Things had changed after the New Year's party. For one, Keyla seemed to finally come out of her shell and let her true colours show. Contrary to last year, where she was a shy and ladylike person, she was still sophisticated but was sharper with her words.

The soft-spoken Keyla was dead, and a blunt yet oddly ladylike girl was born. Meanwhile, Alara was becoming more tender-hearted and was starting to molt her hardened shell- to his relief, she was goofing around and laughing more.

There was just one moment where he had nearly acted on his feelings for her. He had been so close to confessing- just a nanosecond more, and they may have started dating now. If he only didn't choose to respect her choice, he would have been wooing her already.

"Maren, I'm sorry. But it'll be irresponsible of me to date you at a time like this. While I may have developed an antibiotic for my mother that makes her less susceptible to her illness, I have zilch progress regarding my brother." She had explained to him gently, her eyes full of fatigue and disappointment. Disappointment that was obviously directed at herself.

"If you have sincere feelings for me... can you wait for me, please? After I'm done with all of the things I need to do. If you ever lose them while waiting, you're free to do as you wish." Alara had continued, and she had seemed crestfallen while she told him that.

He had no choice but to abide by her wishes. Alara was basically telling him, I like you too, but you will never be the top priority in my life. My mother and brother come first. I'm sorry, but that's how things are.

Her sheer dedication to her family ignited even stronger admiration he had for her. She really was going to stop at nothing, and no obstacle was ever getting in her way.

As a result, he had replied that he would only support her by standing at her side and even fighting her battles with her. "No battle should ever be fought alone," he had concluded grandly, and finished off with a bitter "Partners ought to be like glue- always sticking together."

She had chuckled at the fatuous comment, but it dissipated into thin air when he asked, "Do you still plan on avenging your family?"

Her chocolate brown eyes had turned grave then, and all felicity in her eyes had died. "I will, Maren. They have to pay for the ordeals they've caused me."

After spending so much time and experiencing new things with her, he knew that she would strike soon. And his gut told him that it would happen sooner or later.

She couldn't stand it any longer.

Dressed in a simple sleeveless chiffon top with high-waisted navy jeans, Alara Berrera exuded a quiet power. Her outfit presented her as an angelic being with no ulterior motive- but that was far from the truth.

One thing she had learnt from Tania was that sometimes, what you wear could serve you well in your goal.

This was why she had her lustrous golden-brown hair tied in a high, elegant ponytail and had left rogue wisps of hair alone as it gave her an effortlessly messy look. A bejeweled golden blade was strapped to the right pocket and remained unsheathed while a small curved copper dagger was strapped at the left one. Her ensemble was perfect and exactly what she had in mind.

Alara looked lethal and assassin-like especially with glittery gold eye-shadow and dark eyeliner that placed more emphasis on her brown eyes.

She was ready to risk it all and possibly get fired from the Agency for this. While she wasn't going to barge in and go on a murderous rampage, she may draw blood today, as a statement of how far she was beyond willing to go for her family.

Today, she will visit Valesque, demand justice and for her family to be avenged.

She strolled in gracefully, her steps light and quick. The golden highlights of her hair were highlighted even more as the light from the chandelier streamed in, making it dazzle. Her outfit emanated an ethereal aura and for a startling moment, he thought a divine creature had descended into his office.

Not only did she seem graceful, she looked deadly too. Her blades strapped by her side made her appear formidable, and she was definitely someone nobody in the right state of mind would want to mess with.

"Sir, as you know, I have spent a year in the Agency." the creature maintained her poised composure and settled into the chair right in front of him. Her brown eyes sparkled as she continued, "Tania has showered me with praises and even declared that I have a natural gift for both healing and poison. Ironically." chuckled the mesmerizing lady. "Maren is relatively pleased with my athletic and self-defense skills and as for my profiling skills, I admit that I could do with some fine-tuning on that aspect."

"However, I believe that I've run countless errands and completed missions for you and the Agency. A year ago, you promised a desperate girl that as long as she consented to your orders, you would help her with her piteous situation. Or were you lying, manipulating her back then? Taking advantage of her naivete?"

It didn't take long for him to realise who this bewitching person was. Alara Berrera.

Ah, she's planning on making me obey her. A lesser man would have cowered to her, and begged for forgiveness, but that wasn't who he was. The way things should be was that she would become a docile lamb and submit to him, while he used his power and dominated over her.

That was how the world should work. After all, he was the leader of a rebel group against the Governors.

My lamb is hungry now, and I should throw her some grass. I haven't been feeding her, and she's starting to rebel. I can't have that, now can I?

"I never would," he answered evenly, his face a mask of calm despite the girl's hard, angry eyes. "I understand where you're getting at."

He removed a thick file from his ebony folder stand where it contained Cynthia Berrera's information. Her hungry eyes gazed at it, and when she reached out her hands to grasp it, he tightened his hold on it.

"I want you to know something first. I will never harm you, and nor am I some heinous mastermind. Take back your accusations, Alara, and I want you to swear your oath of loyalty to me again." He sipped his red wine and sighed a melancholy sigh. "I feel that my trust in you is ebbing away, especially with how you're treating me right now."

Her brows furrowed at his command, and her right hand removed a bejeweled blade from its strap. Her eyes had lost the frigidity and in its place brimmed with unspoken fury and volumes of resentment. Her callused hand shakily grasped the blade, and as a result blood started to ooze out from the flesh.

"Just bow to you and say some meaningless words? No. I will prove my loyalty to you by making a blood oath. Nothing is truer than that."

In a flash, she grasped his empty left hand and pierced his thumb.

"Now, what-" For once, Valesque was utterly rendered speechless and could only watch with his mouth agape as the employee who was supposed to be subservient to his every wish and command pierced his precious thumb.

When blood started leaking out, his jaw dropped.

Alara held back a grin as she let their blood drop drip into the wineglass. She knew what she was doing was probably very extreme- maybe even savage. But back in her hometown, she had once heard during her teens that one of the preferred ways that leaders got their 'people' to swear fealty was via a blood oath as they deemed it more sincere and earnest than saying meaningless, flowery words.

And now for the last step. Alara gripped the wineglass and drank it- and this time she could taste a metallic element as well as the typical bitterness of red wine. "Drink it," she dared Valesque, who, with a collected look on his face, drank it.

"There. A blood oath is more heartfelt than meaningless, flowery words," announced Alara. "Now give me the file."

He was impressed. He had expected her to adamantly refuse swearing any kind of oath or fealty that ultimately bound her to him in some way and yet she had come up with the idea of a blood oath all by herself- and on her own terms, no less.

He must have had a screw loose when he actually drank from the cup. It was he who wanted the pleasure of witnessing her bow and kowtowing to him whilst saying that she will forever swear fealty and loyalty to him. However, the polar opposite happened in the end.

"There you go. The file." It's time to regain my authority. "Read it," he commanded, his voice gentle yet full of supremacy.

His previously feisty employee switched roles the moment the file was in her hands and promptly switched roles the moment. She was no longer the capable agent, as in this particular scene, it was the pious, filial daughter who was nodding and flipping it open.

Valesque was well aware of what she was seeing, for every word was embedded in his memory. She would be at the first page where there was a picture that showed her mother's remnants of vitality. Below the picture were detailed descriptions of her residence such as how secure it was; her condition of health as well as the new hobbies Cynthia Berrera had chosen to take up on per his staff's recommendation. The other pages contained snippets of letters that she had personally written to her firstborn.

Snippets because the ill woman detested herself for not caring and being the compassionate mother that she believed she ought to be and therefore denying herself the right to write anything much to her remaining kin.

The others were mainly records of the humble objects she purchased- a trifle of jewelry, and some pieces of paper.

"I have taken care of her, so there's no need to fret. I am a man of my word." he leveled his gaze at her. Her eyes shone with unshed tears and he announced, "the mission that you failed in 2112 made it crystal clear that you have a connection to the UNSUB. And perhaps even your brother is involved."

She gulped.

Ha! There goes the sly, confident agent!

He continued talking in a solemn and sombre manner. "Therefore we have chosen to act on the theory that the UNSUB could be part of the Amorals who have your brother. The fact that bombs were used and Renald's favourite childhood area was destroyed acts as strong, concrete and incontrovertible proof."

"Why? And how do you know? Is this just a mere theory? Is for certain?" And she's back, he thought with a sigh. It sure is challenging to break her.

"Fine. I understand if you don't fully trust me. But all of these," he gestured to the files and documents in a grand motion, "is all researched and collected by your comrades. Gabriel, Rielle, Maren, Keyla, Tania..."

The doubt in her eyes ebbed away little by little when she heard her friends' names.

"Surely you trust and respect your comrades, don't you? If you can't trust, put your faith in-"

"I trust them." proclaimed Alara instantaneously, making him scoff.

"We will go after him." She ignored it, and continued with her statement. Raw determination flared in her eyes when he gave her a firm nod.

"Oh, one more thing." He smiled slyly. "We have a new lead from Jonek."

Upon hearing that, her heart broke.

A rogue tear escaped.

A crack in her otherwise collected demeanour.

The fire dimmed, and then it ignited.

Vehemently.