MARA'S POV
The sound of her heels echoed through the hallway like a promise; calm, crisp, and dangerous.
Mara Daniels wasn't just walking into Haidar International anymore.
She was entering a war zone; with red lips, a steel spine, and a quiet vengeance.
She knew Layla had it out for her.
The Kargan file incident proved it.
And now?
Now she needed answers.
So she did what most wouldn't dare:
She went digging.
After hours, Mara found herself in the dimly lit records room, fingers gliding across polished files.
She wasn't looking for a fight.
She was looking for proof.
"Looking for something?"
Layla's voice cut through the silence like a blade.
Mara didn't flinch. "Actually… I found it."
She turned, holding a slim brown envelope. "Care to explain why this same file was edited under your ID three minutes before I was blamed for it?"
Layla's smirk faltered, just for a moment.
"You're bluffing."
Mara leaned in. "You should know something about me by now; when I speak, it's never a bluff."
They stood toe to toe; past and present, elegance and chaos.
"You won't last here," Layla spat.
"Funny," Mara whispered, "I was just about to say the same to you."
The silence that followed was heavy.
But as Mara walked away, envelope clutched in hand, one thing was certain:
She wasn't just the assistant anymore.
She was the threat Layla never saw coming.