guilded secrets :the unmasked queen

Chapter 10

The gala was at its peak—glasses clinked, laughter filled the air, and the rich and powerful mingled like they were kings of the world. But Tanisha?

Tanisha was on high alert.

ShadowByte's message still lingered in her mind:

"You should be more careful, little heiress. The wolves are watching."

Who was watching her? And why now?

Her instincts told her that this wasn't an empty threat.

Adrian noticed the shift in her demeanor. His fingers brushed lightly against her wrist, pulling her attention back to him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, voice low.

Tanisha met his gaze. "Do you ever feel like you're being watched?"

A slow smirk formed on his lips. "Always."

She sighed. "I'm serious, Adrian."

His eyes darkened. "So am I."

There was an edge to his voice that made her pause.

Before she could question him further, a waiter passed by, offering glasses of champagne.

Adrian took one but didn't drink. Instead, his gaze flickered to the man who had just entered the ballroom.

A man Tanisha didn't recognize—but Adrian clearly did.

---

The newcomer was tall, dressed in a crisp charcoal suit, his presence commanding but eerily quiet. He had the kind of face you'd forget—yet something about him made the air feel heavier.

Tanisha felt it instantly.

Adrian's grip on his glass tightened. "What the hell is he doing here?" he muttered under his breath.

Tanisha raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

Adrian's smirk was gone. "Lucien Graves."

The name meant nothing to her. Yet.

Adrian turned to her, his expression unreadable. "Stay close to me."

That caught her attention.

Tanisha gave him a dry look. "I don't take orders."

Adrian chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "This isn't an order, wildcat. It's a survival tip."

-

Tanisha subtly studied Lucien Graves as he spoke to a group of businessmen.

Everything about him screamed controlled power—but it wasn't the same as Adrian's effortless dominance. No, Lucien's aura was different. Darker. Calculated.

And then—he turned.

His eyes locked onto hers across the room.

For a split second, Tanisha felt it.

That cold, sinking feeling of being targeted.

Lucien smiled.

And just like that, he turned away.

Tanisha exhaled, gripping her champagne glass a little tighter.

Adrian leaned down, his voice brushing against her ear. "Now do you understand?"

She did.

This wasn't just about power games anymore.

She had just stepped into a battlefield.

And Lucien Graves?

He was one of the hunters.

---

When Tanisha returned home, her phone buzzed again.

Another message from ShadowByte.

"I told you, little heiress. The wolves are watching. Now the real game begins."

Tanisha stared at the screen.

Then, for the first time, she responded.

Tanisha: "Let them watch. But I'm not prey."

Because if the wolves were watching, then it was time to show them—

She could bite back.

Tanisha sat in her family's private library, flipping through a book while her mind replayed last night's events.

Lucien Graves.

She had looked into him after returning home. There was almost nothing about him online—except whispers.

A hidden power in the business world. Ruthless. Unpredictable. And worst of all? Completely untouchable.

Her fingers tapped against the book cover.

Why had he looked at her like that?

Like he already knew something she didn't.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft chime. A message.

From an unknown number.

"You're quite the fascinating little mystery, Miss Agnihotri."

Tanisha's breath stilled. Lucien.

Her eyes narrowed before she typed a response.

Tanisha: "I'm not a mystery. Just someone you shouldn't be interested in."

His reply was almost immediate.

"That's what makes it fun."

She exhaled sharply, locking her phone. She didn't have time for this.

Because right now, Adrian Blackwood was already too much trouble.

---

Tanisha had barely stepped out of the estate when she saw a familiar car waiting.

Black. Sleek. Adrian's.

The man himself leaned casually against it, looking too smug for her liking.

She sighed. "Stalking me now?"

Adrian chuckled. "If I were stalking you, you wouldn't notice."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't need a ride."

He tilted his head. "And yet, here I am."

Before she could respond, he opened the car door for her. A silent challenge.

Tanisha stared at him for a moment. Then, without a word, she slid into the passenger seat.

Adrian smirked. Victory.

---

As the car glided through the city, Adrian glanced at her. "You looked bothered last night."

Tanisha didn't react. "I was fine."

He hummed. "Lying to me already?"

She turned to him, unimpressed. "What do you want, Adrian?"

He smirked. "What I always want."

Tanisha raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"

He leaned slightly closer. "You."

Her heartbeat stuttered for half a second before she masked it with a scoff. "That's ambitious."

Adrian grinned. "I never aim low."

Tanisha smirked. "Then let's see how far you get."

He chuckled, eyes darkening. "Oh, wildcat, you have no idea."

Neither of them noticed the subtle click of a camera from a distance.

Someone was watching. And the game was just beginning.

---

That night, Tanisha sat in front of her laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard.

She was done playing defense.

She traced the encrypted path of ShadowByte's messages—and finally found a weak point.

A location.

She smiled.

Whoever ShadowByte was, they had just made a mistake.

And Tanisha?

She was about to break into their world.

Tanisha sat in her dimly lit room, her fingers dancing across the keyboard.

ShadowByte thought they were untouchable. They were wrong.

She had traced their last encrypted message to one of three possible locations—each belonging to a high-end private network.

Her smirk deepened. Someone powerful was backing them.

"Time to knock on some doors."

She initiated a silent breach into the weakest system, her screen filling with lines of code.

The seconds ticked by.

Then—a response.

Her screen flickered.

A new message appeared.

ShadowByte: "Oh? You want to play, little heiress? Let's see if you can handle my world."

Tanisha's smirk didn't waver. The game had just begun.

---

The next day, Tanisha arrived at royale Academy to an unusual sight.

A sleek black Rolls-Royce was parked near the entrance.

And leaning against it—Lucien Graves.

Her expression remained unreadable as she walked past, pretending not to notice.

But Lucien? He noticed everything.

"Skipping greetings now, Miss Agnihotri?" His smooth voice stopped her.

She turned slowly, meeting his cold, assessing gaze. "I wasn't aware we were acquaintances."

Lucien smirked. "We will be soon enough."

Tanisha held back a sigh. Another one.

"Is there something you need?" she asked, her tone polite but distant.

Lucien tilted his head. "Just curiosity. You're quite… unique."

She didn't react. "Flattery doesn't interest me."

His smirk didn't fade. "Good. That means you're harder to manipulate."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you always this charming?"

Lucien chuckled, pushing off his car. "Only with people worth my time."

Tanisha stayed silent as he walked away.

Adrian was persistent.

But Lucien?

Lucien was dangerous.

And she had no time for either.

---

Later that afternoon, Tanisha was in the library when Adrian slid into the seat beside her.

"You met Lucien," he stated, not bothering with pleasantries.

She didn't look up from her book. "Should I be concerned?"

Adrian's jaw tightened. "Yes."

Tanisha finally turned to him. "Why?"

He exhaled, his gaze darkening. "Lucien isn't just some businessman. He plays dirty, and he doesn't like losing."

Her lips curled slightly. "Sounds familiar."

Adrian smirked, but there was no amusement in his eyes.

"I play to win, wildcat. Lucien plays to destroy."

Tanisha held his gaze, unbothered. "Then he'll be disappointed."

Adrian studied her for a moment before leaning closer, his voice dropping.

"Be careful. I don't share."

Her pulse skipped—but she only smirked. "Neither do I."

-

That night, Tanisha was deep in her hacking session when her system suddenly crashed.

The screen went black.

Then, a message appeared.

"Nice try, little heiress. But if you come looking for me—"

The message paused.

Then, a live feed popped up.

Tanisha's breath caught.

It was a video of her, sitting in her room, at this exact moment.

A camera? Inside her house?

Her fingers curled into fists.

ShadowByte wasn't just watching.

They were inside her world.

And now, it was war.

Tanisha walked into the academy, her senses sharp. Something felt off.

It wasn't just Lucien Graves' sudden interest or ShadowByte's cryptic threats.

It was Sinnea.

Her cousin had been too quiet lately. And when Sinnea was quiet? She was plotting.

Tanisha's instincts proved right when she walked into her first class.

Murmurs filled the room. People were staring at her. Some with curiosity, others with poorly hidden smirks.

Her seat had been moved. To the front.

And waiting on her desk was a printed email.

Tanisha frowned, picking it up.

Her stomach didn't sink—because she already knew this was a trap.

It was an email conversation.

Between Tanisha Agnihotri and a luxury fashion house.

The subject?

"Exclusive Ambassador Deal – Full Payment in Advance."

According to the emails, Tanisha had demanded a high-profile endorsement deal, claiming she was the only one "worthy" of it.

Her lips curled. How pathetic.

A staged attempt to make her look like an arrogant brat.

She looked up.

Sinnea.

Her cousin sat at the back, looking utterly innocent—but Tanisha caught the quick smirk before she hid it.

Ah. So that's your move?

--

The teacher walked in, quickly spotting the email on Tanisha's desk.

"I assume you have something to say, Miss Agnihotri?"

Tanisha remained calm.

She tilted her head, fingers tapping the paper.

"Should I?"

The teacher narrowed her eyes. "This is serious. Bribing a luxury brand? That's unethical."

Some students laughed under their breath. Others whispered.

Sinnea was enjoying this.

Tanisha met the teacher's gaze, then slowly turned to the class.

Her lips parted in a mock gasp. "Oh no. I must be in trouble."

A few students exchanged confused glances.

Tanisha smiled sweetly. "But wait… I don't recall ever sending this email."

She turned the paper toward the class, tapping a detail at the top.

"The email address used to send this? It's not mine."

Silence.

Some people checked the paper, realizing it wasn't her official academy email.

Tanisha faked an innocent expression. "Oh dear. That means someone must have faked it, right?"

She tilted her head at Sinnea.

Her cousin's smirk froze.

Tanisha kept going. "It's illegal to forge emails, isn't it? Maybe we should report this to the principal."

Now people were whispering about Sinnea.

The teacher frowned, finally realizing something was wrong. "I'll investigate this properly. Until then, let's continue with class."

Sinnea's face was calm—but Tanisha saw the slight tremor in her fingers.

Checkmate.

---

That night, Tanisha returned to her room, fully expecting another game from ShadowByte.

And she was right.

Her screen flickered.

A new message appeared.

"Smart move with your cousin. But you're still too slow."

Tanisha's lips thinned.

ShadowByte had been watching.

Another message popped up.

"Want to know a secret, little heiress?"

Before she could react, a live feed appeared on her screen.

Her cousin's room.

Sinnea was inside, on a call.

And her words sent a chill through Tanisha's veins.

"She's getting too much attention. We need to ruin her image completely."

Tanisha leaned forward.

She already knew Sinnea was a snake. But this?

This meant war.

She typed a quick response to ShadowByte.

Tanisha: "Why are you showing me this?"

The answer came instantly.

"Because I want to see how far you'll go, little heiress. Show me something fun."

Tanisha's gaze darkened.

Fine.

If ShadowByte wanted a show, then she'd give them one.

And Sinnea?

She had no idea what was coming.