Hannah's Chance (Chapter 6) (fm:sex at work, 5782 words) [6/7] show all parts

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Her phone buzzed with a text message. Unknown sender. "See you at 6 PM" it said succinctly, followed by a conference room name. She glanced at Maria. "I need to find a quiet spot," she said. "Prep work."

Maria nodded. "I'll meet you later for lunch."

Hannah saw that Tanaka's CFO was no longer near the stairs to the coffee lounge, so she climbed them and found a seat in the corner. She started to plan exactly how she intended that the demo should go.

Her phone buzzed with a text message. Alessandro Rossi. "Remember the trap question. The Asian market dependence. Challenge him politely. Frame it as strategic curiosity." She wondered how he had her phone number, as she hadn't given him that or a business card. Still the timing was good, as the message was a useful reminder to her planning.

The Tanaka patents could be critical, she reflected, slotting them right into her plan, although it was something else she needed Alex's help with. Finally she had everything ready, or as ready as it could be without discussing the matter with Alex, and she decided it was time for lunch with Maria.

As they sat down, Maria leaned forward. "I've made a great contact this morning. Someone interested in ore sorting. Very interested. I've also emailed my office asking them to work on the Keller biotech. They should be there to read it in an hour or two."

Hannah nodded, pushing her salad around her plate. She would have to call Alex as soon as she could. The email she'd sent explained a lot, but didn't say anything about Alex doing the demo with her. The silence stretched, punctuated only by the clink of cutlery from nearby tables.

"Maria," Hannah began carefully, "what if Tanaka's CFO approaches us? He was watching me earlier."

Maria shrugged, spearing a tomato. "Let him. You've got leverage now." She paused, lowering her voice. "You look worried. Rossi didn't... complicate things?"

Hannah avoided her gaze, focusing on the crisp linen tablecloth. "I didn't take much notice of him. I forgot about him after we left the club." The lie tasted bitter, but Maria's disapproval would only cloud her focus.

They finished their meal and Hannah checked her watch. 1:47 PM. Not long to go until it was realistic to start calling the office. Maria stood, gathering her bag. "I'm heading back to the show. Do you want me to join you for the demo?"

"Yes please, " said Hannah. "I'd really appreciate that." She gave her the conference room name and Maria nodded. "I'll be there."

Hannah sat staring at her phone and as the time clicked on to 2:00 she dialed Alex's direct line. Her knuckles whitened around the phone as it rang. Once. Twice. "Please be there."

She waited five minutes and tried again. Then another five minutes. And another. Still no luck. It was now 2:20 which was 8:20 to Alex. She dialed again.

"Alex speaking." His voice was flat, distracted.

Hannah exhaled sharply. "It's Hannah. Did you get my email?"

"Just read it." Papers shuffled in the background. "Keller biotech collapse integration into Tanaka salvage model. Requires complete recalibration of risk thresholds." His tone sharpened. "Three hours is impossible without the raw Keller datasets. You didn't attach them."

Hannah's stomach dropped. The datasets. Rossi hadn't provided them. She was suddenly floundering and out of her depth. "Can you extrapolate?" she pressed, fingers digging into the tablecloth. "Use historical biotech failure analogs—"

"Not precise enough," Alex interrupted, his voice clipped. "Your potential client will spot the variance. He'll know it's filler." The line crackled with the sound of frantic typing. "I need Keller's internal liquidity reports, asset depreciation timelines. Without them, the model's a house of cards."

Hannah's throat tightened. Rossi's oversight, or some kind of test on his part, threatened everything. "What if I get them? How fast can you rebuild?"

"Depends." Alex's keyboard clattered louder. "If you transmit within the hour? Maybe. But Hannah—" His pause felt like a chasm opening. "The demo's at 6 PM Milan time. That's noon here. I've got a pitch for Clare's renewable energy group at 11:30. It's locked in."

Hannah's blood ran cold. Clare. Her boss, unaware of Hannah's side quest, had scheduled Alex. The timing was catastrophic. "Reschedule it," she demanded, her voice tight. "Tell Clare it's an emergency."

A bitter laugh crackled down the line. "Cancelling her pitch screams mutiny." The clatter of his keyboard stopped. "It's one or the other, Hannah. Clare's pitch, or your demo. Choose."

Hannah stared out at the crowded coffee lounge, the investors blurring into a meaningless swirl. Clare's pitch was solid, predictable work, the kind that kept everyone at the company employed. The demo was everything - Tanaka, the scarab beetle, Rossi's whispered secrets, her chance to leap beyond being a secretary forever. But without Alex live, Rossi's warning echoed - bluffing. And the scarab beetle would smell it.

"Alex," she said, her voice low and urgent. "Cancel Clare's pitch. Tell her..." Hannah paused, scrambling for plausible lies. "...tell her the Milan investor requested priority access to our modeling capabilities. Say it's confidential, high-stakes. Flatter her. Make it sound like - her - opportunity."

Silence stretched. Hannah could almost hear Alex weighing Clare's wrath against Hannah's desperation. Finally, a sigh. "I'll try."

"It's not just the work beforehand," said Hannah. "I need you to be available at noon. I need you to connect remotely and do the demo with me. It's the only way. It's impossible for me to manage this alone."

"You don't want much, do you?" said Alex, sounding shocked.

Hannah gripped the phone tighter. "It's the only way. The client expects architects who thrive in chaos. Without you live, answering the technical specifics—"

"—he'll know you're winging it," Alex finished flatly. "Fine. I'll try. But only if I get those Keller datasets - now. And Hannah? Clare's going to crucify me for cancelling her pitch. This better be worth it." The line went dead.

Hannah stared at her phone, the silence roaring in her ears. He'll try. It wasn't a guarantee. It was a gamble. She shoved the phone into her purse, her hands trembling slightly. Without Alex live, facing the scarab beetle was suicidal. Without the Keller datasets, even Alex couldn't build a credible model. Rossi's trap snapped shut around her - he'd given her the intel but withheld the crucial data, forcing her to scramble or fail spectacularly.

Calming down a little, she realized she could drop the Keller analysis from the demo entirely and proceed without it. That was certainly an option. With Alex's help, she could still put a convincing demo together. She decided that she needed some fresh air to help her think her way through this. She stood abruptly, nearly knocking over her chair. As she made her way out, she noticed Tanaka's CFO at another table and wondered if he had been watching her again. Perhaps it was just a coincidence that he happened to be here at the same time as her, but she couldn't escape the feeling that he knew something of what she was engaged in.

If she was going to stick to her plan, she needed those Keller files immediately. Rossi would have them. But could she get in touch with him immediately? Hannah strode towards the exit, weaving through clusters of visitors. She noticed Maria engrossed near a robotics display, machines gleaming all around her, but she didn't stop. Every minute counted.

Outside, the air was fresh, but Milan's afternoon sun felt oppressive. She had Rossi's number because he'd texted her earlier and she dialed it now. He answered on the first ring, his voice smooth as silk. "Hannah. Missing me already?"

"The Keller datasets," she cut in, ignoring the taunt. "You didn't send them. Alex needs them now."

A low chuckle vibrated down the line. "Ah, Hannah. I'm a very resourceful person, but even I haven't got everything at my fingertips. If you want further information on Keller, why not ask him directly? Unless you want me to talk to him for you?".

"Yes, talk to him. Given that I need them right now, I think it would be easier if you spoke to him. Keller Biotech's internal datasets. Liquidity reports, asset timelines. Anything granular."

"I'll see what I can do." The line disconnected abruptly.

Hannah stood frozen on the busy Milan sidewalk, the phone clutched in her whitening grip. Even if Rossi could get the datasets, how long was it going to take? Perhaps she should tell Alex to set up the demo without using Keller? She decided to go back into the exhibition center and headed for the coffee lounge. There, she sat in a quandary, not sure what to do. Time was ticking by relentlessly and she had very little of it left.

Her phone buzzed with a text. Alessandro Rossi. "Where do you want the Keller data sent to?" She didn't stop to savor this positive development and immediately replied with Alex's email address. He hadn't said he'd already secured the data, but that was surely what he meant. So the plan was back on track. Alex would have the tools he needed. Now she hoped he would have enough time.

Her phone buzzed with a text. Alex Sanders. "Datasets received. Integrating files. Rebuilding model." She exhaled sharply. One big hurdle cleared.

Her phone buzzed with a text. Alex Sanders. "Clare unhappy. Says you owe her an explanation."

Her throat tightened. This was something else she had to deal with. Should she call Clare now? She considered the matter carefully. No. Clare would demand answers she couldn't give - not without exposing everything. The Tanaka deal, Rossi, the scarab beetle's web. She'd sound like a crazy woman, like she'd lost her mind. Better to face Clare later, when she had leverage. If she survived tonight.

She ordered an espresso and watched as Tanaka's CFO entered the lounge. Was this another coincidence or was he following her everywhere?

Her phone buzzed with a text. Clare Buchanan. "Explain. Now." So she couldn't put Clare off until later after all. She was going to have to deal with her right away.

Her phone buzzed with a text. Alex Sanders: "Keller collapse integrated. Model recalibrated. Will be ready." Relief washed over her, cold and sharp. Alex had delivered. But Clare's message lingered like poison.

"Explain. Now." Clare's text glared from Hannah's phone screen, sharp as a blade. Hannah's thumb hovered, pulse drumming against her temple. Later, she'd planned. After the demo, when I've won Tanaka. But Clare wasn't waiting. Hannah pictured her boss's rigid posture, the icy disapproval that could freeze a room. A lie wouldn't hold. Clare would shred excuses about "confidential opportunities" once Alex cancelled her pitch. But the truth was worse - admitting she'd commandeered company resources for a shadow game orchestrated by a man who'd bitten her neck a few hours ago.

Hannah typed rapidly, fingers trembling. "Deeply sorry, Clare. Secured urgent Milan investor access requiring Alex's full focus. High value, time sensitive. Will brief fully ASAP." She hit send before doubt could paralyze her. Silence followed. No reply. The absence of a reply felt heavier than words.

Tanaka's CFO slid into the chair opposite her, uninvited. His smile was thin, predatory. "Ms. Hartwell. Always so... industrious." He nodded toward her phone. "Doing good business?"

Hannah kept her expression neutral, locking her screen. "Just coordinating logistics, Mr. Reddy. Investor events keep me busy." She sipped her espresso, the bitterness grounding her. He knows something. The certainty coiled in her gut. "Though I'm curious why Tanaka's CFO would find my activities of any interest."

"I'm really only interested in your dealings with Tanaka," he replied. "I wonder if you could update me?"

Hannah held his gaze, the espresso cup steady in her hand despite the tremor in her wrist. "We've made our proposal to Mr. Chen," she said evenly. "We're waiting to hear from him."

"Chen doesn't make decisions without board approval."

Hannah's espresso cup clinked against the saucer. "Then I look forward to hearing from the board," she countered smoothly.

Reddy leaned forward, lowering his voice. "The board are divided, they squabble over every decision."

Hannah met his gaze without blinking. "I'm sure they'll reach a consensus."

"Perhaps." Reddy traced the rim of his glass. "But some board members find it difficult to face reality. To come to terms with Tanaka's true position."

Hannah kept her expression impassive. "I'm confident Tanaka will recognize the most viable path forward."

"Viability depends on perspective. Some see opportunity in restructuring. Others see it as surrender."

"Surrender implies defeat," she said, her voice cool. "Restructuring isn't defeat, it's strategy."

Reddy's eyes narrowed, a flicker of irritation breaking his composure. "Strategy requires understanding the battlefield. Tanaka's complexities aren't easily mapped."

Hannah set her cup down, the porcelain ringing sharply. "I specialize in mapping complexity, Mr. Reddy. Especially when it involves undervalued assets and hidden liabilities." She leaned in, matching his intensity. "For instance, why would the CFO personally monitor a junior consultant's coffee breaks? Unless Tanaka's instability runs deeper than the board admits."

Reddy's knuckles whitened around his glass. "Junior consultants don't usually attract the attention of men like Alessandro Rossi," he hissed, his veneer of calm cracking.

Hannah didn't flinch. "I'm sure Signor Rossi talks to many people." She held his gaze, the air between them charged. Perhaps Reddy's surveillance wasn't curiosity, but fear. Fear she'd expose whatever rot he was hiding.

"Yes Rossi talks to many people, but he rarely talks to anyone without expecting a return."

Hannah smiled faintly. "I'm sure he expects a return from everyone. That's how business works."

"Don't play games with me! Rossi doesn't waste time on junior consultants unless they're offering something... special." His gaze raked over her, lingering on the faint bruise Rossi had left on her collarbone. "What did you promise him for access to Tanaka? What are you really selling?"

Hannah's pulse hammered against her ribs. She forced a dismissive shrug. "I'm selling strategy, Mr. Reddy. As for Rossi, I've never needed him for access to Tanaka. I've been speaking to Chen for weeks."

Her phone buzzed with a text. "Now if you'll excuse me, Mr. Reddy, I have business to attend to."

Hannah stood, leaving her half-finished espresso. Reddy's eyes followed her, but he stayed seated. She went down the stairs and paused at the bottom to check what the text was. The message was from Clare. "Who is this client?"

Hannah hesitated. She couldn't tell Clare the truth. She replied, "The client prefers anonymity until the deal is finalized. I promise you'll be the first to know when it's appropriate."

She noticed Maria at one of the exhibition stands and went to check she was still okay for six o'clock, but found her in conversation with another woman. She heard "lithium projections" mentioned and decided not to interrupt. Turning away, she saw Reddy come down the stairs from the coffee lounge and decided it was safe to return there.

Back in the lounge, she found a quiet corner and tried to relax for a few minutes, but she couldn't help wondering how much Reddy knew and why he seemed rattled. What had she stumbled into exactly?

Her phone buzzed with a text. Alex Sanders. "Model ready for download. Stress tested scenarios included."

It was excellent news. The brilliant Alex had worked miracles. She got out her tablet and connected to the secure server to download the model. It took some time, but she had expected that and tried to be patient.

When it was downloaded she looked it through. It was a masterpiece. She could see the Tanaka restructuring model in all its glory. The Keller collapse was integrated seamlessly. It looked so thorough, so convincing. She felt a surge of confidence. She could do this.

Her phone buzzed with a text. Maria Wallington. "Ready when you are."

Hannah glanced at her watch. 5:40 PM. Twenty minutes. She texted back: "Meet me at the north entrance." She needed air again, space to breathe before facing the scarab beetle.

Outside, Milan's golden hour bathed the piazza in honeyed light, but Hannah felt only the chill of anticipation. Maria joined her, clutching her tablet like a shield. "Ready?" Maria asked, her usual cheer replaced by tight concern.

"Almost," Hannah murmured, scanning the crowd. Her gaze snagged on Reddy lingering near a fountain, his phone pressed to his ear. Still watching! She turned her back deliberately. "Remember, Alex joins remotely at six sharp. If the scarab beetle asks about Keller's collapse, let me pivot. You handle patent cross-referencing."

Maria nodded, tapping her tablet. "The ore sorting prospect confirmed interest. That alone has made my trip..." She trailed off as Hannah stiffened.

Reddy was walking in their direction. "Not now," she thought. "Not when we're this close." She turned to Maria. "We've got to go - quickly." They slipped through the crowd, Hannah leading Maria back into the exhibition center and toward the conference room where the demo was to take place - Salone Verde on the third floor.

Her phone buzzed with a text. Alex Sanders. "Will connect at noon sharp. Make sure I'm enabled on your side."

Hannah's thumb flew across the screen. "Confirmed. Audio/video enabled. Standby for Keller questions." She pocketed her phone as the elevator doors slid open on the third floor. The corridor stretched before them, deserted except for a lone cleaner pushing a cart. Hannah's heels clicked sharply against marble, the sound echoing too loudly in the hushed space.

Maria kept pace beside her. "What did Reddy want with us?" she whispered, glancing over her shoulder.

"To rattle us," Hannah murmured, spotting the brass plaque for Salone Verde ahead. "Forget about him. Focus." She pushed the heavy oak door open.

The room was smaller than she'd imagined - intimate, dimly-lit, dominated by a U-shaped table facing a holographic projector. Two men waited inside, both masked. One wore the scarab beetle mask that Hannah recognized instantly, its iridescent green carapace gleaming under recessed lights. The other wore a simpler owl mask, perched silently in the corner. Hannah's breath hitched. She had been expecting the scarab beetle alone.

Hannah greeted the two men, projecting calm she didn't feel as she took the seat opposite the scarab beetle. Maria slid in beside her, setting up her tablet with trembling fingers. The owl remained unnervingly still. Hannah activated her own tablet, syncing it to the projector. They had set up a few minutes early, but so had Alex. His login status blinked green - ready.

The scarab beetle leaned forward, his voice low. "Begin."

Hannah projected the Tanaka model onto the holographic display. "Tanaka Heavy Industries," she stated, her voice steady. "Restructuring proposals leveraging undervalued assets while addressing systemic liabilities." Alex then walked through the core framework, highlighting salvage pathways and projected returns. The scarab beetle remained impassive, not reacting when a sale of Tanaka's biotech was mentioned, but tilting his head slightly at the Keller Biotech integration.

"Keller," the scarab beetle interrupted, his voice still low behind the mask. "Explain the collapse variable."

Hannah gestured subtly toward Maria's tablet. "Maria, patent cross-referencing, please." Maria nodded, fingers flying. "Keller's downfall stems from patent litigation delays," Hannah continued smoothly as Maria projected overlapping timelines onto the hologram. "We've mapped its liabilities directly against Tanaka's own biotech exposure." She tapped her screen, highlighting cascading risk assessments. "You can see the parallels. A solution which would work for Keller would also work for Tanaka. But there's more, if Keller isn't amenable to a salvage operation, which is an unknown factor, Tanaka could absorb Keller's core IP - if litigation clears."

The owl shifted, speaking for the first time. His voice was digitally distorted. "Your models assume Tanaka's board approves restructuring. What if they resist?"

Hannah didn't hesitate. "Then we try and trigger restructuring through a shareholder bloc. We've even identified how that bloc could be put together." Maria projected a list of institutional investors - all major Tanaka shareholders. Hannah saw the owl's mask tilt toward the scarab beetle.

The scarab beetle tapped the table. "Your model shows Tanaka absorbing Keller's IP. But Keller's collapse was... accelerated. How do you account for that volatility?"

Hannah felt Maria tense beside her. The question was a trap. "We don't," she admitted, leaning forward. The hologram shifted to show Keller's stock plummeting against market indices. "Because Tanaka doesn't need to absorb the collapse - only the opportunity beneath it." Alex then zoomed in on the steepest decline. "What happened was outside the scope of any predictive model, because it wasn't organic failure. It was self-inflicted." Maria projected a cascade of correlations between decisions announced by Keller and its share price. "The volatility is artificial," Alex continued. "Tanaka acquires the patents - during - litigation chaos at fire-sale prices. The model profits from the sabotage, not in spite of it."

The owl emitted a low, distorted hum. "And if Tanaka prefers to chart a course forward without Keller and without its own biotech holding?"

Hannah froze. Reddy. The surveillance, the probing questions. Perhaps he was concerned that Chen would use the model she was presenting to justify disposal of their biotech. Alex hadn't frozen and continued to speak, keeping his voice level. "Then Tanaka acquires an injection of capital without any further risk. Our model clearly shows that divesting the biotech asset actually increases the value of Tanaka, but if it's going to be divested it needs to be done quickly."

"Why quickly?" said the owl.

"Because it's bleeding value," Alex replied, "and our analysis shows that it isn't likely to turnaround without major action. If it's going to be sold it needs to be sold immediately. You can see our comparison here, selling against not selling." He paused as the screen shifted. "It's a drastic step of course, but taking that option not only increases Tanaka's value but solves it's current liquidity problem at a stroke."

The scarab beetle leaned back. "Your model is... comprehensive. Even audacious."

"One other thing we'd like to address," said Hannah, "is Tanaka's Asian market dependence. Often depicted as a liability, we'd argue that it should be seen as a strength. We have modelling that indicates exactly why we say that. Perhaps you can tell us what your own position is on this issue?

The scarab beetle paused. "That's a conversation for another time." He turned to the owl. "Satisfied?" The owl nodded once.

The scarab beetle turned to Hannah. "You've passed the audition. You'll be hearing from us shortly."

Relief flooded her, sharp and dizzying. She forced a nod. "Thank you. I'll look forward to it." Beside her, Maria exhaled shakily, shutting down her tablet.

The scarab beetle stood, the owl mirroring him. "We'll see ourselves out. Remain here for five minutes." They moved toward a discreet service door Hannah hadn't noticed, vanishing without another word.

Silence swallowed the room. Five minutes. The directive felt less like protocol and more like a test of obedience. Alex's voice crackled through the tablet speaker, muted but urgent. "Hannah? Status?"

"They left," Hannah whispered, her eyes fixed on the service door. "Said I passed."

"I'm off to lunch then. Catch you later." His connection light went out.

Maria slumped back, a shaky laugh escaping her. "You did it. That owl... he terrified me."

Hannah barely registered the words. The relief was already hardening into something colder. "Passed the audition." For what? Supplying their solution to Tanaka? Or to someone else who controlled Tanaka? Or something deeper, more far reaching? The scarab beetle's control over Tanaka, Reddy's hunt for information, the owl's pointed question about Tanaka's board - it wasn't just a demo. It was an initiation into a game where the rules were written in shadows. She touched the faint bruise Rossi had left. Payment rendered. Access granted. But to what?

Her phone buzzed with a text. Clare Buchanan. "Tell me who the client is now."

Hannah stared at the screen, the scarab beetle's parting words echoing. "You'll be hearing from us shortly." What leverage did she have left? Clare's silence had been a ticking bomb, and now it detonated. Hannah typed a reply, fingers cold. "Milan Investor Consortium. Secured Tanaka restructuring terms. Full debrief tomorrow." She hit send before doubt could paralyze her. The lie was flimsy, but it bought hours.

Maria gathered her things, oblivious. "Drinks? We deserve champagne!"

"Not yet," Hannah murmured. Five minutes weren't quite up. She looked at the service door - a sliver of shadow. Who were they? The owl's distorted voice replayed in her mind: "What if they resist?" Reddy's surveillance, his panic over Rossi. What if he were the resistor?

Her phone buzzed with a text. Alessandro Rossi. "Club Maschere. Tonight." No congratulations. Just a command. The timing - just after the conclusion of the demo - suggested he knew the demo was over. Or was it just a coincidence?

Maria touched her arm. "Hannah? Did you hear me? Champagne?"

"Maria, you've been amazing," said Hannah. "I want to thank you for everything you've done for me. Having you here made the demo so much easier, so much better."

Maria smiled. "I'm glad I could help. Do you want to celebrate your success?"

"Yes I'd like that. Especially as it's our last night in Milan." She paused. "I'd like to go to the masquerade club again. Plenty of champagne there." She saw Maria's expression tighten.

"I'm sorry Hannah. I have to meet the ore sorting prospect for dinner." Maria looked genuinely disappointed.

Hannah forced a smile. "Of course. Go." She watched Maria leave, the weight of Rossi's summons settling like lead. Champagne? She was tempted to indulge in something stronger.

Her phone buzzed with a text. Clare Buchanan. "What's the relationship between this consortium and Tanaka? We need to talk." Hannah decided she was out of options and would have to call her.

"Clare," she began, her voice carefully modulated. "The consortium prefers discretion until contracts are signed. I'll share everything tomorrow." She moved on quickly, before Clare could respond. "But Tanaka's CFO approached me today. He seemed... unnerved by our involvement."

A sharp intake of breath came through the line. "Reddy? What did he say?"

"He thinks we're offering more than investment strategy," Hannah replied, pacing the empty conference room. "Thinks we're up to something bigger." She kept her tone neutral, hoping the story would distract Clare from pressing her about the consortium. "Personally, I think he's the one who's hiding something. Something about Tanaka we don't know about."

Clare's silence stretched, heavy with calculation. "If Reddy's rattled," she said finally, her voice tight, "it means we've hit a nerve. Or you have." The implication hung there - what did you do?

Hannah's knuckles whitened around her phone. "Perhaps he just doesn't want us involved with Tanaka," she said vaguely, keeping her tone flat. "For whatever reason."

"Find out what that reason is," Clare commanded, the earlier demanding tone replaced by icy focus. "If Tanaka's hiding rot, we need to know before we're neck-deep in salvage operations. And Hannah?" A pause, sharp as a blade. "I expect that debrief first thing. No excuses."

Hannah put her phone down, relieved at having escaped a serious interrogation from Clare, for today at least. A cleaner came through the service door, saying something in Italian. Quickly realizing that Hannah didn't understand, she said "finished in here?"

"Yes," Hannah said, gathering her things. As she left the exhibition center, the success of the demo had already been replaced in her thoughts by the pressure of Rossi's summons. "Club Maschere. Tonight." The command felt like a leash tightening. What did he want with her at the club? She regretted that she would have to go there alone, without Maria at her side.

She walked through the Milanese twilight, reflecting on her journey over the last three months. She had been working as a secretary and now she was navigating a world of mysterious masked power brokers and billion-dollar salvage operations. She had traded her comfortable life for this shadowy world and she didn't regret it one little bit. Not only that, she was determined to see the story through, wherever it took her.

When Hannah was back in her hotel room, she sent a text to Alex, thanking him for his help. Then she thought about the text received from Rossi and whether she should reply to it, eventually deciding not to. Since she intended to go to the club anyway, there really wasn't anything that needed to be said. Even simply confirming that she would be there might make her seem eager, which she wanted to avoid. Instead, she would just turn up at the club when she was ready. She had to be careful though, as she didn't know what Rossi would be expecting from her. She had already given him payment in kind, but she could tell that Rossi was a man who always wanted more. She had to be ready for anything.

She made her way to the hotel restaurant, a hostess showing her to a corner table by the window. She ordered saffron risotto without asking for the menu, declining the offer of wine.

Her phone buzzed with a text. Alex Sanders. "You owe me big time. I had to get Nigel to handle the renewable energy. Clare didn't like it and neither did he."

Hannah sighed. She texted back: "You saved the demo today. I won't forget it."

Back in her room, she started getting ready to go to the club. Rossi's text still loomed in her mind - "Club Maschere. Tonight." That's all. No pleasantries. What game was he playing now?

She slipped into a simple black dress, something that wouldn't draw too much attention. She applied her makeup carefully, her hands steady despite the turmoil inside. The faint bruise on her collarbone from Rossi's grip was still visible, a stark reminder of the price she'd paid. She covered it with foundation, but the memory remained.

The taxi ride to Il Club Delle Maschere felt longer than before. The city lights blurred past, each street corner a reminder of how far she'd strayed from her old life. She thought about the owl's distorted voice asking about resistance, Reddy's suspicious probing, Clare demanding answers. Tanaka wasn't just a company in trouble, it was a battlefield, and she'd just pledged allegiance to a hidden general. Success today had only deepened the maze.

At the club's entrance, the bouncer recognized her immediately, ushering her through the door without a word. In the small room inside, an array of masks was presented to her. As before, she chose a simple silver half-mask, its feathers cool against her skin. She turned and stepped into the main hall, wondering what the night had in store for her.

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Hook writes Mon 27 Oct 2025 21:35:

Maintaining the intrigue, deception, and suspense....Is Hannah so focused on a web of her own making that she doesn't see the pedator on the limb?

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