The air in the narrow service passage of the nightclub was thick with the scent of spilled liquor and fear. Neon signs from the main floor cast fractured, strobing light through the jagged hole of a broken wooden door. Lying on the stained floor near the splinters was a sweating, middle-aged man in a rumpled suit. He groaned softly, clutching his face where a dark bruise was already blossoming near his eye.
Jake stood silhouetted in the broken doorway, his figure broad and imposing. He was dressed in black, a stark contrast to the dazzling gold of his hair which caught and scattered the weak light like a fallen sun. His attention was fixed on the mess inside the room.
Across the passage, pressed against the cold brick wall, Raina and Selina stood motionless, like twin statues carved from ice. Raina wore a tight, metallic blue dress that shimmered faintly, while Selina's crimson top and dark jeans looked muted in the shadows. Jake hadn't noticed them.
He took a sharp breath and started to turn, his head pivoting toward their hiding spot. In a flash, Selina pulled Raina back into the deeper shadows of a recessed alcove.
Jake paused, his sharp gaze sweeping the empty passage. Seeing nothing, he turned back into the ruined room.
He walked toward the bed where Gabriella was draped. She was leaning against the headboard, seemingly in an unconscious slumber. Jake bent, lifting her body as if she weighed nothing, supporting her effortlessly with one arm. With his free hand, he gently picked up her discarded, delicate high-heeled shoes.
As Jake passed their hiding place, carrying Gabriella like a fragile trophy, Raina and Selina held their breath. Jake's golden hair truly seemed to blaze under the emergency lighting. It was then Raina noticed the impossible.
Gabriella's eyelids fluttered open. She looked directly at Raina, her lips curving into a slow, playful smile. Then, she gave Raina a deliberate, conspiratorial wink.
Raina felt a surge of pure, hot fury. Her palm clenched so tightly her fingernails dug painful crescents into her skin. Selina, watching the entire exchange, whispered, "How... how can she still be conscious?"
The two young women stood there, frozen, as Jake carried the relaxed, smiling Gabriella, and his golden hair, slowly disappeared down the passage.
The Confession
A gasp tore through the quiet, luxurious bedroom. Gabriella suddenly sat upright in her grand, silk-sheeted bed, her chest rising and falling quickly. "Oh, no... Dona!"
She grabbed her phone and immediately called her friend. Dona didn't pick up the first time. Panic seized Gabriella; she closed her eyes and whispered a desperate promise, "Nothing will happen to you."
When Dona finally answered, Gabriella's worry erupted. "Dona! Dona, are you okay?"
The voice on the other end was a mixture of furious and worried concern. "Gabriella! Are you okay, too? What happened to you? Where are you now?"
"I'm at my house," Gabriella said, relief flooding her.
"Oh, thank God," Dona sighed. "Wait, where are you now, Dona? Tell me what exactly happened to you."
Dona sounded puzzled. "I'm in my house. I honestly don't remember much. When I opened my eyes in the club, I was leaning against a table, and two club staff were standing in front of me. They said, 'Ma'am, we are closing the bar. Can you get back yourself?' I was dizzy, and suddenly I remembered you. I asked them to check for you, saying my friend was there, but they said, 'No one else is here, all are gone.'"
Gabriella understood instantly. So, they used to drug her, too.
"Gabby! Gabby, what happened to you?" Dona shouted, worried. "How did you get to your house?"
"After I was supposed to be unconscious, they planned to... sexually abuse me, by someone," Gabriella said flatly.
A shocked silence fell over the line. "What? Are you safe? Nothing happened to you, right?" Dona's voice was low and trembling.
Gabriella's tone changed to one of playful confidence. "No. Actually, I wasn't unconscious."
"What? I saw you myself!" Dona exclaimed in disbelief.
"I acted," Gabriella admitted with a smile. "I was about to strike the pervert, but before I could, something unexpected happened." Gabriella hesitated.
"What?" Dona urged.
"Jake... he rescued me from that pervert. It all happened in a blink of an eye."
"Really?" Dona sounded stunned. "He's your enemy, right? How could he...?"
"I'm confused too," Gabriella admitted.
Dona's tone turned teasing. "Wait... I think an enemy is interested in you!"
Gabriella rolled her eyes, though Dona couldn't see it. "No way," she said coldly. "Don't confuse me."
"Think about it," Dona insisted. "If he wasn't, why would he rescue you?"
Gabriella paused, considering. "Maybe he's acting. I know him well. No one believes if a cheetah acts like a cat."
Dona snorted a laugh. "Of course, a cheetah is from the cat family!"
"Stop it!" Gabriella snapped, though a ghost of a smile touched her lips.
An Intermediary's Role
Later that afternoon, Gabriella arrived at Han's grand royal house. The marble floor of the entrance hall gleamed under the chandeliers, and the sheer scale of the space felt imposing and cold. She was dressed in tailored shorts and a sleek, sleeveless white top, looking elegant and bright, yet her mood was sour.
"Why am I here?" she whispered to herself. "Why is my mother using me as an intermediary to rebuild her relationship with her own mother? I don't want to do this."
She stepped strongly across the marble, the click of her small heels echoing.
Unexpectedly, Jannet appeared, a vision of refined grace. Around 46 years old, Jannet was dressed like a true royal lady in a pearl-gray silk dress cinched at the waist, with diamond studs flashing at her ears.
"Oh, dear, what a surprise!" Jannet exclaimed, embracing Gabriella.
Gabriella forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "What's in your hand?" Jannet asked.
"Mom made these cookies for you. I mean, everyone," Gabriella replied.
Jannet smiled knowingly. "Especially for Grandma, right?" Gabriella nodded curtly.
As if on cue, Han and Selina were descending the grand staircase. Selina stopped dead, stunned the moment she saw Gabriella. Gabriella met her gaze and gave a casual, taunting smirk.
Han, however, waved his hand cheerfully. Gabriella was shocked. Isn't he angry with me?
Han approached her. "Hi, my sister," he said.
"Okay," Gabriella replied, still trying to process his unexpected friendliness.
Jannet took one cookie from the box and placed it in Han's mouth. He bit it, chewing happily. "Nice," he smiled. "It's so crunchy."
"Your Auntie made this," Jannet explained.
"I have to go," Gabriella said, ready to leave.
"No," Jannet insisted. "Go visit your grandma. She'd be happy."
Gabriella nodded and was about to take the cookie box back from Jannet. "No," Jannet said, pulling it away. "I'll give it to her later. She doesn't usually eat anything this time of day."
Gabriella headed up the stairs. Selina was still standing motionless in the middle of the landing, looking as if she had just seen a nightmare. Gabriella smiled widely at her and continued on her way.
The Priceless Advice
The Grandma's room was heavy with the silence of age. The walls were lined with dark wood, and the curtains were drawn low. Grandma was sitting in a velvet armchair, watching old photos of her daughter, Roselette.
As Gabriella entered, the old woman quickly covered the photo with the bedsheets. Gabriella noticed the sudden movement.
"What are you hiding, Grandma?" Gabriella asked.
Grandma widened her eyes in disbelief, a mixture of shock and long-denied tenderness on her face. "What did you say? Grandma..." she whispered.
Gabriella simply nodded.
Grandma's voice was thick with emotion. "I've been waiting for those words to come from you."
Gabriella realized the weight of what she'd done but quickly hardened her heart. "Don't change the topic. That's my mom's photo, right, Grandma?"
Grandma was stunned. She mumbled, "Not..."
"Don't try to hide your affection for her," Gabriella interrupted, her voice suddenly strong and cold. "If you love her, show it directly to her, instead of worrying while watching a photo. Every moment is precious in our life. Don't regret it once it's gone."
Gabriella turned abruptly and walked away.
Grandma watched the empty doorway, her eyes glistening. She whispered to herself, "She is talking like an elder... My daughter didn't teach her how to talk to her elders."
An Unlikely Truce
Outside the room, Gabriella almost had a heart attack. Han was standing right there in the hallway.
"You afraid me!" she accused.
Han was cold, his earlier friendliness gone. "You are the one who always makes everyone afraid with your unexpected moves."
"What?" Gabriella started, then realized. "Oh, he's talking about the election incident." "See, I..."
"You are right," Han cut her off. Gabriella was clueless.
Han's expression was solemn. "I did many wrong things before. Exactly one year ago, I bullied many of our classmates. But not now, and I won't do it anymore. I promise."
Gabriella was genuinely shocked. She could not believe his words.
"I accepted your punishment you did to me and to the whole Silverstorm members," Han finished.
Gabriella's heart softened slightly at his sincerity. "You understand, anyway." She started to leave, but Han grabbed her hand.
"They won't do that anymore. I will guarantee you," he said, looking her in the eye. "Look, Gabriella. I am requesting you. Don't do anything against Silverstorm anymore."
Gabriella shoved his hand away. "What do you mean? Am I the villain here? No, bro. Look at your friends. They did everything. They are suffering because of what they did before."
Han grabbed her hand again, more firmly this time. "What?" she snapped.
"Fine," she conceded. "I won't do anything... if they don't do wrong. I won't."
Han smiled, relieved.
Gabriella continued, her voice cold, "But... not all Silverstorm members."
Han's smile disappeared.
Gabriella met his worried gaze. "Except Raina."
The Cookie Conspiracy
In Jannet's room, the space was bright and lavish. Jannet stood before a grand, ornate mirror, meticulously changing a pair of diamond earrings. Richardson, her husband, a man with a kind, tired face, hugged her from behind and placed a kiss on her cheek. Jannet did not react.
Richardson noticed the small, decorative cookie box resting on her dressing table. "Did you buy these?" he asked.
Jannet smiled sweetly. "Your sister made them."
Richardson smiled warmly. Jannet took a cookie from the box and was about to place it in his mouth. She suddenly stopped, her smile vanishing. She looked at the cookie box with an expression of icy contempt and threw the entire contents into a nearby trash bin.
""Why did you do that?" Richardson asked, stunned.
Jannet's mouth twisted into a cold, contemptuous smile that didn't reach her eyes. She let out a laugh—a brittle, dry sound that was completely devoid of humor. "Because," she spat, her voice laced with venom, "she wants her daughter as the Lucien Group heir! Can't you see her little game? She's trying to melt Mother's heart with flour and sugar."
"You need to step out of this imagined rivalry, Jannet," Richardson countered, his face hardening. "Gabriella is already the heir to the great Gabriella Group. My sister wouldn't think that way, and even if she did, Mother is not so easily manipulated."
The moment hung heavy between them. Suddenly, a polite knock broke the tension. A maid entered tentatively. "Ma'am, Sir, time for supper."
Jannet's carefully constructed composure shattered. She turned on the maid, her eyes blazing. "Go away!" she shrieked, the sound echoing off the high ceiling.
The terrified maid scrambled out, pulling the door shut behind her. Jannet closed her eyes, took several deep breaths, and when she opened them again, she was composed, flashing Richardson a brilliantly false smile.
The Identity Reveal
In the Second Floor Hall, Selina was playing a game on her phone, lounging on a plush velvet sofa. Gabriella appeared from behind her and snatched the phone away.
"Hey!" Selina jumped up, pissed off. But when she saw Gabriella, she forced herself to act normal.
Gabriella tilted her head and reached out, gently touching Selina's cheek. Selina flinched. "Ouch. It's hurting."
Gabriella's lips curled into a smirk. "Not bad. You hid your wound by applying foundation."
Selina's face flushed with anger. She raised her hand to strike, but Gabriella was faster. Gabriella grabbed Selina's wrist in mid-air and twisted her arm backward.
Selina struggled and cried out, "Leave me!"
Gabriella's voice was dangerously low. "Was it you, right?"
"What? I don't understand," Selina panicked.
"Don't act in front of me. I know the mastermind who planned everything in the nightclub."
Selina stammered. "Who... who mastermind? Not me! I think maybe it's Raina's plan!"
Gabriella's expression changed to fierce anger. "So bad. You can't even say strongly that you did it. Of course, I'm sure of one thing: Raina won't play a dirty game with me like you did."
"Andria!" Selina shouted in pain and frustration.
Gabriella smiled, a frightening, triumphant smile. "That means... you also know my real name?" Her gaze turned icy cold. "I think Raina told you, right?"
She increased the pressure on Selina's arm. "And where did I pause before?"
Selina struggled, tears filling her eyes. "Raina told you everything, right?"
Gabriella held Selina's hand tighter. Selina cried out in pain.
"I think your ears aren't working properly," Gabriella said, her voice a chilling whisper. "What I said was: Raina won't play a dirty game like you. Of course, she'll tell bravely what she did, not like you."
"Andria!" Selina screamed.
Suddenly, Jannet swept into the hall. She saw Gabriella tightly holding Selina in a painful lock.
"What is going on here?" Jannet demanded.
Gabriella released Selina, who stumbled, trying to stand steady. Gabriella instantly put on a bright, innocent smile. "I'm teaching her some self-defense!"
Selina glared, grinding her teeth.
Jannet returned the smile. "Oh. And who is Andria?"
Gabriella's eyes widened in genuine shock. Selina smirked, thinking, Now see how you handle this.
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