Chapter 2 Anyone Foolish Enough To Cross Elliana Would Soon Regret It

Elliana gathered her things with quiet efficiency and stepped out of the villa district, waving down a taxi without a single look back.

Tears threatened to fall as she looked at a sturdy metal box nestled deep in her suitcase.

Inside, a collection of medals lay scattered, some worn and scratched, others gleaming like new.

Every one of them was a reminder of her days as a top agent and one of the founders of Silver Shadow.

Those small tokens were proof of her countless brushes with death, each one representing a chapter in a secret life she had tried so hard to bury.

She had hoped to share her true story with Dominic one day, but only if they ever built something real together.

Now she knew he would never deserve the truth.

A sudden vibration from her phone snapped her back to the present.

Wiping away any trace of tears, she answered the call.

Leah Payne's voice filled the line before Elliana could say a word.

"Boss, I did exactly as you said. Every company tied to the Stanley Group is pulling out. Did something happen? Is everything all right..."

"I'm officially single now, Leah. Get things ready. We're about to launch bigger than ever."

There was a stunned pause, followed by a burst of celebration on the other end.

"Are you serious? That's amazing! I told you a hundred times, Dominic never deserved you!"

Leah's enthusiasm was almost palpable through the phone. "Now that you're back, the entire industry's going to lose their minds. Do you know how many clients I've had to turn away since you left Sanctorum? We lost a fortune while you were gone..."

Hearing Leah's familiar obsession with business made Elliana's lips curve into a small smile.

"Is that so?"

"Of course! Oh, that reminds me-you mentioned before about running the Vista Banquet and offering a healing slot to help Dominic's mother, all while keeping your identity a secret. Now that you are divorced, what's the plan for the banquet?"

"We proceed as originally planned. Vista Banquet goes forward."

With that, Elliana ended the call.

The taxi rolled through city lights while she leaned back, her smile growing bolder with each passing block.

Everything that had been stolen from her-she meant to take it all back.

If Dominic's beloved Renee believed she could climb higher by pushing Elliana down, she had no idea what kind of fall awaited her.

She would like to see how deep Dominic's loyalty ran once Renee's secrets began to unravel.

The banquet was more than a simple event-it was the start of her comeback.

An hour passed.

Inside a cozy estate in Ipester, Leah, clad in playful pajamas, brought over a glass of whiskey with a cheerful grin and offered it to Elliana.

Ripples of deep red danced in the whiskey, swirling through the gold liquid like a blooming rose with every tilt of the glass.

"Boss, it's called Scarlet Rose. My latest creation. See what you think."

Elliana took the glass and glanced at the opposite wall, where four oversized LCD screens displayed live stock market activity in Ipester.

A sharp gleam flickered in her eyes. "You've already started working against the Stanley Group, haven't you?"

Leah's eyes, magnified by her thick glasses, sparkled with fierce determination, giving her the look of a stubborn prodigy.

"Naturally, boss! If it weren't for you pulling the strings, the Stanley Group would never have gotten this far. Now that Dominic had the nerve to toss you aside, I'm not stopping until we see him suffer for it."

Elliana offered her a sideways look.

Leah was just nineteen, an orphan Elliana had rescued from a war-torn country overseas.

Despite her age, she could hack systems and play the stock market with an expertise that left most seasoned professionals in the dust.

Her only real weaknesses were her bad eyesight and her endless pursuit of cash.

"I'll deal with the Stanley Group myself. Are you sure the man we've been tracking is actually showing up at the Vista Banquet?"

Leah pushed her glasses up, her chin lifting with unmistakable pride.

"Definitely. He's been careful about his movements, but I managed to trace him. Right now, he's in Ipester and has already scored a spot at the banquet. Still, Boss, I have to ask-what's got you so focused on him? He's always been a thorn in our side. Some say he's so pretty it's hard to tell if he's a man or a woman. If you want, I can put in extra effort, maybe hijack his ride or slip something into his drink and bring him right here for you."

Elliana tapped Leah's head with a hint of exasperation.

"Don't fill your head with ridiculous ideas."

Her true interest in this man was much simpler-she was after a rare Pisces Jade.

It had surfaced in an illicit overseas auction and somehow ended up with him.

That jade pendant was the only clue she'd managed to uncover about her birth mother.

She needed to track him down, recover the jade, and finally learn who sold it.

Annoyance bubbled up just thinking about the search, and she tossed back a large gulp of Leah's drink.

A wild mix of flavors hit her tongue, and she nearly choked, coughing it back out at once.

"For the love of sanity, keep the experiments for someone else. Next time, just pour me a proper whiskey."

She rose from the couch and pulled her damp top over her head.

Light caught on her smooth, elegant form, every line sculpted to perfection.

Black lingerie hugged her frame, drawing attention to a waist so delicate it could be wrapped in someone's hands and legs that stretched long and lean, not a trace of softness to be found.

Every gesture was smooth and mesmerizing, a subtle confidence in the way she moved-almost like a wildcat at rest.

Leah could hardly tear her eyes away, swallowing her drink a bit too quickly.

Old war wounds had robbed Leah of her sense of taste, but after years of Elliana's careful treatments, she could finally savor sweetness again.

To Leah, Elliana was her everything.

Her attention shifted back to the giant screens, eyes narrowing with a mischievous glint as she watched the Stanley Group's stock flicker down.

The game had only just begun.

Anyone foolish enough to cross Elliana would soon regret it.

If Renee wanted to play the devoted daughter-in-law and dazzle everyone by promising a miracle cure for her future mother-in-law, then so be it.

The Vista Banquet was the ideal stage for their next move.