The drive to Elara's penthouse was silent, save for the soft hum of the engine and the distant murmur of the city below. Alina sat in the backseat, staring out the window as the lights of the city blurred past. Her mind raced, trying to piece together who would want to grab her—and why now, after months of being left alone.
Victoria glanced at her through the rearview mirror, her expression unreadable. She had already begun running the license plate of the SUV through her contacts, her fingers tapping silently against her phone.
Elara's penthouse was located in a high-security building overlooking the river. The elevator opened directly into a spacious, minimalist living area, all clean lines and muted tones. It was elegant but impersonal, more like a showroom than a home.
Elara led Alina inside, gesturing toward a guest room down the hall. "You can stay there. There's a bathroom attached, and everything you need should be in the closet."
Alina hesitated in the doorway, her hands still trembling slightly. "Thank you," she said quietly, the words feeling inadequate. "I don't know why you're doing this for me."
Elara paused, her back to Alina as she set her keys on a console table. "Because no one deserves to be dragged off the street by strangers," she said, her voice even. "Get some rest. We'll talk in the morning."
She disappeared into her own room, leaving Alina standing alone in the quiet, unfamiliar space.
Downstairs, Victoria had already returned to the office. She pulled up the security footage from the garage, zooming in on the SUV's plates. The vehicle was registered to a shell company—one she recognized from her earlier investigation.
Her phone buzzed with a message from a contact in the police department.
Plates flagged. Vehicle linked to a private security firm with ties to Harrington & Cross.
Victoria's eyes narrowed.
Harrington & Cross. Richard Edwards' company.
She leaned back in her chair, her mind connecting the dots. Richard had already blacklisted Alina professionally. But sending men to grab her off the street?Elara’s phone buzzed softly on the polished surface of her desk. She’d been sitting in her study, a glass of water untouched beside her, staring at the city lights through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The silence of the penthouse felt heavy, charged with the memory of Alina’s frightened face in the garage.
She picked up the phone.
Victoria’s message was brief, but every word carried weight.
Vehicle registered to shell company. Tied to private security firm with links to Harrington & Cross. Richard Edwards.
Elara’s fingers tightened around the phone.
Richard.
It made a twisted kind of sense. He’d already ruined Alina’s career, destroyed her reputation, and left her with nothing. But why send men to grab her now? What did he have to gain?
Unless he was afraid of something.
Unless Alina knew something she shouldn’t.
Elara set the phone down slowly, her gaze drifting toward the closed door of the guest room. Alina was sleeping—or trying to—just down the hall. The woman who had once made her life a living hell was now under her protection, hunted by the same man who had orchestrated her downfall.
The irony wasn’t lost on her.
She rose from her chair and walked to the window, her reflection ghostly against the dark glass. The city sprawled beneath her, a web of light and shadow. Somewhere out there, Richard Edwards was pulling strings, and Angela Williams was moving in the shadows. And somewhere between them, Evelyn Edwards’ name kept appearing—a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit.
Elara’s phone buzzed again.
Another message from Victoria.
Running deeper on the security firm. Also found something else—Angela Williams made a call to an unlisted number two hours before the men approached Alina. Tracing it now.
Elara’s breath caught.
Angela.
She had been so focused on Richard as the obvious threat that she hadn’t considered the possibility that Angela might be working with him—or against him. Or perhaps playing both sides.
Elara typed a response.
Find out who owns the number. Don't contact Angela yet. She hesitated before adding another message. And don't assume the call was connected to the attack.
Victoria's reply came almost immediately.
I wasn't going to. Elara stared at the screen. But there is something strange. Her fingers paused.
What?
The call lasted eleven minutes. Angela made it from the Williams estate. Ten minutes after it ended, someone accessed a private security database using credentials belonging to Harrington & Cross.
Elara's expression hardened.
"That's not a coincidence."
She looked toward the hallway. Alina was still asleep. Or at least Elara hoped she was. She lowered her voice.
"What are you involved in, Angela?"