The city's lights shimmered faintly through the fogged café windows, casting a golden haze over polished wood and murmured conversations. The scent of roasted coffee beans mingled with quiet laughter, a refuge from the restless streets outside.
Mikael slipped inside for a moment's pause before his late meeting .His sharp eyes caught sight of a woman sitting alone by a corner table—calm, composed, her dark hair falling like a curtain framing a face both serene and quietly powerful.
A strange pull stirred within him—an inexplicable fascination that tethered his gaze. She spoke softly with another woman; her voice carried warmth and an unspoken bond.
Curiosity gnawed. Who was she?
Before Mikael could summon the courage to approach, she rose and melted into the night, leaving behind only a trace of mystery.
---
Meanwhile, in the towering glass fortress of De Salvo Enterprises, Lewis cradled Leo in his arms. The baby's soft sighs and sleepy babbles were a rare sanctuary amid the endless demands of power and family conflict.
"Ready for tomorrow, champ?" Lewis whispered, brushing a stray curl from Leo's forehead.
Leo reached up, stroking Lewis's cheek. "Mommy soon?" his voice thick with hope.
Lewis's heart clenched with tenderness. "Soon, champ ,with little one we'll be family."
Evan mansion
Far from the quiet sanctuary of the city's bustling streets and gleaming towers, deep within the shadowed halls of the Evan estate, a cold, merciless plan was taking shape. The air was thick with the scent of expensive perfumes masking the stench of greed and desperation.
Alina leaned forward, her voice low and venomous, each word deliberately measured like a blade sliding through silk. "Bella's return is more than an inconvenience. She threatens everything we've built—the museum, the shares, the projects on the horizon. We cannot let her take what's ours."
Arina's lips curled into a cruel, knowing smile, her eyes glittering with cold calculation. "The old thug businessman—the one we've been courting for months—he's ready. His patience has limits. And he's made it clear what he wants."
She paused, letting the weight of her meaning settle. "Bella. We use her ..As a bed warmer. A toy to satisfy his desires. His way of marking territory."
Alina nodded slowly, her fingers steepled. "We'll invite her to the next family gala. Lavish, intoxicating—exactly the kind of event where we can loosen her defenses. The drinks will be spiked, carefully dosed, so she won't realize until it's too late."
Arina's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Once he has her—broken and vulnerable—he'll make the deal. The project, the funding, the influence we need to crush Bella's claim and secure our future."
"We'll make sure no one hears her screams. No one sees her humiliation," Alina added, her tone almost clinical. "By the time she regains control, the damage will be done. Her reputation shattered, her power stripped away. Debts will chain her, shame will silence her."
The two women exchanged cold, satisfied glances—predators reveling in the slow, deliberate destruction of their prey.
The room felt suffocating, heavy with dark intent, a storm gathering to swallow Bella whole.
---
Outside, Mikael walked into the night, thoughts tangled with unanswered questions and an unfamiliar warmth stirring inside. A story was beginning—woven with mystery, danger, and the faintest glimmer of hope.
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