The tea house was quiet, tucked away in a narrow alley far from the city's main streets. Its paper lanterns cast a dim glow, shadows stretching across the wooden walls. It was the kind of place where secrets could be spoken without ever reaching the light of day.
Emily sat at the low table, her manicured nails drumming against the porcelain cup in front of her. She had been raised in luxury, accustomed to grandeur, but there was something about this modest setting that unsettled her. It felt like a stage set for treachery.
The door slid open. Grace Li entered with the elegance of someone who had long mastered the art of performance. Her silk cheongsam glimmered under the lantern light, her expression serene. Yet beneath the calm exterior, Emily sensed calculation.
"Miss Li," Grace said with a polite smile, settling across from her. "I've heard much about you."
Emily smirked. "I'm sure you have. And I've heard plenty about you too — the charming stepmother who keeps her darling daughter on a leash."
Grace's smile didn't falter. "Direct. I like that." She poured tea into Emily's cup, her movements graceful, deliberate. "I also hear you and my stepdaughter are… rivals."
"Rivals?" Emily scoffed. "She doesn't deserve the word. Sara's weak. But for some reason, people are starting to see her differently. She's gaining sympathy, attention — even Daniel Zhao's. It's intolerable."
Grace's eyes sharpened at Daniel's name. "The Zhao heir."
"Yes," Emily said, her tone bitter. "She's gotten close to him. And his friends too. I won't let her climb above me by clinging to people she doesn't deserve."
Grace leaned back, her gaze thoughtful. "Then we share a common goal. I need Sara… contained. She's stubborn, defiant. And as long as she resists the Zhao engagement, she's a problem for me."
Emily tilted her head. "So you want her pushed into Daniel's arms, while I want her torn away from him. How does that make us allies?"
Grace's smile curved like a blade. "Because we both want her broken. Whether she ends up trapped in a loveless arrangement or shamed into silence, the result is the same. Sara loses."
Emily considered this, her pulse quickening with satisfaction. Finally, someone who understood the need to crush Sara completely.
"What do you want from me?" Emily asked.
"Your influence at school," Grace replied smoothly. "You control the whispers, the perception of her peers. Undermine her reputation there, and I'll take care of the rest at home. Piece by piece, she'll have nowhere left to stand."
Emily's lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. "And in return?"
Grace's eyes glinted in the lantern light. "I'll ensure you gain access to the Zhao family's circles. Power, prestige, everything you think Sara has stolen from you — I'll make it yours."
Emily felt a thrill rush through her. This was no longer just about petty rivalries. With Grace's support, she could elevate herself beyond the academy, into the glittering world of influence she had always coveted.
She extended her hand across the table. "Then we have a deal."
Grace's fingers slid into hers, the handshake firm, cold. "To Sara's downfall," she murmured.
"To her downfall," Emily echoed, her smile triumphant.
Outside the tea house, the night wind rustled the paper lanterns, their glow flickering. Neither woman noticed the figure hidden in the shadows of the alley — Hannah, clutching her school bag to her chest.
She had followed Emily out of curiosity, but what she had overheard now made her blood run cold. Grace and Emily together?
Sara didn't stand a chance if this alliance held.
Hannah's hands shook as she turned and hurried away, her heart pounding. For the first time, the guilt pressing on her chest became unbearable.
How much longer could she stay silent?