Revamped!
[I know this question will be coming up frequently: "When are Emily/Iqadi/Apollo/Sigyn going to appear?"
Emily: Chapter 34
Iqadi: Chapter 17
Apollo: Chapter 68
Sigyn: Chapter 67
But as of now, I have the first 40 chapters of this story ready to publish. The entire story is planned; actually, some arcs are still fuzzy on the number of chapters they will have but nevertheless, I know where this story is going (don't be surprised if it changes)]. [2020: So proud of past me because I currently have 40 chapters of SA banked].
Chapter 6: The Kleptomaniac Part Three
The Spanish Embassy - Barcelona, Spain - 21:59 PM
Ivory enters the gala with her expected and noted swift and gracious aura. Many gentlemen have their eyes on her before being forced to look back at their dates. She sticks around the border of the dance floor, her heels softly clicking to the slow tempo of the music as her eyes rest on the ambassador's brooch. Her mouth parts slightly as her eyes narrow, devising a plan on how to get the brooch and make a successful escape all while keeping her look for the evening intact and causing the least chaos as possible.
"Someone needs to be with Ivory at all times," Xavier instructs to everyone through their holographic earpieces, "whether that'd be near her, interacting with her or just looking at her. We can't lose her for even the slightest second or else the brooch will be gone."
"Well, one of us needs to dance," James says. His eyes go to Merida and he holds out a hand for her. "Would you like to do me the honours, Miss. Barton?"
Merida takes a glance at him and scoffs before striding off. Embarrassed, James returns his hand to his side. He looks over at Daniel who walks off with his tray, holding back his laughter. James decides to remain at the bar and watch Ivory from there as Xavier heads off somewhere else. James catches Angela's eye for a moment and even she's grinning as the orchestra starts the next ensemble.
-o-
Ivory cuts through the crowd of people gracefully, her eyes never leaving the ambassador and his brooch. She watches the jolly man laugh at a joke someone told him, it seems like it wasn't that funny due to the exaggeration of that response. A smirk approaches her face but not for the same reason. Her plan is to take the next dance with him and flirt her way to the brooch before escaping the gala with it in her possession. Ivory is about to reach forward and tap the ambassador's shoulder with her perfectly manicured hand but gets cut off by a redheaded woman in a silver dress.
"Hello, Ambassador," Merida greets with a fake smile that looks as if it's genuinely from her heart, "mind if we share the next dance? My date for the evening has a pair of two left feet and I hear that the next piece is one of my favourites."
The ambassador looks at Merida and her gesturing hand surprised that a woman is the one asking him to dance. He accepts and follows her onto the dance floor where she also takes the lead on the waltz. Ivory's eyebrows frown in frustration as she begins to circle the dance floor again to think of a new strategy, following wherever Merida would take the waltz (which was as far from Ivory as possible). As Ivory notes this, she tilts her head a little, pondering on the possibility of someone else here who wasn't on the guest list.
"I can't help but notice you're alone here this evening," a man says to her. Ivory looks over her shoulder and notices Xavier standing behind her, though she only sees him as a man whose date is currently dancing with the ambassador. "I'm afraid to say that I know the feeling which is a shame since I came here with someone."
Ivory doesn't respond. She only stares, thinking that there is something odd yet familiar about this man.
"Would you care to dance?" Xavier asks Ivory, holding a hand out for her. "I promise not to step on your feet."
Ivory eyes his hand and gently accepts. Xavier holds her hand, noting how cold it is as he leads her onto the dance floor. They hold each other and begin to dance although the song is halfway done. Their dance is silent due to their minds being somewhere else but Ivory breaks the ice when she looks up at him.
"That girl with the ambassador is your date for the night, yes?" Ivory asks him. Xavier nods. "I don't sense any romance between the two of you which gives me the feeling that you two have a professional relationship. Where is the one you truly love?"
"Excuse me?" Xavier asks, confused as to why she's asking those questions.
"The one from your past - from your high school days. It's a shame what happened to her."
Xavier can feel himself getting angry inside. "High school sweethearts only survive in high school."
"How should I know? I never went. I was never a cheerleader."
Xavier doesn't react but he knows he's running out of time. "Neither was I."
Ivory's expression goes darker as she leans in close to him. "I know everything about you and your team. You better watch yourself."
Once the song ends, Ivory and Xavier stare at each other for a moment longer before she turns around and walks away from him, hers could cut his own like a knife. Xavier could feel it in his bones that Ivory was more than just one step ahead of him. He takes a breath and turns to see Merida meeting his eyes from across the ballroom.
"She knows…" Xavier says to her, barely moving his mouth. "She knows more than we think. We've been compromised."
Merida subtly nods, waiting for her next order.
-o-
"Excuse me, waiter," Ivory says to the closest server with a tray.
She has a playful grin on her face as she purposely approaches Daniel. Daniel has no physical reaction to seeing their target for the evening but his mind is racing through several thoughts. He clears his throat as she applies a fresh coat of lipstick and claps her lips together to blot them.
"How may I be of service for you tonight?" Daniel asks her casually as he would towards any other guest present.
"I know you're only serving Spain's finest champagne on behalf of the ambassador but I'm not particularly fond of that beverage. It's much too bitter for my meticulous tongue. I was wondering if you could make a custom drink for me."
Daniel nods. "I'll see what I can do. What drink is your preference?"
Ivory takes a step closer. "A curvy brunette with a billion olives, maybe a bright green accent to top it off."
Daniel freezes, knowing that she's talking about his fiancée, Emily Stark. A curvy brunette with a billion dollars and a bright green engagement ring. Ivory grins once she sees the slight (gut reaction) panic on his face. She takes a glass of champagne that was already on his tray along with a careful sip. Daniel shakes his head, getting rid of his immediate reaction to the implied threat.
Ivory leans into his ear to whisper, "If you and your team dare to interfere with my plan, then I will find your girl and have her pay for what you've done. She has more than enough olives to compensate for my loss but will it be enough for yours? No amount of money can repair a broken heart…"
Daniel doesn't reply. Ivory snickers to herself as she sashays away to another part of the ballroom.
-o-
James knows their cover is blown but, for some reason, his team is still in the ballroom. He would've thought that Ivory would've ratted them out to the security team about being frauds or worse, killed them all, but she didn't do such a thing. They have to leave but it's not his call to make. (At least not yet, the night is still young.) After a quick drink, he approaches Ivory who looked to be expecting him, despite her eyes still being glued on the ambassador. The fact that she still hasn't stolen the brooch is puzzling him. He could probably steal it faster than her.
"The ambassador seems busy talking about his brooch," James comments. "If you ask me, it's not that appealing."
"I know how to get him to shut up about it," Ivory replies bitterly, snickering a little.
"Let's dance to pass the time."
Ivory looks at the hand James is offering. She, having nothing else to do to pass the time of the chattering ambassador, accepts his gesture. As they dance, James takes this chance to lean in close to her.
"Steal the brooch and we will arrest you," James whispers to her. "You're outnumbered so don't think you can get away easily."
Ivory snickers again, this time to herself. She looks up at James and isn't surprised to see his face stone-cold with seriousness.
"Technically speaking," she starts, "you can't arrest me if I haven't done anything. I haven't stolen the ring nor do I have the brooch. As far as anyone's concerned, I'm here to dance."
"Okay, I'll give you that about the ring but you planned to steal the brooch, didn't you? That's your plan because you didn't get the ring. Isn't that why you're here?"
"Of course, it is." She cranes her neck up closer to his brown eyes with an aspiring look on her face. "You also can't arrest me if you don't catch me…"
James looks down at Ivory and suddenly finds her lips plastered against his. She immediately turns around and breaks into a sprint. He places his fingers on his lips, wondering what the point of that was. Before James can lunge forward and grab her, his insides seize up on him. He falls over due to the sudden sound of blaring alarms overpowering the soothing music from the orchestra and the rushing crowd of other guests running over him.
