The magazines covered nearly the entire glass table in the penthouse.
The same face appeared on every cover.
THE YOUNGEST CEO IN THE TECH INDUSTRY.
VANCE TECHNOLOGIES SIGNS NEW INTERNATIONAL CONTRACT.
THE COMPANY THAT'S STARTING TO THREATEN MENDES & CO.
Liana Vance scanned the headlines without showing any emotion.
There was no pride.
No vanity.
All that exposure had never been her goal.
It was simply another step in the plan.
For fourteen years, every decision had been carefully calculated. Every course completed, every strategic meeting, every contract signed, every interview given, and every photograph published served the same purpose: making her name impossible to ignore.
She didn't want fame.
She wanted Arthur Mendes to be forced to look at her.
She picked up the last magazine, closed it, and walked toward the penthouse's enormous glass wall.
Lumina City glowed beneath the evening light.
From up there, everyone saw a young businesswoman who had built a technology empire before turning twenty-one.
No one saw Helena Figueiredo.
No one could.
She returned to the table and unfolded an old blueprint of the Mendes mansion.
The paper already bore the marks of time from being unfolded so many times.
Her fingers slowly traced the drawn hallways until they stopped in front of the wall of the old study.
She remained motionless for a few seconds.
“It's still there...” she murmured.
Her grandfather had never been certain.
Neither was she.
But if there was one place where her father would have hidden important documents, it would be behind that wall.
That was where the truth probably remained buried.
Liana carefully folded the blueprint.
Not yet.
Before finding the answers, she needed to get inside that house.
And for that, Arthur Mendes would have to open the doors of his own accord.
She entered the walk-in closet.
Haute couture dresses filled an entire wall. Perfectly aligned shoes, understated jewelry, and bags from international designer brands occupied the space in impeccable order.
None of it existed for luxury's sake.
Everything was part of the character she had built.
Her eyes settled on a black silk dress.
Elegant.
Sophisticated.
Commanding.
Exactly the image she wanted to project.
Minutes later, she studied her reflection in the mirror.
The deep back neckline revealed the tattoo covering nearly all of her skin.
A black phoenix with its wings spread wide.
Every feather had been designed to conceal the true mark.
Beneath the dark ink remained the jagged scar left by twisted metal and the fire of that Christmas Eve.
She gently slid her fingers over the tattoo.
For an instant...
The smell of smoke returned.
Burning metal.
Blood.
Pine.
Her chest tightened.
Her hands trembled almost imperceptibly.
She closed her eyes.
She breathed deeply.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
When she opened her eyes again...
Helena had disappeared.
Only Liana Vance remained.
The woman who had learned to turn pain into strategy.
The Mendes family's charity gala brought together businesspeople, investors, and politicians from all over Lumina City.
As soon as Liana crossed the main entrance, the conversations grew quieter.
Discreet glances followed her every step.
Some businesspeople exchanged whispered comments.
Others simply watched.
They all knew who she was.
The young businesswoman who, in just a few months, had begun taking contracts away from the established Mendes & Co.
Across the room, Arthur Mendes interrupted the conversation he was having with a few investors.
His gaze immediately found the woman dressed in black.
So that was her.
Liana Vance.
Over the past few weeks, that name had appeared in every meeting.
Reports.
Charts.
Lost contracts.
Clients switching suppliers.
He had imagined meeting an experienced businesswoman.
Never someone so young.
So elegant.
So self-assured.
Beside him, Henrique noticed the change in his father's expression.
“Is that her?”
Arthur answered with only a slight nod.
He continued watching.
There was something about her posture.
The way she walked.
That quiet confidence.
For a brief moment, a memory crossed his mind.
Silas Figueiredo.
Arthur immediately pushed the thought away.
It made no sense.
Silas had been dead for fourteen years.
Liana approached the bar and ordered a glass of champagne.
As she delicately swirled the drink between her fingers, she discreetly watched the reflection of the room in the crystal.
She waited.
Five seconds.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
“Ms. Vance.”
She smiled before even turning around.
It worked.
“Mr. Mendes.”
Arthur extended his hand.
“Finally, we've met.”
She shook his hand firmly.
“I thought our first meeting would take place in a conference room.”
“I like getting to know people before doing business with them.”
She held his gaze.
“Curious...”
So do I.
They both smiled.
Neither of them was truly smiling.
Henrique approached.
“Henrique Mendes.”
At the sound of that name, the world seemed to stop for an instant.
The garden covered in snow.
The games.
The children's laughter.
The promise to meet again after Christmas.
The memories flashed through her mind as quickly as they vanished.
She returned to reality.
“Liana Vance.”
The two of them shook hands.
Henrique felt a strange unease.
There was something about her.
Those eyes.
That voice.
A feeling impossible to explain.
As if a forgotten part of his childhood were trying to awaken.
But it was impossible.
He had never seen her before.
“I heard your company just won another contract that used to be ours,” Henrique remarked.
Liana smiled serenely.
“Business isn't usually merciful to anyone.”
Arthur gave a quiet laugh.
He liked her answer.
He liked even more the way she showed no hesitation whatsoever.
She was exactly the kind of person he usually admired.
At that moment, without realizing it, Liana had achieved what she had planned for years.
She had finally entered Arthur Mendes's radar.
A few moments later, Isabella Santoro approached and took Henrique's arm.
Beautiful.
Elegant.
Polite.
The perfect smile.
Liana observed every detail.
Within seconds, she understood exactly who Isabella was.
And more importantly...
She also understood what Isabella's greatest weakness would be.
When she left the party, Liana didn't look back.
She got into the car and closed the door.
Her phone vibrated.
A single message appeared on the screen.
“Did he take the bait?”
It was her grandfather.
She smiled discreetly before replying.
“Better than we imagined.”
She put her phone away.
As the car moved away from the Mendes mansion, her eyes remained fixed through the rear window.
For fourteen years, she had watched that house from a distance.
That night...
The game had finally begun.