“You should be checking your makeup, not scanning for possible exits,” Simone whispered. Kaitlyn’s eyes narrowed as she pulled a gold compact from her purse.
“I can do both,” she huffed, checking her reflection.
“Mmhmm. You’ve been eyeing the hallway near the bathrooms for the past five minutes. You aren’t fooling me.”
“How am I supposed to understand the mission if I can’t properly assess the environment?” Kaitlyn muttered as she applied another coat of candy pink gloss to her lips.
Simone beamed at a passing guest, every bit the effortless socialite she appeared to be. “Your environment is a Monaco ballroom full of rich people. Your mission is to look pretty and smile.”
“You said Dubois was here.” Kaitlyn’s eyes narrowed as they swept the crowd again. Somewhere within the crowd of wealthy elites and tailored gowns was Alister Dubois - gentleman thief, international menace, and the only target Agents S & K had not captured.
Six months of deep cover had led to this moment. Six months of fashion campaigns, rooftop parties, and curated social media posts had put her in this room. The Agency had done an excellent job building the identities of Simone Rossi and Kaitlyn Forriester, but the two of them truly brought the women to life.
Agent S had flourished as Simone. The extra padding and sculpted curves weren’t an obstacle; they were an extension. The man who had been Agent S had disappeared underneath the vibrance of Simone. Agent K had watched their friend truly come alive in this role. And K was being honest; Kaitlyn had done the same.
He had studied influencers the same way he had studied criminal profiles. Makeup tutorials, body language, fashion trends, and engagement algorithms might as well have been Agency manuals. Every detail was carefully observed and replicated until Kaitlyn’s femininity became instinctive. For Agent K, deep undercover work demanded a commitment. Lately, that commitment had become easier.
“You know, I really think you look best as a blonde,” Simone said with a teasing wink.
“Can we focus??” Kaitlyn rolled her eyes.
“Oh, I am very focused,” Simone’s eyes widening as she glanced towards the balcony. “Very focused on our dates waiting for us.”
“...Dates?” Kaitlyn’s eyes followed Simone’s gaze. Alister Dubois stood near the balcony in a burgundy suit, champagne glass in hand, looking entirely too pleased with himself. Beside him stood a taller gentleman in a charcoal grey suit who lifted his glass politely toward Simone. Dubois caught Kaitlyn staring and offered her a slow, roguish smile. She immediately wanted to punch him, but her pulse quickened with a less professional response.
“Yes, dates,” Simone explained. “The tall one is mine; Alister is yours.”
“Aren’t we supposed to capture him?”
“Eventually.” Simone adjusted Kaitlyn’s necklace with practiced fingers. “Tonight we’re representing the brand and entertaining a valuable investor. We keep Dubois interested, get close to him, and see what information falls into our laps.”
“This feels significantly deeper cover than I expected.”
“You’ve spent six months becoming one of the most gorgeous women on the Riviera, sweetheart. Time to put all that pretty face to use.”
Kaitlyn’s mind immediately scrambled through every seduction technique she had studied during training. Mirroring. Eye contact. Vocal softness. Controlled touch. Subtle encouragement cues. None of those manuals had covered using them on your greatest rival.
“Relax,” Simone murmured. “As far as Alister knows, you’re just another beautiful socialite sent to charm him.” Her expression softened for a moment as she caught the apprehension in her friend’s eyes. She had not told her that this whole thing had been carefully arranged.
She had watched Agent K disappear into Kaitlyn’s femininity with the same ease she herself had experienced. The Agency had expected Simone Rossi and Kaitlyn Forrestier to disappear once the mission was over, but Simone knew that truth.
If their dates went the way she intended, Kaitlyn would see it too.
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