Forever Fighting | ✔️ | [previously Espionage: double-cross]

Chapter 32

Evening events were the worst.

It was an opinion Alex had already decided would not change, ever.

She stood in front of the mirror, scowling at the vast contrast from her usual jeans and a t-shirt while wishing casual balls were a thing. 

What even was the point of getting dressed up for a few hours? It didn't make it easier to parade around, eat or dance. You could do all those things just as well in trackies.  

The jump suit did fit her well, it even had unnoticeable pockets sewn into the sides, extremely useful for a spy who didn't want to have their gear showing on a bulky belt while trying to blend in. The downside was that she had to look nice, not just about presentable to the outside world but nice.

For someone who had stayed away from anything that required her leaving the comfort of a hoodie this was a big change. 

She had no make-up and even if she did, she didn't have the motivation or desire to put any on. Already thinking about the masks some of the girls at school had applied made her grimace. She brushed the hair out of her face and tied the damp locks into a low bun at the back of her head. A few strands were left out to frame her face but she assured herself that they could be moved out of the way easily enough when the time came. She could have no distractions, nothing putting her off.

Alex knew what she was about to do was dangerous but she was going to do it anyway, being stubborn like that. 

She wandered out into the hallway, slipping through the halls unnoticed amongst the vibrant dresses that surrounded her. She walked towards the wall that had been propped open. The symbol beside it indicated it was a large empty space, one Alex had yet to see or make use of. 

She blended in with the crowd and made her way along in the dim lighting, trying to avoid stepping on the trailing skirts that were making people even more unsteady than they already were with high heels on their feet.

Thank god I don't own any, Alex thought while looking at her trainer clad feet. 

The crowd took her into a large space with high ceilings and glass walls. If she hadn't known any better, Alex would have thought she was in a giant greenhouse, though the dark hardwood flooring seemed much too fancy to be appreciated by a bunch of plants. 

Alex gawped at the low hanging lights that bathed the room in a warm glow, watching as water running over the glass around her sent shadows spinning around the crowd. At the far end, a stage had been set up with the signature blue lighting surrounding it. Waiters walked around, presenting trays of appetisers or flutes of champagne to the guests old enough to enjoy it. 

Alex continued to walk around, looking for any familiar faces. Some spared her a little wave or a smile while other skimmed past her, replacing her face with ones of closer companions. From what she could see, Ava wasn't in the room but Heather mingled with everyone, dressed in a deep red gown that matched her hair.

She couldn't help but feel the colour was too foreboding for the agency, repressing the flashes of crimson and bodies lying in it.

Alex checked the time then to distract herself, glancing at her watch before looking back at the stage, waiting for the event to begin. Of course she had left arriving to the last minute, not wanting to stay in the stuffy atmosphere for any longer than was absolutely necessary. 

She need not have worried because moments later, a hush fell over the crowd and everyone looked towards the entrance. The lights dimmed dramatically, leaving the room to be lit up by a bright blue runway that projected across the floor. Then she looked up at the doorway, spotting an elegantly dressed figure make their dramatic entrance, followed closely by a group of sharply dressed agents.