INVITES AND NON INVITES

Tide's gaze fixate on the dark veins faintly visible near her temples. If Adeline didn’t get here soon…

He shook the thought off before it could settle.

…………

Tide stepped out of Hera Castle, rolling his shoulders before heading straight to one of the Rolls-Royces parked outside the castle. He wasn't in the mood for a drive after he just came back from one, but the sooner he got this over with, the better.

Sliding into the driver’s seat, he started the car, the low purr of the engine vibrating through the air as he pulled away from the castle grounds.

He drove through the winding roads of Eden, past the towering gates that separated the estate from the outside world. The drive to The Grid wasn’t long, and somehow it suprised him because in the face of emergency time usually taunt him.

By the time he pulled up to the entrance, he could already hear the chaos inside.

People were everywhere.

He sighed, stepping out of the car and into the crowded, ground floor. The space was packed, filled with men and women—some in cooperative attire, others looking like they had just crawled out of a gutter.

He wasn't surprised.

Thursdays at The Grid were always like this. It was the only night Adeline handled things roughly, the one night the VIP section remained closed, and every desperate bastard in the city came crawling for a chance to beg for an invite for themselves or their bosses.

He pushed his way through the thick crowd, dodging flailing arms and people talking over each other, until he spotted Adeline.

She was standing near the bar, her arms crossed, with a very angry expression as she talked to a group of men. They looked desperate. Probably some low-level executives trying to weasel their way into Friday night’s VIP section.

He watched as she sighed, pulled out her walkie-talkie, and said something into it.

Seconds later, the security team arrived, moving like shadows through the crowd.

And she didn't waste a second climbing onto one of the snooker tables that was somehow pushed to her side, a bold move considering how packed the place was.

She cleared her throat before shouted.

“Alright, everyone, shut up and listen.”

Slowly, the noise died down. The men she had been speaking to took a cautious step back.

Tide folded his arms, watching.

Adeline let her gaze sweep over the crowd before she continued, her tone dripping with irritation.

“I know your bosses told you not to come back here without an invite, but does this—” she gestured to the packed room, “—look like a goddamn store where you just barge in and cause chaos?”

Silence.

She let the words sink in.

“Now,” she said, voice cold. “You have twenty minutes to get the fuck out before I tell the security team to open fire.”

A few nervous chuckles rippled through the crowd.

Then, as if on cue, the security team drew their guns.

That did the trick.

The crowd visibly tensed, shifting uneasily. Some started backing toward the exit, but a few still hesitated.

One idiot in the front—a young guy in an overpriced suit—crossed his arms and scoffed. “You wouldn’t do that,” he said. “If you kill someone in here, this place will be shut down. Don't fret anyone! My friend's a lawyer!”

Adeline’s lips curled into a slow, wicked smirk.

She tilted her head.

“Looks like we have a scape goat.”

The security team cocked their guns in unison.

The sound echoed through the room like a death sentence.

That was all it took, and the hesitation snapped.

The entire room erupted into movement.

People scrambled toward the doors, tripping over chairs, pushing past each other, cursing under their breath as they rushed to escape.

Tide barely managed to move out of the way as bodies stampeded past him.

For a moment, he just stood there, watching in mild shock.

Damn! What the hell did he just witness?

Was this what he would have to go through if Adeline had left early?

He shuddered at the thought.

Yeah. No thanks.

………….

Adeline watched the last of the desperate crowd push through the exit, the sound of hurried footsteps fading as the doors swung shut. The Grid finally returned to its usual state—silent and calm, like a room that had just witnessed something explosive.

She exhaled sharply and turned toward Tide, her heels clicking against the floor as she closed the distance between them. Her expression was pure frustration, brows furrowed, jaw tight.

Without a word, she shoved a stack of files into his hands.

"You see the shit I’m going through?" she snapped, eyes blazing with irritation. "You see how busy I am?"

Tide raised a brow, glancing down at the files. Wondering what that has got to do with the files.

"Next time Evangeline does something stupid, I'm not leaving my work to save her ass." She jabbed a finger toward the files as if they had personally offended her.

"These are the third reviewed versions of the info files brought in," she said angrily. "Review them one more time. Trash the ones with people you know aren’t eligible for the invite. When you're done, send the remaining to the castle. Master will review them there, and then we’ll send invites to whoever he approves of before tomorrow night."

Tide let out a slow, annoyed sigh, flipping through the files. Names. Backgrounds. Status reports.

"I thought I was only covering for you tonight," he said, frowning.

She didn’t even blink. "I changed my mind."

He glanced up at her, expression unimpressed. Really?

"You’ll be helping until tomorrow night," she continued, folding her arms. "Or the deal is off."

His jaw clenched. "You talk as if she isn’t your sister."

Adeline held his gaze, unblinking.

Her silence was enough of an answer.

He glared at her for a long moment before exhaling through his nose, giving in.

"Fine," he muttered. "Deal. What kind of a sister are you?"