Chapter 196 – Alina Lantel's POV
"Crashing Into the Past"
The air outside the venue was cooler than she remembered, laced with the scent of roses blooming along the perimeter hedges. Alina's heels clicked softly against the cobblestone as she made her way through the private driveway, heart still thundering from her encounter with Marcus.
She'd done it.
Phase One was complete.
She could almost hear Liam's smug approval echo in her head. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction just yet. Not until this job was truly done.
Her fingers were still lightly trembling as she reached for her phone. A message to Liam was already sent. All that was left was to find her car and disappear—vanish like smoke before Marcus's curiosity turned into suspicion.
She didn't hear the footsteps coming from around the corner.
She didn't see the figure until it was too late.
And then— bump!
Alina stumbled forward, nearly losing her balance, the impact jarring enough to pull her out of her internal monologue.
"Oh—" she gasped, her heel catching in a crack in the stone path.
Strong arms caught her waist before she could crash to the ground.
"I've got you."
That voice.
That voice.
Time stopped. The world around her—party chatter, the clinking of glasses, the music from the ballroom—it all faded into a dull, distant hum.
She looked up.
And there he was.
Caleb Ryker.
Same storm-gray eyes. Same tousled dark hair and annoyingly perfect jawline. Except now he looked older, more mature—like the years had only chiseled him into something sharper.
Something more dangerous to her heart.
"Alina?" he asked, blinking as if unsure she was real. "Alina Lantel?"
She froze, wide-eyed and speechless.
Of all the people… tonight? Now?
"I—uh—yeah. Caleb." Her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat, willing her face not to flush. "Wow. It's… been a while."
"Four years," he said, still holding her waist. He finally stepped back, though slowly, like he wasn't ready to let her go. "You haven't changed."
That was a lie. She'd changed in every way that mattered. She was sharper now. Harder. Smarter. She'd buried the girl who once crushed on Caleb Ryker under layers of armor and ambition.
Still… the flutter in her stomach betrayed her.
"I didn't expect to see you here," she managed to say, smoothing her dress and trying to compose herself. "Are you… attending the gala?"
He nodded. "Investment firm. I got dragged here by some board member who still thinks tuxedos mean deals. You?"
"Just… networking," she said vaguely.
She wasn't about to explain that she just seduced a mafia target and walked off a mission like a spy in a dress.
He glanced toward the venue, then back at her. "You look… incredible, by the way."
Her heart stuttered.
"Thanks," she said, pushing a smile to her lips. "You look good too."
Which was also an understatement.
Caleb had been her first real crush—back when they were teenagers, volunteering at the same summer robotics camp. He was brilliant, charming, and completely oblivious to how wrecked she'd been over him.
She remembered their almost-kiss after the closing ceremony. Remembered how he left for college out of state the week after, and how she buried every spark under disappointment.
"What are you doing now?" he asked, pulling her back to the present.
"Freelance tech consulting," she said with ease. It wasn't a complete lie. "Traveling a lot."
Caleb smiled softly. "That suits you. You always said you wanted to see the world."
Alina tilted her head. "You remember that?"
He chuckled. "Alina, I remember a lot of things."
Her breath caught.
Damn him.
He still had that boyish charm, wrapped in a man's confidence now. It was unfair. She was here on a mission, already walking a line with Marcus Vex, and now fate had to throw this curveball?
"I'd love to catch up," he added. "Coffee? Dinner? Sometime soon?"
She hesitated.
This wasn't the time.
This wasn't the plan.
But for some reason, she found herself saying, "Maybe. Soon."
"Here," he said, pulling out his phone. "Let me give you my number."
They exchanged contacts, and when his fingers brushed hers, she almost dropped her phone.
Get it together, Lantel.
He smiled. "Don't disappear this time."
"I'll try not to," she replied, a little too quickly.
He winked. "I'll hold you to that."
And just like that, Caleb Ryker strolled back toward the ballroom, hands in his pockets, leaving her standing in the shadows, breathless and confused.
Alina let out a long sigh.
Of course.
Of all nights.
Of all men.
Her phone buzzed with a message from Liam:
"Update?"
She stared at the screen, then typed:
"Marcus intrigued. Mission working. Small complication."
She didn't bother to explain.
Not yet.
Because suddenly, her mission just got a whole lot more complicated—and his name was Caleb.