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[h3][color=gray]Red Rose Lounge, Highfair[/color][/h3]
[sub][b]Mentions:[/b] Vincent ([@Estylwen]), Emily ([@LanaStorm]) 
[b]Interactions:[/b] Emilia (NPC)[/sub]
[hr]
[indent] Seated in her ornate high-backed chair, Isabella fixated on the glass of wine in her grasp, its contents swirling like shards of liquid rubies. Emilia, her steadfast lieutenant, lingered by the door's threshold, an air of trepidation radiating from her rigid posture. Clutching a sleek tablet in one hand, she kept her other hand clenched by her side, a clear indication that something was amiss. This disquiet could stem from her turbulent encounter with Vincent, but the cause remained shrouded in uncertainty until…

[color=#000000]“Something... intriguing occurred today,”[/color] Emilia finally ventured. [color=#000000]“Three Blue Bloods were sighted near Highfair Market.”[/color]

Isabella arched a finely manicured brow, setting her glass down with a delicate clink against the polished wood. [color=#800000]“Blue Bloods?”[/color] she echoed, her tone smooth yet tinged with palpable disdain. [color=#800000]“It seems Detective Newport has chosen to flaunt her [I]audacity[/I] by sending her puppets into my domain.”[/color]

Standing poised and alert, Emilia pressed on, her commitment to the task evident as she stepped closer to the desk. [color=#000000]“Their approach was anything but discreet, Bella. They attempted to masquerade as vendors—fresh faces offering inexpensive goods—but they were too clean to pass as genuine. They were snooping about, inquiring into our operations. One of our associates noticed and flagged them.”[/color]

[color=#800000]“And what happened next?”[/color] Isabella inquired, her interest piqued.

[color=#000000]“We confronted them,”[/color] Emilia replied succinctly. [color=#000000]“Discreetly, of course, to avoid attracting unwarranted attention, especially with so many watchful eyes in the market lately. They had counterfeit documents and credentials, but one of them crumbled and confessed they were dispatched to... ‘observe.’”[/color] Her hand slid the tablet onto the desk, showcasing a dossier on the intruders.

[color=#800000]“Observe,”[/color] Isabella echoed, her lips curling into a mirthless smirk. [color=#800000]“How quaint. And what did they hope to learn?”[/color]

[color=#000000]“They weren’t able to uncover anything of significance. Still…this was anything but random. Newport is systematically probing our defenses—testing where our vulnerabilities lie.”[/color]

Taking a measured breath, Isabella reclined thoughtfully in her chair, fingers steepling in contemplation. [color=#800000]“She is angling for something, yet this—this is clumsy, would you not agree?”[/color]

A frown touched Emilia’s features. [color=#000000]“Do you think she wants us to be aware of her intentions?”[/color]

[color=#800000]“It’s possible,”[/color] Isabella contemplated. [color=#800000]“Perhaps a decoy for some bigger agenda.”[/color]

Emilia pressed on, her curiosity piqued, [color=#000000]“So what’s our counterstrategy?”[/color]

[color=#800000]“First, make sure our people stay vigilant,”[/color] Isabella instructed. [color=#800000]“Double the watch at the market and any key points near our operations. If she wants to provoke a response, let her see us tighten our grip. It’ll make her think she’s rattling us.”[/color]

Emilia acquiesced with a nod. [color=#000000]“And the infiltrators?”[/color]

[color=#800000]“Release them,”[/color] Isabella declared, a frigid smile gracing her lips. [color=#800000]“Kindly instruct them to convey our… gratitude to their detective for the ‘visit,’ and inform her she is welcome to experience Highfair firsthand.”[/color] Then, rising from her chair, she moved toward the window and gazed out at the rain-soaked streets below.

[color=#800000]“For the time being, we’ll willingly play in her game of chess. But let’s not forget Emilia—when you bait the queen, you risk losing the board.”[/color]

Emilia inclined her head in acknowledgment before departing, leaving Isabella in contemplative solitude. The faint sound of raindrops tapping against the glass became her sole companion as she strategized her next maneuver in the intricate dance of intrigue and power that had ensnared her since the birth of her name.[/indent]