Fox Life

The next morning, Iris went with Kyro to his workplace. Elise had some business to attend there, so they just decided to meet up in the cafeteria.     

On the way, Iris inquired about Dioscuri's situation.     

"It's stable. We've weeded out most of the fake players and banned them from coming. As for Greensten, we've prepared something special for them."     

"Special?"     

He nodded with a glint in his eyes. "Oh yes. We've nudged them into partnering up with Horten."     

Iris couldn't help laughing. "So scheming! Are we going to attend the party tonight and see Horten die?"     

"I've got something better planned," Kyro said with a shake of his head. "We'll go back home and make sure my parents don't spoil Mila rotten in a day."     

It was a legitimate concern, so Iris didn't refute, though she did laugh again. His parents were like people given new reason to exist. They couldn't let the girl out of their sight, and she basked in their attention like fish in water.     

In the underground parking lot, Iris looked around. It was dark, but there weren't going to be anymore people jumping out to catch her. Gale had sent something to Homeland which made them halt their persecution. The investigation wasn't closed, so there might be trouble in the future, but she was no longer actively hunted.     

After a couple minutes in the elevator, they reached the cafeteria floor, and Iris saw Elise already sitting in a far corner table, head on her hands. It seemed like she was really out of sorts.     

Iris bought two cups of green tea and brought them to the table. Elise jumped up when she sat down, covering her heart as if it was about to fly out.     

"Everything okay?" Iris asked. She examined Elise and wished she knew her better. They had met twice, so they were barely worth the title of acquaintances, let alone friends.     

There was exhaustion on Elise's face along with a light flush. Her eyes were shining with a maniacal glow and running around the place like dancing birds. Before answering, she rubbed her cheeks again, sighed, covered her mouth, and twirled a strand of hair let loose around her shoulders.     

"Do I look okay?" she asked in the end, lowering her head back into her hands. "I've made a mistake, a horrible mistake."     

"Hm?"     

"I like him," Elise whispered as if admitting to a crime. She sounded like a child confessing that she stole cookies from the jar. "I don't even know why! Aren't I too old to get crushes? How is that the only thing I can think about now is him?"     

A smile broke onto Iris' face. She couldn't help it. The fact that the two old enemies who she knew and liked might end up together was just too joyous of a news.     

"Don't laugh!" Elise hissed, her cheeks now going red from embarrassment. "No one can like him. It's suicidal!"     

The woman was almost in tears, and Iris quickly controlled her expression, but before she could say anything, there were footsteps nearby. She looked behind herself and saw the devil himself making his way over.     

"What are you two doing here? Gossiping about me?"     

Elise almost choked while Iris shook her head in disbelief. "Why would we do that?"     

"Because I'm the only interesting person here," he said with an easy confidence. There was no doubt in his voice that he was speaking truth and truth alone.     

"Your ego grows by hours; it's unbelievable." Iris grinned at him then, remembering something from the past. "I preferred when you were bringing me cherries to win me over."     

His expression instantly soured. "Thief. I haven't forgotten how you stole all of them." He then looked to Elise who was yet to say a word. "Anyway, I came to remind you to be ready by four. I want to be a bit early to catch the full show."     

Elise nodded, not trusting herself to speak. When he finally left, she slumped in her chair like a deflated balloon. "I'm going to die like this. My heart goes on overdrive the moment he looks at me, let alone says a word my way."     

It was hard not to laugh at her exaggeration, but Iris did her best. "I trust you will survive. Why do you like him though? He's full of himself, cares little for others, and has been with more women than you could ever name."     

"I…" Elise hesitated, glancing back at where Gale had left, then wrapped her hands around the cup of tea. "There's so much more to him than that. He's an enigma, a mystery I would enjoy trying to solve for the rest of my life. And he ain't that bad either. Didn't he help you and Kyro without ever asking for anything? He's half a saint for being this caring."     

Iris had other thoughts regarding that, but she couldn't deny that Gale had some good qualities even if he was a little scary and intense sometimes. "What are you going to do then?"     

"I don't know… Nothing? He's not someone I can keep. If anyone could just tame him, he would've found someone ages ago. There was never a lack of trying from the other women," Elise said with a downcast look.     

"Elise," Iris said, raising her voice a little. "Look at me." When she finally did that, she continued. "You've known Kyro for much longer than I, so tell me, did he lack women trying to woe him?"     

"Well no, but he… was never with anyone, it's diff—"     

"It's not." Iris shook her head and took the other woman's hands in her own while looking straight in her eyes. "He wasn't saving himself for me. It was an accident that brought us together, but then we took a chance at us.     

"Am I the most suitable person for him? Hell no. I'm not from an influential family and don't bring anything into this union but myself, yet he decided that it's enough. So how can you say that you two won't work? Maybe you won't, but what if you're exactly what he needs? Imagine the regret that would follow you for the rest of your life. You have to try it, girl."     

For a long moment, Elise stared at her with wide eyes. There was hesitation there, fear, but those emotions soon gave way to steely determination. "All right. I can do this. This evening, I'll speak to him."     

"You certainly can. Don't doubt yourself."     

"Right," Elise agreed with a shaky smile. "This evening, I will know the truth."