I never needed an invitation. The guests were far too wrapped up in themselves to look twice at anyone else, and who would question a face like mine? After all, the best place to hide a crime is in plain sight.

I took the seat next to him, and that’s where I noticed everything. The quiet grace in the way he carried himself at the table, a politeness shaped by japanese customs. And his voice. Soft, warm, the kind of voice you could listen to all night and never tire of. Some would call it the voice of an angel.

He never knew he was my rival. He never had to be. Alas, someone like that is hard to ignore, and harder to compete with.

A shame, really. I had to remove the competition. 🔎