Zara woke the next morning feeling drained. Nolan's cryptic words echoed in her mind loyalty is just another word for convenience.She couldn't tell if it was a warning, a threat, or both.
Downstairs, the mansion was eerily quiet. Damien had left early for meetings, but his absence didn't make the space any less tense. The silence felt thick, like the house itself was listening.
In the dining room, Elenora sat reading the morning paper. She looked up and smiled faintly as Zara entered.
"Good morning, dear."
"Morning," Zara replied, easing into the chair across from her.
Elenora folded the paper and set it aside. "You look troubled."
Zara hesitated. "Can I ask you something… personal?"
Elenora nodded.
"Do you trust everyone in this house?"
There was a pause brief, but telling.
"No," Elenora said honestly. "And neither should you."
Zara swallowed. "Nolan said something last night… about secrets. And loyalty."
Elenora's eyes hardened slightly. "He's not wrong. There are loyalties in this house that shift with the wind. But there are also those that are ironclad. Damien's is one of them."
Zara looked down at her hands. "I want to believe that."
"You can," Elenora said, reaching over to touch her hand. "But you must also protect yourself."
***
At the office, Damien sat in the boardroom facing four of his senior staff. His eyes were sharp, his tone clipped.
"CFO resigning without notice, two departments behind on deliverables, and three major investors hesitating to renew. This isn't misfortune. It's sabotage."
He turned to Ezra, his right-hand man. "Start tracing internal communications. I want flagged activity monitored."
Ezra nodded. "Understood."
"And bring me everything we have on Celine's current holdings and alliances."
The meeting dispersed, but Damien remained seated, eyes fixed on a framed photograph of his father on the wall.
*Was he proud of this mess?*
***
Back at the mansion, Zara roamed the garden, needing air. The flowers Elenora tended were vibrant, blooming even under the weight of tension.
She found herself near the greenhouse, where Damien kept rare orchids. A rustle caught her attention.
Celine.
Leaning casually against the wall, dressed like she owned the estate.
"How did you even get in here?" Zara demanded, stepping back.
Celine smiled coolly. "I've always had access. Old friends, old keys."
Zara narrowed her eyes. "Why are you here?"
"To offer you a deal."
Zara folded her arms. "What kind of deal?"
"Leave Damien. Quietly. I'll ensure your family is taken care of. Debts cleared. A new identity, even."
Zara laughed bitterly. "So I disappear and you step in?"
Celine's eyes glinted. "That's the idea."
Zara stepped closer. "I've been through hell already. I'm not scared of women like you anymore."
"You should be," Celine whispered.
Zara's voice turned cold. "Get off the property before I call Damien."
Celine straightened, her façade cracking slightly. "You've made your choice. Don't say I didn't offer you a way out."
As she walked away, Zara's heart thundered.
But something had shifted.
She was no longer just surviving.
She was preparing to fight.