The conference room at Weston International was considerably more imposing than Raiden had expected. A long table occupied the front of the room, where the procurement committee sat with copies of every proposal submitted for the hospitality partnership. Representatives from several major hotel groups filled the seats facing them, each accompanied by senior executives and legal or financial advisers.Aurora Hotel was one of the smaller groups represented that morning.Not because the hotel itself was insignificant, but because the past few weeks had changed the way people looked at it.Mileena had noticed the difference the moment she and Raiden entered the room. Several representatives who had previously greeted her warmly now limited themselves to polite nods, while two executives from larger hotel groups spent several minutes discussing something in low voices after glancing toward Aurora's table.She did not need to hear their conversation to know what they were discussing.Aurora

The final rehearsal was already underway when Elena Veyra arrived at Aurora Hotel that evening.Most of the problems caused by the production company's withdrawal had finally been brought under control. The stage was nearly ready, the lighting team was making final adjustments, and the sound crew was testing the equipment while Elena's dancers went through their positions. Across the ballroom, Aurora's staff moved between departments, checking every detail before the actual event the following day.Raiden stood near the side of the stage, speaking with one of the event coordinators when Elena approached him.“You have been working all day,” she said with a smile. “Do you ever stop?”“When everything is finished.”Elena laughed softly. “Then I suppose I should make sure everything takes a little longer.”Raiden looked at her, unsure whether she was joking.She stepped closer. “You never seem nervous. Even after everything that happened.”“There is no benefit in being nervous about some

Raiden looked at her calmly. “I heard everything.”Mileena's expression tightened. “Everything?”“From the beginning,” Raiden said.For a moment, neither of them spoke. Mileena had not expected him to overhear the conversation, and she was unsure how much of what had happened she should explain.“Elena is genuinely upset,” she finally said. “She is not simply trying to make things difficult. She was considering withdrawing from tonight's performance.”“I understand,” Raiden said.“She has not given me a final answer.”Raiden glanced toward the closed door. “Then I will speak with her.”Mileena hesitated. “Perhaps you should give her some time.”“I am not going to pressure her into performing.” His voice remained even. “I only want to make sure she understands that whatever she decides, Aurora will respect it.”Raiden entered the room. Elena was still sitting by the window. She looked up when she saw him, her expression changing slightly.“Mileena told you,” Elena said.“Yes.”She look

The morning after Elena Veyra's performance, Aurora Hotel was still receiving attention from every direction.The event had dominated entertainment news throughout the night, but by morning the coverage had expanded beyond Elena herself. Articles were praising Aurora for recovering from the sudden loss of its production company and delivering a successful event despite the chaos that had preceded it.Mileena entered Raiden's office carrying a tablet and several printed reports.“We received twelve new inquiries this morning.”Raiden looked up. “From?”“Corporate clients, event organizers, and two companies interested in long-term hospitality arrangements. Three of them had never contacted Aurora before.”She placed the tablet on his desk. “The sponsor has also asked about holding another event here next quarter.”Raiden skimmed through the information, then leaned back.“That is faster than I expected.”“Last night's exposure was much larger than anything we could have generated throu

The supervisor shook his head. “No, sir. I haven't seen her leave.”Raiden glanced toward the parking area again. Mileena's car was still sitting exactly where she had left it, yet there had been no sign of her anywhere in the hotel.“Show me the CCTV.”The supervisor immediately led him to the security room. Once the recordings were brought up, they began reviewing the footage from the basement parking area. Mileena appeared on the screen alone, walking toward her car with her belongings in hand. Nothing seemed unusual at first. Then, several seconds later, two unfamiliar men entered the frame from opposite directions.Raiden's expression changed as he watched them approach her. Mileena noticed them too. She stopped beside her car and turned, seemingly trying to understand why they were approaching. When one of the men moved toward her, she immediately stepped back and attempted to return to the elevator.The supervisor leaned closer to the monitor.“What's happening?”Raiden did not