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The city of Aethelgard stretched out beneath Felix's office like a carpet of crushed diamonds. From the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the Felix Mansion, the world looked small, manageable, and cold.
Inside, the room smelled of expensive cedarwood and old parchment. Tall mahogany shelves groaned under the weight of leather-bound files, but Felix wasn't interested in business tonight.
He stood by the glass, the moonlight catching the three white streaks of hair that fell stubbornly over his forehead. His hair was still damp from a late-night shower, droplets occasionally rolling down his neck and disappearing into the collar of his silk black pajamas. The dark fabric clung to his lean frame, making him look more like a shadow than a man.
He looked down at the file in his hand, his thumb tracing the edge of a grainy photograph. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed his damp hair back, narrowed his eyes, and a slow, dangerous smirk pulled at his lips.
"So..." he whispered to the empty, quiet room. "This is why you took your revenge on Raina."
He dropped the file onto the marble desk. The pages splayed open, revealing a single, chilling sentence in bold ink: Andria is Gabriella.
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Across the city, the atmosphere in the Gabriella Mansion was suffocatingly different. The living room was a masterpiece of gold accents and velvet sofas, but tonight, it felt like a courtroom.
The massive TV screen flickered, casting a blue glow over Gabriella and her parents. The news anchor's voice was urgent: "Breaking News: Raina, daughter of the legendary Tycoon Bianca, has been arrested for the murder of Kevin."
Frederick froze, his hand trembling as he removed his spectacles. Beside him, Roselette let out a jagged breath. "Kevin..." she whispered, her eyes fixed on the screen where a photo of a smiling, bright-eyed boy appeared.
The report continued: "One year ago, police ruled Kevin's death a suicide. Tonight, in a shocking social media live stream, Raina confessed to the crime herself."
The footage cut to the confession. Raina was wearing her shimmering engagement dress, the silk now wrinkled and stained with tears. She looked broken, her voice cracking as she admitted to ending the life of the boy she supposedly loved.
"These days..." Frederick sighed, his chest heavy with disappointment. "Young people don't understand true love. How could she kill him? Bianca must be devastated."
Roselette didn't answer. Her maternal instinct was screaming. She slowly turned her head toward her daughter.
Gabriella sat perfectly still. She didn't flinch. She didn't cry. Her eyes were cold, reflecting the TV screen like two shards of ice. She felt no pity—only the dark, humming satisfaction of a debt finally paid.
Sensing her mother's gaze, Gabriella didn't look back. She simply stared at the image of the girl who had ruined her life, now being led away in handcuffs.
Roselette's heart hammered against her ribs. Is Gabriella behind this? she wondered. Did my daughter just burn down an empire for a ghost?
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The Lawyer's Office: A Golden Cage
The office of the high-profile defense attorney was cold, smelling of stale coffee and expensive leather. Bianca, the most powerful woman in the business world, paced the room like a caged tigress.
She was still in her emerald green party dress, the silk shimmering under the harsh fluorescent lights, though her expensive jewelry now felt like a weight around her neck. Her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were bloodshot—not from sleep, but from pure, unadulterated rage.
"Why can't I see my daughter now?!" Bianca screamed, her voice echoing off the glass walls.
The lawyer sighed, adjusting his glasses. "That's the rule, Ma'am. You have to wait until tomorrow. I will arrange the procedures then."
Bianca slammed her hand on his mahogany desk. "I have never stepped foot in this office before! Not for a single business lawsuit! But this is my daughter!"
"Ma'am, I won't give you false hope," the lawyer said, his voice flat. "I will try my best, but I can't guarantee anything."
In a flash of fury, Bianca lunged forward, grabbing the lawyer by his starched white collar, pulling him inches from her face. "What did you say?"
"Raina confessed herself, Ma'am," the lawyer whispered, his voice trembling. "On a social media live stream. It's spreading like wildfire. Her own words are the strongest evidence against her. We can't...."
Bianca's grip loosened. Her hands dropped to her sides. The fire in her eyes died out, replaced by a hollow, terrifying sadness. "Why?" she whispered to the empty air. "Why did you do it, Raina?"
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Outside the Selina Mansion: Cold Suspicions
The sleek black sedan pulled up to the gates of the Selina Mansion, the headlights cutting through the darkness. Inside the car, the silence was heavy, filled with the unspoken names of the dead and the guilty.
Selina, dressed in a long peach dress.had her hand on the door handle. She stopped, turning her head slowly toward Han.
"Han," she started, her voice low. "Do you really believe Raina killed Kevin?"
Han froze. The question hung in the air like a blade. He looked stunned, his hands tightening on the steering wheel.
"I don't think so," Selina continued, her eyes narrowing. "She loved him too much. She couldn't have. Why would she confess? Someone is behind this. Someone pushed her."
Han's jaw tightened. "What are you trying to say, Selina?"
"Is it your new sister?" Selina snapped, her gaze turning icy. "Gabriella is the only one who had a reason to bring Raina down. She's the only enemy Raina ever had."
"Why are you always so suspicious of her?" Han asked, his voice rising in anger. "Leave her out of this!"
Selina didn't flinch. She leaned in closer, her cold eyes locking onto his. "Think for yourself, Han. Look at the timing. Look at the facts. She is the only one who gains from Raina's blood."
Without another word, Selina stepped out of the car, slamming the door so hard the glass rattled. She walked toward the mansion, her heels clicking like a countdown on the pavement.
Han sat in the dark car, the engine humming quietly. He looked at his reflection in the rearview mirror, his mind racing. He wanted to protect Gabriella, but a dark seed of doubt had been planted.
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The morning mist clung to Riverview Park like a ghostly veil. At 6:30 a.m., the air was sharp and tasted of damp grass and river water. It was the kind of silence that felt like a secret.
Gabriella was far from her mansion, her lungs burning as she pushed through her final mile. She was dressed in a sleek, charcoal-gray compression set that showed off her athletic frame, her hair pulled into a high, messy ponytail dampened by sweat. Finding a secluded wooden bench facing the river, she collapsed onto it, her heart thumping a frantic rhythm of victory.
She reached for the chilled soft drink she had brought along, the sugar calling to her exhausted muscles. But before she could take a sip, a shadow fell over her.
A man sat directly opposite her. Gabriella looked up, squinting against the rising sun.
"You," she whispered.
It was Felix. He was dressed in pitch-black athletic gear that made him look dangerous even in broad daylight. A thin sheen of sweat glistened on his skin, and those three signature white streaks in his hair moved slightly in the breeze.
He didn't say hello. He simply placed a bottle of mineral water on the table between them. "Drink this," he commanded, his voice like velvet over gravel. "No one drinks soda after a long run. It's a waste of a workout."
Gabriella scoffed, her fingers tightening around her soft drink. "Well, I'm not like anyone else."
As she pulled the drink toward her, Felix's hand shot out, covering hers. His touch was electric—warm and firm. Gabriella felt a jolt of shock go through her. He smirked playfully, his eyes dancing with a challenge, and pulled the drink toward his side of the table.
Gabriella's lips curled into a cold, beautiful smile. She gripped the bottle and pulled it back. "I told you. I don't follow the rules."
Felix's expression shifted. He leaned forward, his gaze intensifying until it felt like he was reading her soul. He pulled the drink back toward him again. "I know you aren't like anyone else, Gabriella. I know exactly who you are."
He stared at her for a long beat before adding, "Still, it's not healthy. Don't drink it."
"What do you want, Felix?" she snapped, her patience evaporating like the morning dew.
Felix's eyes turned cunning, narrow like a fox sensing prey. Just then, a man strolled past them, puffing on a thick cigarette. A cloud of acrid smoke drifted into Gabriella's space. She winced, a sharp cough escaping her throat.
Without a word, Felix handed her a clean tissue. She snatched it, covering her nose and mouth to block the smog.
"Can't bear the smoke?" Felix asked, his voice tilting with a strange edge. She nodded behind the tissue. He chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "Then how did you ever date Jake? The man is a heavy smoker. He practically breathes fire."
Gabriella froze. Her eyes widened, a flash of genuine pain crossing her face before she masked it with a bitter, hollow laugh. "I think... you've never truly loved anyone before, Felix."
Felix went still.
"If you love someone," she said softly, her voice trembling with deep, hidden emotion, "you learn to bear anything for them. Even the things that choke you."
Felix's voice turned icy. "Then why break up with him? Couldn't bear the smoke anymore?"
The temperature between them dropped. Gabriella's face went stone-cold, the girl who loved replaced by the woman who wanted revenge. "Why are you so pry? Why do you care?"
Felix chuckled darkly.
"No one," Gabriella whispered, standing up to leave, "can bear a lover who acts against them behind their back. Loyalty is the only thing I don't compromise on."
She turned to walk away, but the world suddenly exploded.
BANG!
A gunshot shattered the morning peace, the bullet whistling inches from where Gabriella had been standing.
In a blur of motion, Felix lunged. He grabbed Gabriella's hand, his grip like iron, and hauled her down under the heavy wooden table. The impact of her body hitting his sent a shockwave through her, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
Felix didn't hesitate. He reached down to a holster strapped to his calf, pulling out a matte black handgun. He leaned out and returned fire—three precise shots toward a cluster of trees.
Gabriella gasped, her eyes wide as she watched him. He wasn't a businessman. He wasn't a socialite. He was a predator.
The sound of a high-powered sports bike roared into life nearby, the hidden shooter escaping in a cloud of exhaust.
The silence that followed was deafening. Felix stood up slowly, his eyes scanning the perimeter before he turned back to her. He reached out a hand to help her up, his breathing steady, his face unreadable.
Gabriella stood, her legs shaking, her gaze locked onto the weapon he was now tucking away. "Who... who are you?" she breathed, her heart racing not just from the danger, but from the man standing in front of her.
Felix looked deep into her eyes, a dark shadow crossing his face.
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To be Continued...
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