"Do you have family in Dalmane by chance?" I ask the overly friendly woman.

Her entire aura changes. It feels like the room's temperature dropped 20 degrees in an instant. I shouldn't have asked.

"Nope. None." She answers with a smile, but her eyes bore holes in me.

"Oh…ok. So, why did you drag me here? It wasn't for my safety or your patrons. What's the real reason?" My blunt question throws her off.

"Ahem, I don't know what you are implying, your highness. I only wish to keep things calm." She lies.

I'm not stupid. She has a dozen questions she wishes to ask me, but she is overly cautious. I would be too in her situation. I'm a totally unknown person thrust into the life of a royal—one of the highest-ranking royals at that. This club is trusted by high society and celebrities. The owner must be intelligent to keep everyone's private lives hidden while they are here. This is a perfect opportunity. I'll see her curiosity as a bargaining chip.

"Well, if you don't want to tell me the real reason you suddenly dragged me into a private room, I'll tell you my reason for coming to this club." I bluff.

I didn't have to be in this club in particular, but it's the best opportunity I've had since leaving the castle.

"You didn't come to have fun?" Her fake smile is concerning.

"No, I did not. My Grandfather has been…overly protective of me since I was given a clean bill of health. This is my first outing since being released from the hospital. He won't even let me have a cell phone or access to the internet. I need to contact someone, but I need to keep it secret from my overbearing Grandfather. Do you think you could help me out?" I try to explain myself with as little detail as possible.

The club owner's gaze is unwavering as she processes my request.

"Who?" She asks suddenly.

"It's not safe to say, for you or the person I'm contacting," I say earnestly.

She ponders for a moment longer before pulling out her cell phone.

"What do I get in return for helping you? As you can see, I don't need money, so don't insult me with a ridiculous offer." Her confidence captivates me.

Well, I knew what she wanted from the start. Information. She reminds me of someone I worked with back in my previous life. He was a snake who could squeeze information out of anyone. He turned it into a career and ended up being an informant.

I glanced at her business card again to remember her name and noticed something I hadn't before. There are three sets of contact numbers: one for business, one for personal, and one for custom service. That's an odd thing to have on an individual business card. There are no emails or socials, either. Hmm, curious. Ok, remember her name this time: Celena Rasmal.

"I don't have much to offer other than information. I can give you insider details regarding castle life." I smile.

I lowball my offer, knowing it won't be enough. 

"How about a sample? Something to show you have valuable information." She suggests.

I need to find something to tell her, or this whole deal will fall through. What would be useful information for a club owner? Information that won't be traced back to me. That's right. I overheard some chemist talking while I was recovering at Lao labs. This should be enough to get me a phone call. 

"It's not directly related to the castle or King Lao, but it is interesting information," I explain.

"Go on." She says impatiently.

"Lao Labs will roll out a new drug in the next few weeks. It's not something that the public or medical community will use. It's for military use. Actually, more than one drug was tested in this clinical trial. One is called Tellal. It's a truth serum. The other is called Sinful. It's a drug to incapacitate a large number of people. It's an inhalant. Take one deep breath, and you will be unable to move for hours. It was given the name Sinful because of one of its hardcore side effects—long-lasting, intense sexual arousal." My eyes meet Celena's, and I'm surprised to see a giant smile on her face.

Isn't the typical reaction to news like this… disgust? That's off-putting. However, that smile proves my information was worthy enough to get me a phone call.

"That is some profitable information. It's almost too much for a measly phone call. I can't take advantage of you like that. I'll…"

-Ring-Ring-

"Oh, excuse me for a second; I must take this. I'll be right back with your reward in a moment." Celena says as he exits the room.

Well, that was unexpected. What is so going to give me? I only need a way to contact Jay. Anything more than that could be a risk to take back to the castle. Celena Rasmal. Although I have mixed feelings about her, I don't believe she would harm me. However, she keeps some major secrets, including her family in Dalmane. It's a hunch, but her reaction was too much if she doesn't have family there. There is something familiar about her. I can't put my finger on it, but I swear I've seen her before. There's something pawing at a part of my brain telling me to remember, but I can't.

Twenty Minutes Later

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I had to find your reward. Here." Celena says as she tosses a bag into my lap.

I open the bag and see an unopened cell phone box.

"What is this?" I blurt out.

"What does it look like? It's a cell phone, duh. It's prepaid and untraceable. It's yours. As long as you keep it hidden, no one will find out." Celena explains with a smug smile.

Well, I knew what it was. I was just surprised she had one of these on her. I definitely have to keep an eye on her. If anything, she could be useful later on down the road.

"Thanks. This is exactly what I needed," I say, a smile taking up half my face.

"Look, I know the story you told about your Grandfather was bullshit. I don't know what's happening, and I don't want to know, but call me if you find yourself in a bind. I might be willing to make another exchange with you… for the right price." Celena says with a sympathetic grin.

"Haha, got it. Thanks again. I better get back before my bodyguards freak out." I say as I toss the phone packaging into the nearest trash.

"Sure. Good luck. Don't get yourself into trouble, your highness." Celena says before the door closes behind me.

After reconvening with Sinow and Benni, I lied to explain where I went. They were both quite drunk, so I'm not sure they knew I was missing. However, Kian did. He accosted me as soon as I returned. Luckily for me, Benni found someone to take home, so we left not long after I returned. We went our separate ways once we were back at the castle, and I instantly returned to my room. Gene tried to follow me in, but I told him I wanted to be alone for the rest of the night. He resisted at first, but I managed to convince him. I tried calling Jay immediately but felt disgusting after being in a sweaty nightclub for hours. I hid the phone and took a quick shower.

"Phew, that was nice," I say as I dry my hair.

I walk over to where I hid the phone. I decided hiding it in the baseboard under the bed would be best. It was loose enough for me to rip up without any trouble. The nails are sturdy, allowing me to place the baseboard back into place without making it noticeable.

I turned on the phone, instantly switched all the settings to silent, and shut the GPS off. There shouldn't be anything that will be traceable now. My heart races as I dial the last number I know Jay had. Before I press the call button, I stand up from the floor and walk over to the door to ensure it's locked. I can't tell if I'm being paranoid or nervous, but I decided to sweep the room for cameras or listening devices before I picked up the phone again. After numerous attempts, I realized that only my nerves prevented me from making this call.

What if he doesn't answer? What if he doesn't believe it's me? What… what if he doesn't want to talk to me? An endless list of what-ifs pops into my mind as my finger trembles over the call button. 

Fuck Misha, get it together. Don't doubt the love Jay has for you! Call him!

I quickly press the button like I'm ripping off a bandaid.

-Ring-Ring-

Jay, pick up.

-Ring-Ring-

Please, babe, answer.

-Ring-Ring-

Come on. Come on!

-Ring-Ring-

PLEASE!!!

-Click-

"Hello?"