Page 22 of Stars in Halo

The Grande Hotel was towering, rising from the city’s vibrant surroundings with sleek lines and reflective surfaces.

Its walls glimmered with crystals and dripped with various colourful plants in shades of soft blues and purples.

Each window was a portal to a different world, inviting guests to leave reality behind and embrace the fantastical.

Xion strode to the entryway, where a uniformed bellman stood enclosed by its grand architecture adorned with shimmering lights and dancing fountains.

‘Welcome to our establishment, sir,’ the bellman greeted Xion with a warm smile.

The Rider spotted a profile at the foyer desk’s far end of the lobby. His lips twisted, heart lurching.

He recognised her at once, catching a glimpse of her exquisite features. Jolting with reaction, he drank in her tall, elegant silhouette, with a river of dark, sleek hair cascading down her back—through a doorway leading to a luxurious lounge area.

She was accompanied by a trio of male individuals whom Xion was unable to ID.

‘Who’s that?’ he asked the bellman, jerking his chin toward the alluring and fast-disappearing woman.

He’d discovered over the years that a firm, irrefutable statement, made with confidence, always pushed through any disquiet.

A little side cash helped.

He flicked a few schills from his wrist tab to the doorman’s device as he spoke.

The man’s eyes widened in appreciation at the amount that appeared on his screen.

‘That’s Bella Blaise; she’s a regular visitor to our establishment,’ the front doorman offered with new-found eagerness.

He lowered his voice. ‘She’s a society heiress who stays with us for weeks. I believe she’s booked in for a few days this time. She also had a dreamy ass and plenty of schills to drop when served well. If you wish, I’ll let you know when she’s on the premises.’

‘Sante. Is that the bar she’s headed into?’ he grunted.

‘Tis. Her favourite drink is a whisky sour.’

‘A woman of my dreams. Appreciated,’ Xion grinned with affable nod.

He brushed past the bellman and entered the hotel’s opulent lobby. The lounge was his destination, but he was preoccupied with the enigmatic woman he was tailing.

Katya was no ordinary shark. That much was certain. What her endgame was intrigued him, and he was willing to do whatever it took to find out.

Striding into the dim-lit space, Xion’s sharp eyes scanned the room for any sign of her. The air was thick with the scent of expensive liquor and hushed conversations, creating an atmosphere of intrigue and secrecy.

He caught a glimpse of her distinctive silhouette at the far end of the bar; her back turned to him as she engaged in conversation with a stocky figure.

With a furtive glance around the room, she leaned in, whispered something to him, straightened, and strolled out.

He took a step, wanting to intercept her, but he hesitated.

Her sentinels followed close behind, and he observed them disappear into an elevator.

Her connection, the man she’d just rendezvoused with, would make for better information, Xion concluded.

The Rider strode into the shadowy space, where plush velvet couches and glittering chandeliers created an atmosphere of intimate, hushed extravagance.

Katya’s contact was seated at the bar in the corner, his back to him, nursing a drink.

He sidled next to the man, his meta eyes narrowing to take in the holo badge on the stranger’s lapel.

It announced him as Hanias Tokun, the hotel’s head of security.

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