead conductor raised his baton.
Silas stepped out from the bar area, taking the microphone from a waiter.
"Welcome, my friends," Silas’s voice boomed softly over the speakers. "To another evening of beauty, mystery, and charity. Tonight, as tradition dictates, we open the floor with the first dance."
Silas turned his golden-masked face toward the crowd, his dark eyes landing directly on Evangeline. He extended a hand.
"Mrs. Vance," Silas called out warmly. "May I have this honor?"
Evangeline offered a breathtaking, effortless smile. She detached herself from Alexander’s arm, giving his cheek a soft, affectionate pat for the crowd to see.
"Be a good boy while I am gone, Alec," she purred softly.
"I'm always good, sweetheart," Alexander drawled back, though his electric blue eyes were narrowed, watching Silas like a hawk as Evangeline glided onto the open floor.
The music swelled—a fast, dramatic classical waltz.
Silas took her hand, pulling her into the frame of the dance. He was a skilled dancer, moving with practiced, heavy authority.
"You look stunning, Mrs. Vance," Silas said as they spun past a line of spectators. "Your husband is a very lucky man."
"He tells me every day," Evangeline lied smoothly, her golden eyes locking into his, holding his full attention.
She let him spin her out, her dark silk gown flaring around her legs. As he pulled her back in, she closed the distance between them, bringing her left hand up to rest softly on his lapel—right over his heart.
Her fingers moved like liquid air.
While Silas focused on stepping through the cadence of the waltz, Evangeline’s index finger and thumb unclasped the microscopic clasp of the silver chain hidden beneath his collar. With a single, invisible slide, she slipped the obsidian key off the chain, palming it effortlessly into her glove.
She didn't miss a single step of the dance.
"A lovely waltz, Mr. Silas," she murmured as the final notes of the song echoed through the hall.
"The pleasure was mine, my dear," Silas smiled, bowing politely before releasing her hand.
Evangeline turned and walked smoothly back toward the crowd. As she passed a tall marble pillar near the side exit, Alexander stepped out of the shadows, brushing past her shoulder.
It took less than half a second.
As their bodies crossed, Evangeline reached down, her gloved fingers pressing the cold obsidian key straight into Alexander’s palm.
"Key is secured," she whispered under her breath. "Get to sub-level two."
"Good girl," Alexander murmured, slipping the key into his coat pocket. He gave her a sharp, dangerous smirk before slipping through the side security doors, heading toward the subterranean stairs.
Evangeline took a glass of champagne from a passing tray, letting out a quiet breath.
Down in the sub-level corridor, Alexander reached the reinforced steel door of the server vault. He pulled out the obsidian key, inserting it into the mechanical keyhole. The heavy lock clicked open smoothly.
He pulled out his encrypted handheld tablet, plugging it straight into the server interface.
Bypassing Security Firewalls... 45%... 70%...
Back upstairs, Evangeline stood near the fountain, casually taking a sip from her glass.
Across the room, Silas was standing near the champagne tower. He was smiling politely at a guest, reaching up to adjust the collar of his suit jacket out of habit.
His fingers brushed his neck.
He paused.
Evangeline’s heart skipped a beat.
Silas slowly moved his hand across his lapel, feeling the empty space where the heavy obsidian key was supposed to be. He didn't gasp. He didn't call the guards.
A slow, chilling smile spread across Silas’s face behind his golden mask. He casually picked up a flute of champagne, turned his eyes across the ballroom, and locked his gaze directly onto Evangeline.
Down in the dark server vault, Alexander watched the progress bar hit 95%.
Suddenly, the screen flashed bright red.
ERROR: TRACER KEY DETECTED. CONTAINMENT PROTOCOL ACTIVATED.
CLANG!
A massive, air-tight steel blast door slammed down behind Alexander, sealing the vault completely shut. The main power killed instantly, dropping the room into total darkness before eerie red emergency lights flooded the small steel box.
A quiet hiss echoed through the air vents above his head. The oxygen pumps were shutting off.
Upstairs in the ballroom, Silas raised his champagne glass in a quiet toast toward Evangeline. He walked slowly across the polished floor, stopping right in front of her.
"You dance exquisitely, Mrs. Vance," Silas murmured, his voice smooth, cold, and entirely lethal. He stepped into her personal space, tilting his head. "Though it seems your husband has been down in my wine cellar for quite a long time... Shall we go check on him?"
Evangeline’s fingers tightened around her champagne glass until the glass creaked under the pressure.