“I can’t let this happen…”

Cassandra whispered to herself in front of the mirror, her usually confident face now fractured with cracks of fear. Her fingers gripped the edge of the vanity so tightly her knuckles turned white.

The image of Adrian’s doubtful eyes, no longer filled with trust, haunted her thoughts.

“No… I won’t lose to that wretched woman,” she snarled under her breath.

---

That afternoon, Cassandra sat in a luxurious café with a man in a gray suit. His face was unfamiliar, but the glint in his eyes was sharp, conniving.

“So, what exactly do you want me to do?” the man asked, leaning closer to keep...