Chapter 5- The First Encounter

The message stared back at Genevieve from the screen, each word was like a quiet thunder in her chest.

Hello, Mrs. Holloway. Shall we begin?

Genevieve reread it twice, then a third time. There was no name. Her first instinct was to call the number, but the line clicked dead before it even rang.

She dropped her phone on the table. So this was the start. The beginning that Celeste had promised, and whoever was watching her was probably already close.

Sleep didn’t come easy that night. When it did, it was thin, filled with half-formed dreams of fog, fire, and a man she had not yet met.

By morning, she checked the message from the unknown number again. It still sat on her screen; there were no new messages from the number.

At 9:00 a.m., the doorbell rang.

Genevieve walked barefoot in her robe to answer the door. She found a woman standing on her doorstep. She was tall, slender and wrapped in a grey trench coat that was secured neatly at her waist. Her hair was packed into a sleek bun, and her lipstick was a faint rose color. She was French, that was clear even before she spoke.

“Mrs. Holloway,” the woman greeted, voice like silk. “I am Delilah Moreau. I will be your assistant for the duration of your mission.”

Genevieve opened the door wider, still uncertain whether to feel threatened or impressed. “You sent the message.” It was more of a statement than a question.

“I did,” Delilah said simply. “May I come in?”

Genevieve nodded slightly as she shifted to one side of the door to let her in.

She moved into the house like liquid—smooth, purposeful and poised. Genevieve watched as she stepped into the house without glancing around, like most guests would do. There was no curiosity or hesitation.

Delilah produced a sleek black iPhone from her coat pocket. “It is encrypted and secure. It’s for the club's use only. All communication will go through me, including reports, updates and emergencies.”

Genevieve took the phone she pressed the power button to turn it on. “You make it sound like it’s a war.”

“It is.” Delilah offered the faintest of smiles. “But to be fought in silk gloves and expensive dresses.”

Genevieve led her to the first floor of the mansion, and they settled in the study. The room still smelled faintly of Charles’s cigars. Genevieve hated that.

Delilah sat on the edge of the armchair, her posture was flawless and elegant. “Your first contact with Mr. Rourke has been arranged. You will meet him at the Halcyon Hotel, under the guise of requesting private cyber-surveillance. A grieving widow stalked by the media—an easy story to sell.”

“When?”

“Five weeks from now,” Delilah replied. “That’s how long we have to prepare.”

Genevieve blinked, seemingly confused. “Prepare for what?”

“Prepare you to become someone he’ll let in.”

The next five weeks became a ritual. Mornings started with posture drills and voice modulation exercises. Afternoons were seduction, psychology and emotional disarmament. Delilah brought books on strategy, surveillance, and high society etiquette. Evenings were spent practicing fabricated grief—tears on cue, anger under control.

“You must be soft,” Delilah would say, adjusting Genevieve’s shoulder blades as she walked in heels across the hallway, “but unyielding. He respects restraint. And he sees through performance.”

They shopped at boutiques across the city. Her wardrobe was refined to elegant dresses, minimalist jewelry, and cooperate dresses. Every piece whispered wealth but never screamed it.

“You’re not here to seduce a man,” Delilah said once, helping Genevieve into a gray silk dress with a slit. “You’re here to undo him.”

It was exhausting. But beneath the exhaustion, Genevieve began to feel sharper and stronger. She no longer felt like the ghost widow wandering through marble halls in the Holloway mansion. She was becoming someone new, someone dangerous.

The night before the day of the appointment, Genevieve stood before her vanity, holding a framed photograph from her wedding day. She placed it beside the Widow’s Club folder.

“You left me no choice,” she whispered to Charles’s smile. “I’m not doing this for justice. I’m doing it for the truth. Let the game begin.”

On the morning of her appointment, the city was wrapped in an early morning fog. Genevieve was dressed in a grey colored dress, paired with subtle gold accessories, and her hair was curled loosely.

She studied the photographs of Dominic Rourke one last time. The first four captured his reserved brilliance—eyes sharp, expressions that were locked. But the fifth… that was different. Charles and Dominic were caught mid-argument. Dominic’s jaw was tense, and his eyes were furious. Charles’s lips curled as if he were shouting. She slipped it into the folder.

She arrived Halycon Hotel with her assistant. Delilah reminded her that she just had to follow what they had practiced. Genevieve nodded in agreement. Less than five minutes later, Genevieve stepped out of the car and stared at the large building in front of her before stepping into the hotel through the glass doors.

The Halcyon Hotel was like a large structure of power and secrets. It had marble floors and golden chandeliers, and the staff moved with practiced discretion. Genevieve announced her name at the concierge, who offered her a curt nod and led her to a private elevator.

The ride up was silent save for her heartbeat.

The elevator opened into the top floor. The top floor was a long hallway of glass and steel. It was empty, except for a door at the end of the hallway and a transparent office built with glass that was beside the door.

At the far end of the hallway, beside the transparent office, a man in a black suit greeted her with a short bow. “Mrs. Holloway. My name is Benedict, Mr. Rourke’s assistant, and he is expecting you.”

She nodded at his assistant. Her heels clicked softly on the polished floor as she followed him into the door at the end of the hallway. The door opened into a large office.

Dominic Rourke’s office was large. It was decorated in a minimalist style—soft colors of furniture, one long conference table, and a massive window that showed a beautiful view of the city. There was a bar stuffed with drinks at the left end of the office, and a shelf stuffed with books at the right end of the office.

‘This is a beautiful office,’ Genevieve thought silently to herself.

He stood with his back against her, and his hands were clasped behind him.

He turned slowly, and tension swept across the room.

He was tall, Genevieve felt like he was probably a 6’2, broad-shouldered and in a tailored navy suit. His face was as unreadable as stone, just like in the photographs she had seen of him—except for his eyes. His eyes were cold and piercing, like he was watching everything. He looked more handsome in person; the pictures she had seen of him didn’t do enough justice to his features. She almost got carried away staring at him until his voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

Genevieve didn’t realize she was holding her breath.

“Mrs. Holloway,” he said coldly. “You’re late.”

Genevieve offered a soft, composed smile. “I apologize, there was traffic.”

He gestured to the chair across from his desk as he sat in the chair opposite the chair. She sat, smoothing the fabric of her dress over her knees with her hands. She was nervous, but she steadied her expression. She didn’t want Dominic to think he had any effect on her.

“I read your request,” he said. “You stated that you need Cyber-surveillance and private coverage.” Dominic didn’t raise up his head as he went through a file that was sitting on the table in front of him, probably the application request that the Widow’s Club had sent to him.

“Yes,” she replied smoothly. “Since the accident… and the media fallout, I would like to protect the privacy I have left.”

His gaze moved from the file to her face. “The death of Charles Holloway made many headlines.”

“I’m aware.”

His gaze didn’t move. “And yet, you come here. To me.”

Genevieve’s throat tightened, and her gaze almost faltered. “Your firm is discreet and efficient. I don’t want gossip. I want results.”

There was a pause. The tension in the room increased.

Then Dominic reached into a drawer and pulled out a sleek file. These are the protection packages we offer. My assistant will follow up with installation details once you’ve made your choice.”

She nodded, accepting the folder.

Silence lingered between them. The tension in the room was sharp as they stared at each other as if in a competition of who was going to blink first or break eye contact first.

Genevieve rose slowly. “Thank you for seeing me.” She said with a slight smile.

He didn’t move. “Not many will do what you did. Come in person to seek protection services.”

She tilted her head. “I’m not like most people.”

Dominic’s eyes flicked toward her for a second. “So I’ve heard.”

She offered a parting nod and left the office without another word.

Outside, she exhaled sharply and let the air fill her lungs like water. She had done it. She had seen him, spoken to him—and he hadn’t slammed the door. It wasn’t victory, not yet. But it was a beginning.

Inside the office, Dominic stood from his chair and approached the large glass window.

His assistant entered moments later.

“Why are you helping her?” Benedict asked. “You always said Charles Holloway was hiding something.”

“He was,” Dominic replied without turning.

“Then why assist his widow? She could be worse.”

Dominic’s eyes narrowed, his gaze still fixed on the view of the city. “It’s best to keep your enemies closer.”