There were even more folders on Reid's shelves than usual. The statue had been removed to make way, earning a spot on the desk instead.

After the other night, being in here made Cole especially restless. Like he was keeping a horrible secret from someone important. Knowing this place, he most likely was.

Cole placed a pile of papers on the desk, narrowly avoiding Reid's interlocked hands.

“Good work,” Reid said. “I assume.”

Right, because you haven't read them. Yeah, funny. Cole just matched his polite laugh, but every second that went by made him increasingly more antsy. The smallest things irked him.

“Thank you, sir,” Cole said.

Reid's attention was fixed on the computer in front of him. “How have you been lately, outside of work? Hopefully, you've had some time for yourself, or… others.”

Cole stirred a bit, but Reid didn’t notice. “I’ve been alright.”

“Hmm.” Reid's gaze drifted, not quite landing on Cole or anything else, for that matter. Was he disappointed?

“Do you need anything else from me?” Cole asked.

“I've emailed you about an upcoming event. Be there,” Reid said. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he went back to his computer, not sparing Cole another glance.

What was on there, he wondered. Something told him he'd learn a lot from a thorough search through this man's files. Or perhaps he'd have wished he didn't.

“I'll take a look. Thank you again.” Cole smiled at nothing in particular before shuffling out of the office.

He was better off not knowing.

The white walls of the foyer stretched far before touching the ceiling, held up by pillars all around. Patterned like a chessboard, the floor carried black and beige colors, polished to perfection, and reflecting the guests. The windows carried hefty, regal curtains that had been held up in ropes in much the same way as the bar. Except, they looked to have just been cleaned.

Almost every corner was occupied by floor-standing candleholders and, on the walls, paintings of various prestigious men Cole didn't recognize.

The event turned out exactly as he expected, with people sipping top-shelf drinks and name-dropping vacations or private investments in mostly groups of three or four. The strong perfumes in the air were oppressive. Either they were too sweet and floral, or he had to suffer through the sharp, synthetic smells of generic men’s fragrances.

In one group, he spotted Reid, surrounded by suits and even a few dresses of various fabrics and patterns.

Cole headed over to them, keeping quiet to avoid disrupting their conversation. It included many unknown terms. What he could gather, though, was that they had plenty to hide, especially from the public. One thing that came up a lot, and that Cole probably wasn't supposed to hear, was their endless efforts to keep as much of the profits that they made, cutting pay whenever possible.

Reid pulled him over to his side by the arm.

“This is Cole. The one I'm… keeping track of at the moment. He’s been quite diligent.” Reid said.

“It's nice to meet you, Cole.” A woman with a shiny gold necklace and bracelet to match spoke up, holding her hand out to greet him.

“Nice to meet you, too.” Cole shook her hand. A chill ran through his body as he noticed Reid's intense eyes on him. Was it going to be like this the entire time?

Cole exchanged pleasantries with the rest of the group, but other than the greetings, they mostly ignored him and went on with their conversations.

Unsure of when to speak or what he'd even say, Cole resorted to watching the crowds of people in the foyer.

One of the servers who was handing out champagne from a silver tray looked awfully familiar. What was Aleksei doing here?

And not to mention, he was wearing a vest. Something Cole assumed he’d never see him in.

“Excuse me,” Cole said, hoping at least someone heard him. Unless it was better that they didn’t. That worked too. As long as he could get away unharmed.

He threaded through the group, glancing back in case there were any objections. Reid was looking at him. Smiling.

Aleksei beamed when he saw Cole. “Hey, look who it is. Want one?” He held the tray out. It came so close to Cole's face he could count the bubbles.

Hopefully, Aleksei didn't speak to the other guests that way. He couldn't deny he was a bit amused at the thought. “How in the world are you here? Snuck in?” He picked up a glass and sipped from it.

“Very funny. I can be professional when I want to, okay,” Aleksei said.

Cole didn't know him well enough to make an actual assessment of that, but somehow he doubted it.

“Seriously, what happened?” Cole asked.

“Well, I like to look for freelance work sometimes. I am surprised I got this one, though,” Aleksei said.

“Huh…” Cole mused.

A hand clamped down on Cole's shoulder, making him flinch. He turned his head to see who it was.

“Sorry to cut in. Could you come with me for a minute?” Reid let go after he had spoken, heading off fast enough for Cole to miss whatever face he might have been making. So, he was just expected to follow?

“Uh.” Aleksei lowered his voice. “That's the guy who hired me.”

“What?” Cole stared at him. That was both surprising and not at all at the same time.

“You should probably follow him,” Aleksei said.

“Yeah, yeah,” Cole said. “I… Please watch out, okay?”

“Huh? Why?” Aleksei asked.

“He's not exactly a clean guy. Which… I guess, implicates me, too.” Cole said.

Aleksei was searching his face for something, a reaction or any kind of detail to latch onto. “So what you're saying is… that Evelyn isn't completely crazy when she talks about corporations and all that?”

“Ah, I don't—I don't know what she says, but please stay away. If you can,” Cole said.

Aleksei pulled a glass from the tray and clinked it against Cole's.

“Go already,” Aleksei said.

“See you,” Cole responded in haste, barely noticing Reid disappear up the foyer stairs and into one of the upper floor's many adjoining hallways. He must have been walking as slowly as humanly possible.

Cole followed after him, feeling like a loyal pet, but not in a good way.

Paneled oak stretched along the walls of the suite as hushed jazz played in the background. A private bar occupied one wall, taking up almost half of the room.

At the center, a few men stood loosely in a circle around a low table. And on it, an open file and several black folders.

One of the men turned to Cole and Reid. Not a government suit. Not even close. Shaved head and broad-shouldered, with a scar running from temple to jaw.

He looked Cole up and down with something between interest and condescension. “Cole, right? You've been fairly involved in this.”

“I just handle the data side,” Cole said.

“Right.” The man dropped into a chair, picking up a photo from the file. He held it up without offering it. “You forecasted this neighborhood. Said it was noncompliant.”

Cole frowned. “We tagged it high-risk. Based on movement patterns and local sentiment—”

“Yeah.” The man tossed the photo back on the table. “It was a good call. Easy to sweep afterward.”

Cole’s gaze drifted down to the open folder. Rows of images. Before and after. Street vendors. Burned storefronts. Black-and-white scans of what looked like flyers or missing persons lists. An eerie stillness… and wreckage.

“What exactly—” Cole started, but one of the executives raised his hand.

“No.” That was all he said.

Cole took a slow breath, knowing better than to start something while surrounded by these people. He looked at the photos again, at his own digital watermark in the corner of the predictive charts. Like a signature.

Reid watched him with delight. What kind of perverted joy was he gaining from this?

Cole felt sick.

He put on his most polite voice. “It’s been a great event, Reid, but I should probably get going. You know how it is.”

Reid tilted his head in his direction. He didn't trust that for a second, did he?

Then, with a disarming grin, he stepped closer to Cole, patting down his jacket. “As long as we can count on your continued support. That's all I want to hear.”

For a moment, Reid’s hand rested on his lapel, thumb brushing the fabric as if weighing something unseen. Cole couldn't take his eyes off Reid, barely resisting the urge to step back. The moment passed with a light pat on the shoulder.

“You'll always… have my loyalty,” Cole said. He couldn't even convince himself anymore. His stomach tightened in tandem with the uncomfortable swelling in his throat.

“I expected as much,” Reid said, stepping back. “Don't ruin your potential.”

A quick nod and Cole was out of there, not daring to look back.

The streets weren't too active. Either that, or Cole couldn't hear anything on account of his pounding heart. He grasped his chest, stumbling against the side of the building.

There was little safety in going back home to his apartment. Cole was isolated in a big city where help was always supposed to be within reach.

He was quick to get his phone out. “I miss—Uh… this is Ilya, right?” A muffled voice that wasn’t his came through, startling Cole.

“Huh? Yes. I didn't just miss out on some kind of confession, did I?” Ilya said, causing the person with him to quiet down. “Damn you, Eve.”

The voice that had been identified as Evelyn spoke up again, still too quiet for him to hear. Ilya laughed in response.

Cole knew he had made the right decision. Reaching out. Oddly enough, his heart didn't slow down.

“No, wait.” Cole clutched the phone tighter. “I… wanted to know if you were free. But that doesn't seem like the case, so…”

“You can come over.” Ilya lowered his voice. “We just won't be alone.”

Evelyn was saying something again, as Cole warmed his hand on his cheek.

“That's… alright. I don't mind,” Cole said. “I'm not disappointed, by the way.”

“Very convincing,” Ilya said.

“I'm gonna need a minute. See you there,” Cole said.

“Bye,” Ilya drawled.

After they had hung up, Cole just stood there, feeling the cold concrete against his back.

Nothing could ever compare to his warmth.