Elara Cloak, world-renowned mistress of disguise and part-time hobbyist of playing both sides, thought she had mastered the art of living a double life. By day, she was Felicity “MoneyBags” Greedworth, socialite extraordinaire with a flair for luxury and a Rolodex full of the rich and ridiculous.
By night—well, still Felicity, but with a much sneakier agenda. All was going splendidly until she committed the ultimate rookie mistake: she slipped up. And wouldn’t you know it, Jane and Leo, the two most dogged detectives in town, were right there to witness the blunder.
For weeks, Jane and Leo had been following Felicity, convinced she was the key to unlocking the mystery of Tommy Trueman. Officially, their superiors at NOBLE had closed the case, which of course only fueled their suspicions. What kind of case gets closed without the detectives’ signatures?
The breakthrough came during a glitzy charity gala—because of course it did. It’s always the fancy events where someone sips one too many martinis and lets their guard down.
Felicity, perhaps high on champagne and compliments, let her real name—Elara—slip while chatting with a fellow billionaire. Jane, sharp as ever, caught the name drop and immediately realized they had their lead.
Now, with no small amount of smugness, Jane and Leo swagger into Felicity’s office for a little chat.
Felicity’s office looked like a spy movie set. Marble floors, oversized mahogany desk, windows offering a panoramic view of the city where dreams go to inflate.
She sat behind her desk, the very image of someone who probably doesn’t even know how much money is in her bank account because that’s so last season.
“Jane, Leo,” she greeted them in her most honeyed tone, “What brings you to my humble abode?”
“Humble? Nice try,” Leo muttered under his breath before clearing his throat. “We need to chat about Tommy Trueman.”
Jane, ever the no-nonsense partner, remained standing, her eyes narrowing in on Felicity like a hawk circling a bunny. Or, in this case, a very guilty socialite.
“The Tommy Trueman case?” Felicity waved a hand as though swatting away a pesky fly. “I’m pretty sure your bosses sent you a memo—case closed. Perhaps you missed it?”
“Nice try,” Jane shot back, leaning in slightly. “We think there’s more to the story. A lot more. And you know exactly what we’re talking about.”
Felicity’s face didn’t twitch—almost impressive, but then again, she’s a pro at keeping her cool. Still, Jane caught the faintest flicker of tension, a twitch in the corner of Felicity’s eye. It was all the confirmation she needed.
“Oh, and one more thing,” Jane said, unable to resist the mic drop moment. “At that charity event last week, you slipped. You called yourself Elara. Oops.”
Felicity blinked once, then twice, and for the briefest moment, the cracks in her flawless facade showed. But she quickly recovered, tossing back her hair like the accusation was nothing more than an off-hand compliment. “Oh, you must have misheard, darling.”
Leo grinned. “Come on, Elara—I mean, Felicity. It’s time to stop playing games. We know you’re up to something, and the whole ‘rich lady of leisure’ thing? Yeah, that’s over.”
Felicity—no, Elara—glanced between the two of them. She shifted slightly in her chair, a queen cornered in her own castle. “You think you’ve figured it all out, don’t you? You have no idea what’s really at stake here.”
Jane leaned in, relishing the moment. “Well, why don’t you tell us then?”
For the first time, Felicity—or, let’s just call her Elara—seemed genuinely rattled. “You don’t get it. If I fail this mission, we’re not just talking about losing some billionaire’s yacht or shutting down a shady business deal. This is about Victor Van Spin. He’s got the kind of power to rewrite the rules of the world.”
Jane and Leo exchanged a look. Sure, they knew Van Spin was bad news, but that bad?
Elara let out a long, dramatic sigh—the kind you might hear in a daytime soap right before someone gets slapped. “My mission was to infiltrate his world, become his confidante, and figure out his endgame. Let me tell you, I’ve had to do things. Things I’m not proud of… Like accepting his friend request on social media.”
Leo, always the straight man, couldn’t resist. “Must have been tough.”
Elara shot him a look, but Jane wasn’t about to let her off easy. “So, what now? You just roll over, confess, and we go after Van Spin together? What’s the catch?”
Elara steepled her fingers and gave a smile that could melt ice—or, more likely, freeze it. “Oh, there’s always a catch. But let’s just say, for now, we’re on the same team. And as for Tommy Trueman? The case was closed because you were getting too close. You were right all along.”
Leo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, we tend to do that.”
The trio sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the situation settling in. Elara leaned forward, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “One more thing—Van Spin has been asking about Izzy. He’s noticed her shift in focus. If we’re not careful, she’s going to be his next target.”
Jane’s brow furrowed. “So now we need to protect Izzy and stop Van Spin from whatever world-dominating scheme he’s cooking up? Great. No pressure.”
Elara just smirked. “Welcome to my world.”
And just like that, the chase was on again—this time, with higher stakes, and a ticking clock they hadn’t quite anticipated. But if there’s one thing Jane and Leo had learned in their years as detectives, it was this: they always win. Eventually. With style.
