Raina's Mansion
The Raina family didn't just have money; they had fortress money. Their grand house was a maze of polished wood and quiet luxury. Up the wide, sweeping staircase, Bianca, Raina's mother, looked like she was carved from ambition. Her uniform of authority—a sharp, official maroon pencil skirt and a crisp white button-down shirt—moved with clinical precision.
She was guiding her daughter, Raina, who moved like a ghost in a simple casual grey dress. Raina, usually a firecracker, was currently weak, her vulnerability marked by a stark white bandage wrapped carefully around her neck. Bianca kept a tight grip on Raina's hand, a gesture of control more than comfort.
When they reached the upstairs landing, the controlled atmosphere exploded. Raina ripped her arm free, rushed to her bedroom door, and slammed it shut with a thunderous BAM! that rattled the hall. Bianca flinched, her composed facade cracking. Why is she so angry? she wondered, shocked by the force of her daughter's emotion.
Her phone immediately buzzed—her assistant. Bianca answered, her voice dropping into a low, dangerous growl. The assistant's news made Bianca pinch the bridge of her nose. "Actually, that intruder... escaped. We couldn't catch him."
Bianca's eyes, normally sharp, darkened to black glass. "What?" she hissed. The assistant stammered, "I think maybe your rivals did that." Bianca's fury was palpable. "How dare they attack my daughter in my office! Find it quickly. Who exactly did this?"
Raina's Vow
Inside the room, Raina was burning. She stood before a huge mirror, her reflection showing her as a victim—a role she hated. She lifted a hand and gently touched the bandage on her neck; the raw pain radiated beneath her fingers. She stared into the glass, her gaze turning cold and hard.
She whispered, a chilling vow to the empty room, "You can't escape from me after you touched me. The real game starts now."
With a surge of pure, violent rage, she grabbed the nearest object—a heavy, glass perfume bottle—and hurled it. The mirror shrieked as it fractured into a thousand splintered reflections. The expensive glass and perfume shattered on the floor, the scent of floral sweetness instantly drowned out by the acrid smell of revenge.
Outside, Bianca was still near the staircase. The sound of the glass breaking made her turn, a new type of alarm replacing her corporate fury. "Raina," she whispered, and rushed toward her daughter's door.
Gabriella's Predector Smile
Across town, in a penthouse apartment that overlooked the city, Gabriella was the picture of detached cool. She stood before her own big mirror, adjusting a silk scarf. She whispered, "There is no news about Raina. What is she doing now?" She paused, her mouth curving into a slow, satisfied smile. In a husky voice, she concluded, "May be she pissed."
She called her friend, Dona. "Hlo. I'm waiting for your call. Let's go to a movie today, evening." Gabriella's mood was definitely good. "Anyway, I'm in a good mood, anywhere... but before that, I want Kevin's suicide case report."
Dona sounded confused. "What... for why?"
Gabriella's tone turned cold. "I want to know what actually happened." She asked directly, "Do you believe that Raina and Kevin were lovers?"
Dona gasped. "What! No way. How can she kill her lover?"
"So that's why I want to know the truth," Gabriella stated.
"Don't worry," Dona said, trying to help. "I know my father's friend who was working as a police officer. I'll ask him for help... but I'm not sure about it. I will try."
"Mm. I need it quickly."
"Wait," Gabriella suddenly interrupted. "I have another call. I have to attend it. Bye."
"Dona wait! Are you coming with me for the movie?" Dona called out, but it was too late. Dona sighed. "She cut the call... after her motive was completed. Oh, no."
The Spy
Gabriella switched to the other line. "Is anything urgent? Why did you call me?"
It was Ajax, the school coordinator. "I want to confirm... are you really participating in the dance, right?"
"No."
"What? You said you will!"
Gabriella sighed playfully. "Because you forced me."
"No way! I'm the coordinator! You'll make me trouble!"
"Don't worry, I'm just kidding," Gabriella said, a smirk dancing on her lips. "I don't break my words."
Ajax sounded relieved. "Oh, Gabriella, you... Be at the school tomorrow by 8:00 AM. Your program is the first one."
"Mm." Gabriella waited a beat. "I want a favor."
"Really? What?" Ajax asked, instantly wary.
"Do you still do spying?"
Ajax was shocked. "What?"
"Don't cover up," Gabriella said, her voice even. "I know that. You are a spy, and you're really passionate about it, too. And I know you would like to become a Deductive agent in the future."
Ajax's voice went deep. "How did you know?"
"Don't worry, I won't tell anybody that," she purred. "You even stole model exam questions from the Principal's Office in the previous year."
Ajax paused. "Gabriella, are you threatening me?" He smirked on his end, enjoying the high-stakes game.
"No. I need your spying," she said simply.
Ajax's reply was cold. "What do you want me to do?"
"I want Kevin's case file."
Ajax chuckled, a casual, mocking sound. "Do you want me to sneak into the police confidential room?" He raised an eyebrow. "I know you can. It's a piece of cake for you."
"But you don't know," Ajax continued, his tone suddenly serious. "Police can manipulate a case report as they want. The report won't show the real truth."
Gabriella asked, her suspicion spiking. "How did you know?"
Ajax suddenly let his guard down. "I already sneaked there and got his case file. It showed... He was suicide by himself."
Gabriella's eyes widened. "What... but... Why?" She paused, her mind racing. Then, her voice dangerously quiet, she asked, "Who are you actually...?"
Ajax froze solid. He realized what he had just confessed. He was shocked, his teeth biting into his lip. He wasn't supposed to know that.
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