In the days following my dinner with Alexander, I sensed the atmosphere at home becoming increasingly tense. Victoria frequently made and received mysterious phone calls, always making sure no one could hear her conversations. Sophia's attitude toward me oscillated between hostility and fear, as if she was uncertain how to deal with this new version of me.

My father became even more taciturn, often staring at me for long periods, as if trying to solve a puzzle.


I knew Victoria must be accelerating her plans. I needed to be prepared.

One morning, while I was painting in my studio, Sophia suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Ella," she said softly. "Can I talk to you?"


I put down my brush and gestured for her to come in. Sophia closed the door, nervously looking around to make sure we were alone.

"I need to tell you something," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "About Victoria's plan."


I raised an eyebrow. "What plan?"

"She and Katherine...they're planning to do terrible things to you," Sophia said, her eyes flickering with seemingly genuine concern. "I cannot remain silent anymore."

I almost applauded her performance. In my past life, I would have immediately believed her, grateful for her "loyalty." But now, I know this is a trap.

"Really?" I asked calmly. "Tell me more."

Sophia sat in the chair next to me, leaning forward. "Victoria is planning to make you appear mentally unstable, just like your mother. She's already begun adding drugs to your food."

This part might be true. I had been carefully avoiding eating anything Victoria prepared.

"What else has she done?" I asked, pretending to be shocked and frightened.

"She and Katherine are planning to set you up at a Blake family event," Sophia continued. "To make you break down in front of everyone. Then, no one will question when you're sent to a mental institution."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked. "You've always been Victoria's ally."

A flash of unease crossed Sophia's eyes, but she quickly resumed her "sincere" expression. "I know we've had our differences, but you're still my sister. I can't stand by and watch her do this to you."

She reached out and held my hand. "We need to fight her together. I know a place where there's evidence of what she did to your mother. If we can get that evidence, we can stop her."

"What evidence? Where?"

"In a safe at Blake Enterprises," Sophia said. "Katherine told Victoria she locked all sensitive documents there. I know the password."

Ah, so this is the trap. Let me break into Blake Enterprises, get caught red-handed, and then be accused of theft or espionage. A perfect plan to completely destroy my credibility and sever any possible alliance with Alexander.

"When are we going?" I asked, feigning eagerness.

"Tonight," Sophia said. "Most employees will be gone, and security will be minimal. I can help you get into the building."

"Thank you, Sophia," I said, giving her a hug. "I don't know how to thank you."

She hugged me back with a victorious smile on her face, thinking her trap had worked.

After Sophia left, I immediately took out my phone and sent a message to Oliver, briefly explaining the situation. Then, I did something Sophia would never have anticipated—I called Alexander Blake.

"Ms. Haston," his voice came through the phone. "This is a surprise."

"I need to see you," I said bluntly. "Today, if possible. About a... sensitive matter."

After a brief pause, he answered: "My office, in one hour."

Blake Enterprises headquarters was a modern glass and steel building, standing tall in the Manhattan skyline. As I walked into the lobby, the receptionist seemed to be expecting me.

"Miss Hayston," she said with a smile. "Mr. Blake is waiting for you. Please follow me."

I was led to a private elevator that went straight to the top floor. The elevator doors opened to reveal a spacious reception area, followed by Alexander's office—an enormous space with floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, overlooking the entire city.

Alexander stood by the window, his back to me. He turned around when I entered.

"Ella," he said, abandoning formal titles. "Your call made me curious."

"I think we have a common problem," I said, getting straight to the point. "Katherine Stanford and my stepmother Victoria."

Alexander's expression didn't change, but his eyes narrowed slightly. "Please continue."

I told him about Sophia's "warning" and tonight's plan. When I finished speaking, Alexander walked to his desk and pressed a button.

"Tracy, please cancel all my afternoon meetings."

He turned to me with an expression I had never seen in my previous life—respect.

"You think it's a trap," he said.

"I'm certain it's a trap," I replied. "The question is whether you're willing to help me turn the tables on them."

Alexander thought for a moment, then nodded. "Tell me your plan."

When night fell, I met Sophia as planned at a café near Blake Enterprises. She looked nervous but excited, clearly believing her plan was about to succeed.

"Are you ready?" she whispered.

I nodded. "Are you sure you know how to get in?"

"Of course," Sophia said confidently. "I got a visitor card from Katherine. The security system resets after 10 PM, and we have a one-hour window."

We waited until most employees had left, then walked toward the building. Sophia used a visitor card to swipe open the side door, and we quietly entered.

"Where is the safe?" I asked, pretending to be nervous.

"On the top floor, next to Alexander's office," Sophia said. "We need to take the service elevator."

We took the elevator to the top floor, where the corridor lights were dim. Sophia guided me through a series of doors, finally arriving at what looked like an archive room.

"This is it," she pointed to a large safe in the corner. "The password is 7-2-9-4-1."

I walked to the safe and entered the password. The safe made a clicking sound, and the door opened.

Just then, all the lights suddenly came on, and an alarm sounded.

Sophia pretended to panic. "Oh no! Someone's coming! We must leave!"

She turned to run, but the door suddenly opened, and Alexander Blake stood there, with several security guards and... Katherine Stanford behind him.

"What is going on here?" Alexander asked coldly, his gaze moving back and forth between me and Sophia.

Sophia immediately began her performance. "Alexander! Thank God you're here!" She pointed at me. "I tried to stop her, but she threatened me and forced me to help her enter the building! She wanted to steal your files!"

I remained silent, observing how the situation was developing.

Katherine stepped forward with a victorious smile on her face. "I told you she couldn't be trusted, Alexander. She has been investigating your company, trying to find information she could use."

Alexander's expression was serious. "Is this true, Ella?"

I looked directly into his eyes. "Not exactly."

"Then please explain why you are in my office, opening my safe?"

I turned to Sophia. "Perhaps you should explain why you have a visitor card and the safe combination?"

Sophia turned pale. "I...I..."

Alexander raised one hand. "Enough. Security, please escort Miss Sophia and Miss Stanford to my meeting room. I would like to speak with Miss Haston alone."

Katherine stared at him in shock. "Alexander, you can't be serious! She's a thief!"

"I said, enough," Alexander's voice was cold as ice. "Now, please."

Security personnel escorted Sophia and Katherine out, leaving me alone with Alexander.

Once the door closed, Alexander's expression relaxed somewhat. "Your plan worked."

"Partially worked," I said. "We need to get them to admit more."

Alexander nodded, guiding me to his office. He pressed a button on his desk, and a panel on the wall slid open, revealing a hidden monitoring room. Several screens showed different angles, one of them displaying Sophia and Katherine in the meeting room.

"They don't know about the cameras," Alexander said. "Let's see what they'll say."

We watched the screens, with Sophia visibly flustered.

"This is not part of the plan!" she hissed at Katherine. "You said Alexander wouldn't be here tonight!"

"He shouldn't be here," Katherine replied irritably. "He's supposed to be at a conference in Chicago."

"What now? They'll believe Ella!"

A flash of panic crossed Katherine's eyes. "Calm down. We just need to stick to our story. Ella has no evidence that this was a trap."

"But what if she tells them about Victoria's plan? About the drugs and the psychiatric hospital?"

Katherine's expression darkened. "She won't get the chance. Victoria has Plan B ready. If this fails, Ella will have an 'accident'."

My blood froze. They were actually planning to kill me.

Alexander's face changed too. "We have enough evidence."

He pressed another button, and the conference room door opened as security personnel entered.

"Please escort Miss Stanford and Miss Haiston out of the building," he said through the intercom. "Make sure they don't take anything with them, including mobile phones."

We watched on the screen as Katherine and Sophia were escorted out, both protesting, but to no avail.

Alexander turned to me. "You know what this means, right?"

I nodded. "Victoria will be more dangerous. She'll know her plan has failed."

"You can't go home," Alexander said firmly. "At least not tonight."

I knew he was right. Victoria would now be desperate to get rid of me.

"I could go to Oliver's," I said. "He would protect me and my mother."

Alexander shook his head. "Too dangerous. Victoria might already be watching him." He paused. "You can go to my private residence in the Upper West Side. It's a penthouse duplex I purchased for privacy, and only a select few know of its existence. No one would think to look for you there."

In my previous life, this suggestion would have made my heart race. Now, I simply evaluate this option calmly.

"Alright," I finally agreed. "But only for tonight. Tomorrow, we need a more permanent solution."

Alexander nodded, picking up his coat. "My car is in the underground garage. We can leave from there, avoiding any possible surveillance."

As we left the office, I knew the game had entered a new phase. Victoria and Katherine now knew I wasn't an easy opponent to deal with. They would become more desperate, more dangerous.

But I was no longer alone either.