The Fall
The Richardson Mansion, once a symbol of untouchable power, felt like a sinking ship. The golden chandeliers seemed to dim, and the air was thick with the suffocating scent of panic. Jannet was pacing the marble floor of the grand hall, her eyes red from weeping, while Richardson's mother sat nearby, clutching a rosary with trembling hands.
The Crumbling Foundation
Roselette, dressed in a graceful ivory chiffon saree, sat beside them, trying to consolidate their shattered spirits. "Be strong," she whispered, though her own heart was heavy with the weight of the family's secrets.
Nearby, Han was a storm of tension. He was dressed in his wedding suites, now unbuttoned and messy, his hair disheveled. He paced back and forth, his phone pressed to his ear. Selina, still in her heavy bridal silk gown, stood beside him like a silent shadow. She gently touched his shoulder, her voice trembling. "Han... what did the lawyer say?"
Han pulled the phone away, his face a mask of frustration. "They're making excuses, Selina. No one wants to touch a case involving federal drug charges and money laundering. They're running away like rats."
Suddenly, Selina's mother called her name from across the room. Selina gave Han a worried look and walked to the other side of the hall. Han took the chance to kneel before his mother, Jannet.
"Han, please," Jannet sobbed, clutching his hands. "Bring your father back. He can't stay in that place."
Han couldn't bear to see her in pain. "Don't worry, Mom," he promised, though his voice lacked conviction. "I'll do whatever it takes."
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A Vow of Loyalty
As Han walked toward the quiet corridor leading to his room, he stopped dead. He overheard Selina's mother speaking to her daughter in a harsh, cold whisper.
"Are you still standing by him?" her mother scoffed. "Look at the reality, Selina! The government is going to seize every single asset. The cars, the mansion, the bank accounts—all of it. It's better to leave him now before you're dragged down with him."
Selina gasped. "Mom! How can you say that?"
"No parent wants to see their daughter struggle in poverty," her mother countered coldly.
Selina's face went still, her voice turning strong and devoid of any doubt. "I am not just your daughter anymore. I am Mrs. Han. I am his wife. I will not leave him, no matter what happens." Tears pooled in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall.
Han pushed the door open. Both women jumped. His face was unreadable as he looked at his mother-in-law. "You're right, Auntie," he said, his voice flat. "The government will seize the family property. But not mine. The company I built with my own sweat and blood is still mine. I won't let my wife face a single day of poverty."
Selina looked at Han, a small, hopeful smile touching her lips. Han walked over and gently patted her head. "You haven't eaten anything all day. Come, let's have something." He led her away, leaving Selina's mother standing there, her jaw tightened in silent fury.
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The Final Blow
As Han and Selina sat at the long dining table, picking at their food in the silent room, the heavy front doors burst open. Federal Officers marched in, their boots echoing like thunder.
"This house is now under government seizure," the lead officer boomed. "You have one hour to pack your personal belongings and vacate the premises."
Han let out a cold, bitter scoff. Selina's hand flew to his, grabbing it tight.
Han stood up and looked through the grand bay window. Outside, standing near the iron gates, was a familiar figure. Felix. He was leaning against his sleek black car, watching the chaos with a slow, satisfied smile.
Felix whispered to the wind, "Richardson needs to see this with his own eyes. He needs to feel the exact same pain I felt... the night he threw my family out onto the street like trash."
Felix's face suddenly turned into a mask of cold ice. He slid on his black aviator sunglasses, blocking out the world, and stepped into his car.
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The Mirror of Regret
The Raina Mansion felt like a tomb. Every hallway was a reminder of the power she had lost, but her bedroom was the most painful place of all. The lights were dim, the heavy curtains drawn tight against the world. Raina walked toward her walk-in closet, her crimson jumpsuit now wrinkled and stained with the dust of the orphanage.
She pulled open a hidden drawer at the back of her closet and reached for a small, wooden box. Inside was a single, faded polaroid photo. It was a picture of two little girls in a sun-drenched park. A five-year-old Raina was grinning, her arms wrapped protectively around a two-year-old sister with big, curious eyes.
A single, heavy tear escaped Raina's eye and splashed onto the glossy surface of the photo.
"Why?" she whispered, her voice cracking. "Why did our story turn out like this? My own sister... the one person I wanted to protect my entire life... how did you become my enemy?"
The realization hit her like a physical blow. She collapsed onto the marble floor, clutching the photo to her chest, and roared in agony. Her cries echoed through the empty room as she sobbed, her body shaking with the weight of twenty years of lies.
Raina closed her eyes, and the memories she had tried to bury began to play like a horror movie behind her eyelids.
The Bullying: She remembered the cold hallways of Brighton Wisdom School. She saw herself standing by while her "friends"—Harrie, Anitta, and Erica—terrorized Gabriella. She remembered the laughter and the cruelty. The Shattered Face: She saw the moment Erica pushed Gabriella. She heard the sickening sound of broken glass as Gabriella's face hit the ground. That was the day Andria's old life died, and the cold, vengeful "Gabriella" was born. Raina realized she was the spark that started that fire. The Public Humiliation: She felt the sting of the slap Gabriella gave her on the auditorium stage in front of the whole school. She remembered the fury she felt when Gabriella won the school representative election, stealing Raina's crown. The Rooftop Sin: Finally, she saw the rooftop. She remembered the look of terror on Lara's face as Raina pushed her. And then, she saw Gabriella standing in the shadows, her eyes wide with shock, witnessing the murder that changed everything.
Raina sobbed harder, her forehead resting on the cold floor. She hadn't just been fighting a rival; she had been systematically destroying her own flesh and blood.
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The Park of Broken Truths
The City Park was draped in the golden, melancholy glow of a dying sunset. Long, jagged shadows of leafless trees stretched across the grass like reaching fingers. Raina sat alone on a weathered stone bench, looking like a fallen queen in her charcoal-grey wool trench coat, her eyes fixed on the empty swings.
She was lost in a memory—a vision of a sunny day twenty years ago, playing in this very park with her baby sister, Scarlet. The same Scarlet she now knew as her greatest enemy: Gabriella.
A hand suddenly touched her shoulder, breaking the spell. Raina turned to find Han standing there, looking exhausted. His expensive suit was rumpled, and the dark circles under his eyes spoke of sleepless nights.
"Why did you call me here?" Han asked, his voice flat.
"What's the status of your father's case?" Raina asked. "Any progress?"
Han let out a bitter breath. "No. Every lawyer in the city is turning us down. They're scared of the federal charges."
"Don't worry," Raina said, her voice soft but steady. "Go see my father, Victor. He's the most cunning criminal lawyer for a reason. He'll take the case."
Han nodded, a flicker of hope crossing his face, but it vanished as Raina looked him in the eye. "It's all because of me, right? Gabriella was my enemy first. Because of my hatred, I turned her against you, too. Otherwise... you two would still be like a real brother and sister." She gave a sad, forced smile.
"Not because of you," Han said coldly. "I know her well; she would have found a way to hunt us anyway. Besides... she's my father's illegitimate child. There's no going back from that. We can't be on good terms anymore." He scoffed, looking away.
Raina's heart hammered against her ribs. She wanted to scream that Gabriella was her own blood, her sister. But she hesitated. If I tell him I've changed because she's my sister, he'll think I'm weak, she thought. But if I don't tell him she isn't his illegitimate sister, he might do something irreversible.
"Han," Raina said, her voice regaining its strength. "She isn't your father's illegitimate child."
Han blinked, stunned. "What?"
Raina pulled a thick envelope from her bag and handed it to him. Han scanned the adoption records and evidence with widening eyes. "How did you get this?"
"My father's assistant did a deep background check," Raina lied smoothly. "It was easy. But tell me... why were you so sure she was your sister?"
"When Gabriella came to our Pvt Trust, I was suspicious," Han explained, his jaw tightening. "My assistant followed her to St. Jude's Orphanage and overheard her talking. I thought I found the truth... but looking at this... she must have mistook herself, just like I did. They gave her the wrong information." He paused, flipping a page. "Wait. Why is there no address for the infant baby's adoptive parents? The record is blank."
Raina didn't flinch. She had personally erased the Tyson family's name from those files. "The family that took the infant has a very high status," she lied. "Political influence. Their identity is hidden for protection."
Han's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "I see."
"Why were you so curious about her, Han?" Raina asked.
"Nothing... just curious," Han replied, but his voice was too quiet.
Raina watched him, her mind racing. I know you, Han. You want to end her existence. But I won't let another 'Kevin incident' happen.
"Leave the Gabriella matter to me," Raina said, her voice turning sharp and authoritative. "I'll settle my scores with her. I don't want you involving yourself in this further."
Han scoffed. "And you think Gabriella will just leave me alone?"
"I'll deal with it. She won't touch you," Raina said, her eyes darkening.
"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" Han demanded. "When she was hunting you for Kevin's death?"
Raina scoffed. "You were her cousin then. Even if I told you, would you have taken revenge on her for me? I know the truth, Han. You really treated her as your own sister in the past. You even fought with me for her sake." Her eyes melted for a second before turning back to stone. "And besides... at first, I didn't know she was hunting me for Kevin. I just thought she was angry because I bullied her back at Brighton Wisdom."
Raina stood up, her trench coat fluttering in the wind. "I am her enemy, Han. At the beginning and at the end. Not you. I know how to handle her. Stay out of it."
She walked away into the deepening twilight. Han watched her go, his face as cold as the marble of a tombstone.
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The Cracked Foundation
The Raina Mansion felt colder than usual today. The massive crystal chandeliers flickered as a storm brewed outside, mirroring the tension in the grand foyer. Raina stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, wearing a sharp, jet-black silk blazer that made her look like a warrior ready for battle. Her eyes were rimmed with red, her heart heavy with the weight of the truth.
Victor stood in the center of the room, his voice trembling. "Now that you know everything... do you still want to take revenge on your own sister? Your own blood?"
Raina let out a harsh, bitter scoff. "What do you think?"
"RAINA!" Victor shouted, his voice echoing off the marble walls.
"Actually, it's not her fault or my fault that we became enemies," Raina said, her eyes burning with a sudden, red fury. "It's yours, Mr. Victor. If you hadn't fought with my mother that day in the park, Scarlet would never have gone missing. All of this... our broken family... it's because of your male ego."
She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a deadly, cold whisper. "You wanted a divorce because you were a jerk who wanted to focus on your career. You didn't want the liability of a family. You ran away when things got tough."
SLAP.
The sound was like a gunshot. Raina's head snapped to the side, her cheek burning. She looked at her father in total shock.
"You know nothing!" Victor roared, his eyes filling with tears. "Yes, I wanted a divorce! Because your mother and I realized we couldn't be together. If there is no love, how can there be a marriage? I didn't want to be a burden on her career, and she didn't want to be a burden on mine!"
"Then why did you fight?" Raina sobbed. "If she wanted to leave, why was she crying?"
"Because," Victor whispered, "I wanted custody of one child. She wouldn't let me take either of you."
"Yes, Victor. I fought because I loved them."
Both turned to see Bianca standing at the top of the grand staircase. She was dressed in a regal, midnight-blue gown, looking every bit the CEO of the Royal Group, but her face was weary.
"Mom..." Raina whispered.
Bianca walked down slowly, her eyes locked on Victor. "I wanted our marriage to work. When the financial crisis hit, I expected to share the burden with you. But you decided to get a divorce without even asking me. You just informed me. I sacrificed everything for us, but you gave up."
Tears flowed down Bianca's face, but her voice remained strong. "I was tired, Victor. So I accepted the divorce. But you weren't satisfied; you wanted to tear one of my children away from me. That's why we fought... and that's why I lost my Scarlet."
Raina watched her mother, her heart breaking. Mom doesn't know, she thought. She doesn't know that Scarlet is Gabriella. If I tell her that her lost daughter is the girl who is currently her greatest enemy... the girl who shot her... it will kill her. I have to hide this forever.
"I built the Royal Group from nothing," Bianca said, wiping her tears. "My career is perfect now, and so is yours, Victor. But we could have had so much more if we stayed together. I still hate you for breaking our family. Raina is right. You can go now."
Bianca turned and walked away, her silhouette disappearing into the shadows of the mansion.
Victor walked out of the mansion, his head bowed. As he reached his car, he looked back at the cold, dark windows.
You're right, Bianca, he thought, his heart leaden with guilt. It is my fault. Now, I found our daughter... but it's too late. How could I ever tell you that Scarlet is Gabriella?
He gripped the steering wheel, a terrifying realization crossing his mind. How could you accept the girl who is trying to destroy Raina? The girl who is the reason for all your current pain?
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To be Continued......
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