"Remember what I said. Make sure you hook her in. Don't start anything at Heechul's house."

"I know, I know," Jaejoong says, putting up two hands to show how hassled he feels. "That has to be the third time you've gone over that with me."

"It needs to be perfect, Jae." Max grits his teeth. "When she comes towards you, give me the sign."

Jaejoong flashes him a grin. "Expect it."

Max rolls his eyes, shutting the passenger door and watching as Jaejoong drives away. He sighs, straightening his tux, before heading into his car. It's a ridiculously expensive luxury car, damn near impossible to get, let alone rent for the night.

He glances at the mask sitting on the passenger seat. This better work.

***

Jaejoong and Max can't enter the party together, so Max has no idea where his partner in crime is when he walks through the door of the estate. The party is in full swing, advertised to Gyuri as a classy gathering of Seoul's powerful people, glamorous socialites and politicians, hosted by the South Korean embassy.

It is, however, nothing of the sort. The party was jointly organised by Max and a contact of his, Heechul, who owed him for some favours Max had done for him in the past.

Not that Gyuri will figure that out too soon, if at all; this party is a masquerade, a convenient cover for everyone's identities, regardless of who they are and what they have to hide. Just for the night.

A night is all Max needs.

I should have tapped into the bug's feed, so then I'd know what colour her dress is, Max thinks, as he strains his neck to peer over the crowd. Heck, I don't even know when she's going to arrive.

He catches the eye of someone who looks like Heechul− Max can't tell; it's hard to see past all the glitter, feathers and gemstones− but he quickly looks away. His mask is starting to itch in the places where it closely hugs his face, and a sheen of sweat on the bridge of his nose is irritating him because he can't wipe it away without revealing his face.

Soon, though, Max finds himself peering intently at the eyes of the women he walk past, and he's suddenly thankful that the mask obscures enough of his face, because if it didn't, he thinks he might look like a ert, staring at the partygoers the way he is.

Fifteen minutes pass, then thirty, and there's still no sign of Gyuri. Max retires to the drinks table and sweeps a non-alcoholic beverage into his hand, gulping it down in one go. It gives him a sharp boost, tingling his insides for a moment like bolts of electricity.

Max smiles wryly. Trust Heechul to serve drinks that taste like melted popping candy. He looks up to see if anyone noticed his fleeting electrocution, but suddenly all thoughts  leave his mind when he sees the woman gracing the doorway.

He would recognise her figure anywhere, the elegant curve of her back, swathed in shimmering layers of fabric. Max watches her smile politely at everyone who looks at her− ah, so her impression of the gathering still remains intact−, her lips curving upwards slightly, her cold eyes unchanging.

Park Gyuri.

In another world, she may have been a goddess.

Or an angel, Max thinks. The Angel of Death.

She looks exactly that, in her black dress and even blacker mask. All the black immediately makes Max's eyes creep up to her neck, but the Ravenheart is not there. It's strange, he thinks. Max would have thought that Gyuri would pair all the dark finery with an even finer necklace.

Apparently not.

Max scoots away from the head of the table, ducking behind groups of people, away from her line of vision. But now he can no longer see Gyuri, and it makes him feel blind and vulnerable. For now, all he can do is trust that Jaejoong is doing his job right and is making his way to her now.

Something in the corner of his eye that makes him freeze.

Jaejoong, standing on the second floor gallery, is motioning wildly to him, mouthing words that Max is too flustered to decipher. Max stands there with his mouth open, frowning as he tries to make sense of Jaejoong's actions.

Then it hits him.

Why is he alone?

An ominous feeling grows in the pit of Max's stomach, almost exploding when he sees the woman