Chapter 1

I didn’t sleep much that night.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the same thing — my mother’s notebook, her warnings, and the message that kept haunting me:

“Stop now, or your father will be next.”

By morning, I had made a decision.

I was done being on the defensive.

It was time to go on the offensive.

I called Richard first thing in the morning.

“I need you to arrange a meeting with Thomas Reed,” I said. “Today. Make it seem urgent but normal. Tell him I want to discuss the board’s restructuring plans.”

Richard was quiet for a moment.

“Elena, do you think that’s wise? If he’s really working with Adrian, meeting him alone could be dangerous.”

“I won’t be alone,” I replied. “I’ll have security nearby. But I need to look him in the eyes and see if he’s lying. I need to know how deep this goes.”

Richard sighed.

“Alright. I’ll set it up for this afternoon. But please, be careful.”

After I ended the call, I spent the next few hours preparing. I reviewed every document I had, every recording, and every piece of evidence that could be used against Thomas. I also made sure that if anything happened to me, the information would still reach the right people.

At 2 p.m., I received a message from Richard.

Thomas agreed to meet at 4 p.m. at his office. I’ve arranged for two of our security men to be nearby. They’ll be disguised as maintenance staff.

I replied:

Thank you. I’ll be careful.

At exactly 3:45 p.m., I arrived at Thomas Reed’s office building. It was a tall, modern skyscraper in the heart of the financial district. I took the elevator up to his floor, my heart beating steadily but my mind on high alert.

When I stepped into his office, Thomas stood up from behind his desk with a warm smile.

“Elena,” he said, walking over to greet me. “It’s good to see you. I was surprised when Richard said you wanted to meet. I thought you might be too busy with everything that’s been happening.”

I forced a polite smile and shook his hand.

“Some things can’t wait,” I replied.

We sat down across from each other. Thomas looked relaxed, as he always did. He had the kind of calm, fatherly demeanor that had made me trust him for years.

“So,” he said, folding his hands on the desk. “What can I do for you?”

I looked him straight in the eyes.

“I want to talk about my mother.”

Thomas’s expression didn’t change, but I noticed a slight pause before he responded.

“Your mother?” he asked. “What about her?”

“I’ve been going through some of her old things,” I said. “And I found some… interesting information. About people she used to work with. People who might still be involved with the company.”

Thomas’s smile remained, but it no longer reached his eyes.

“I see,” he said. “And you think I might know something about that?”

I leaned forward slightly.

“I think you know a lot more than you’ve been telling me, Thomas. I think you’ve been working with someone who wants to destroy everything my mother built. Someone named Adrian Langford.”

This time, Thomas didn’t respond immediately.

He simply stared at me, his expression unreadable.

After a few seconds, he let out a small sigh and leaned back in his chair.

“I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this,” he said quietly.

My blood ran cold.

“So it’s true,” I said. “You’ve been working with him.”

Thomas didn’t deny it.

“Elena, you have to understand,” he said. “Adrian is not the villain you think he is. He was wronged by this family. Your father took everything from him. I was only trying to help him get back what was rightfully his.”

I felt a wave of anger rise in my chest.

“By trying to kill me?” I asked. “By threatening my father? By working with Victor Lang to hurt my daughter?”

Thomas’s eyes flickered with something I couldn’t quite read.

“Sometimes difficult decisions have to be made for the greater good,” he said. “Your mother understood that. She just chose the wrong side.”

I stood up slowly.

“You’re a traitor,” I said. “You betrayed my mother. You betrayed my father. And you betrayed me.”

Thomas didn’t flinch.

“I did what I had to do,” he said calmly. “And I would do it again.”

I took a step back.

“I’m going to make sure you pay for this,” I said. “You and Adrian and everyone else involved. I’m going to destroy all of you.”

Thomas smiled faintly.

“You can try,” he said. “But you won’t succeed. You’re just one woman, Elena. And we’ve been playing this game for a very long time.”

I turned and walked toward the door.

Just before I left, Thomas spoke one last time.

“Elena.”

I stopped but didn’t turn around.

“Be careful,” he said. “The people I work with don’t like loose ends. And right now, you’re a very loose end.”

I walked out without replying.

As soon as I was outside the building, I called Richard.

“It’s Thomas,” I said. “He admitted everything. He’s working with Adrian.”

Richard was quiet for a moment.

“What do you want to do?”

“I want him removed from the board immediately,” I said. “And I want him investigated. Every account, every transaction, every connection. I want to know everything.”

“I’ll start right away,” Richard replied. “But Elena… if Thomas is this deeply involved, then you might not be safe. Even in the hotel.”

“I know,” I said. “That’s why I’m not going back there tonight.”

I hung up and got into my car.

I didn’t know where I was going yet. I just needed to drive and think.

As I was driving, my phone rang.

It was an unknown number.

I almost didn’t answer, but something told me I should.

“Hello?”

A woman’s voice came through — calm, cold, and unfamiliar.

“Elena Langford,” she said. “You’ve been busy.”

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.

“Who is this?”

“My name is Lila Voss,” she said. “I believe you’ve been looking for me.”

My blood ran cold.

Lila Voss.

Victor Lang’s wife.

The woman who had supposedly disappeared years ago.

“You’re alive,” I said.

She chuckled softly.

“Very much so. And I’ve been watching you, Elena. You’re quite impressive. Braver than your mother ever was.”

I felt a surge of anger.

“Don’t talk about my mother,” I said.

“Oh, but I must,” Lila replied. “Because everything that’s happening to you right now… it’s because of her. She started this war. And now you’re finishing it.”

I took a deep breath.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“I want what my husband wanted,” she said. “I want revenge. I want to destroy everything the Langford family has built. And I want to make sure that you suffer the way I suffered when Victor was taken from me.”

Her voice turned colder.

“But I’m willing to make you a deal. One chance to walk away.”

I didn’t respond.

Lila continued.

“Give up Langford Holdings. Walk away from everything. And I’ll let you and your father live. But if you keep fighting… then I will make sure that both of you die. And it won’t be quick.”

I felt my hands shaking on the wheel.

“You’re threatening me,” I said.

“I’m giving you a choice,” Lila replied. “One you should think about very carefully. Because unlike Victor, I don’t play games. I finish what I start.”

She paused.

“You have until tomorrow night to decide. If you refuse, or if you try to fight back, I will come for you. And I will come for your father. And there will be nothing you can do to stop me.”

The line went dead.

I pulled the car over to the side of the road and sat there, breathing hard.

Lila Voss was alive.

And she was coming for me.

I felt more alone than ever.

Thomas Reed had betrayed me.

My own father might be involved.

And now Victor’s wife was threatening to kill me and my father.

I closed my eyes and tried to steady myself.

I couldn’t break down now.

I had to keep going.

I had to fight.