Chapter 3

Weeks passed in the chilling silence of the Blackwood Sanatorium's forgotten wing.

The rations were meager, the nights cold. The isolation gnawed at me, but I wouldn't break. I clung to the memories of Julian's betrayal, fueling my anger, my need for retribution.

Then, the Thornes' world started to crumble.

Failed hostile takeovers. Mysterious tech glitches crippling their systems. A string of devastatingly bad press that even their PR machine couldn't spin.

And Julian... Julian's health was deteriorating rapidly. The curse was closing in, even in this new life, without my protective influence directly by his side.

It was Victoria Thorne who "found" me.

Her face was drawn, the usual steely composure cracked with desperation when her men unbolted the sanatorium door.

"Elara," she said, her voice strained. "You're coming with me."

I was moved from the decaying sanatorium to a secure, surprisingly comfortable Thorne safe house. Not freedom, but a gilded cage. Victoria intended to use me, either as a bargaining chip or a last-ditch solution for Julian.

Meanwhile, preparations for Julian's lavish 30th birthday party were in full swing. It was also to be his and Izzy's official engagement announcement.

The irony was a bitter pill. I remembered my own commitment ceremony with Julian in our first life – an understated, almost hidden affair, because he hadn't wanted to "alarm the market" with a public display of reliance on my family's "luck."

Now, for Izzy, no expense was spared. The city buzzed with news of the extravagant event.

The day before the gala, Victoria summoned me.

She looked older, the stress of Julian's declining health and the company's woes etched on her face.

"Julian is... unwell," she stated, dispensing with pleasantries. "The doctors are baffled."

I remained silent.

"His birthday is tomorrow. He needs to be strong. He needs... stability."

Her eyes, usually so cold, held a flicker of raw fear.

Then came the shocking proposal.

"There is a man," Victoria began, choosing her words carefully. "Marcus Rylan. An investigative journalist. Perhaps you've heard of him?"

I had. Marc Rylan had been on the verge of exposing a massive Thorne Consolidated scandal years ago – something involving toxic waste and falsified safety reports, the very same kind of site where Julian had left me to die. Thorne Consolidated had framed him for corporate espionage, ruining his career, his life. He was currently under house arrest.

"Thorne Consolidated is prepared to see that Mr. Rylan's... legal difficulties are resolved," Victoria continued. "All charges dropped, his assets unfrozen. He would be given substantial resources to, shall we say, pursue other interests."

She paused, her gaze intense. "In return, you, Elara, will agree to a formal, binding partnership with him. A marriage, in effect."

A sham marriage, to silence a dangerous enemy and perhaps, in Victoria's desperate mind, to somehow transfer some of my "luck" indirectly, or at least get me out of Julian's direct orbit while still keeping me under Thorne control.

"And you, Elara," Victoria finished, "would be 'free' of Julian. A clean break."

I had, in fact, secretly researched Marc Rylan during my confinement. I saw not a pawn, but a potential ally. A man with a strong moral compass, a strategic mind, and a deep-seated grudge against the Thornes. This wasn't just an escape; it was an opportunity.

"I agree," I said, my voice calm.

Victoria looked surprised by my quick acceptance. "Good. The arrangements will be made immediately."

I had already reached out to Marc, through a carefully concealed communication channel I'd established. I' d sent him a simple message: "I know what the Thornes did to you. I can help you destroy them. But I need your help first. Trust me."

His reply had been cautious but intrigued. "Who are you? What kind of help?"

My proposal to him had been audacious: "A temporary alliance. A marriage of convenience. It will give us both leverage. I have a plan."

He hadn't dismissed it. He'd asked for more details. He was smart.

Victoria was still speaking, outlining the benefits, the "generosity" of the Thornes.

She didn't know that Marc and I were already two steps ahead.