Chapter 2 I Hope You're Ready For What's Coming

Anna's hands seemed to finally give out, and she hurled the steaming cup straight at Jemma, sending a wave of boiling water splattering across her face.

Screams tore from Jemma as the burn hit, her hands flying to her cheeks as the pain threatened to peel the skin from her bones.

The servant who had lingered in the doorway froze in terror before rushing forward. "Mrs. Russell! Are you alright?"

Wild with pain, Jemma could only clutch her face, her cries growing louder. "My face! Somebody help me-my face is burning!"

One look at Jemma's blistered skin made the servant blanch in horror, nearly dropping the tray.

The flawless complexion she had always boasted about was now ruined, mottled with angry red burns and swollen blisters.

"I'll call the doctor-right away! Please, let me help you," the servant stammered, trying to steady Jemma.

Jemma burned with rage and humiliation. She wanted nothing more than to punish Anna herself, but she remembered Anna still needed to marry into the White family. She swallowed her anger and lashed out with a savage kick, catching Anna hard in the chest.

"Lock the attic! She's not to have dinner tonight, no matter what!" Jemma snapped.

Shaken, the servant hurried to support the sobbing Jemma and led her from the room.

The attic door slammed, shutting off the last sliver of light and leaving Anna alone in darkness.

After a moment, Anna lifted her head. A cold, sharp smile curved her lips, and a dangerous glint flickered in her eyes.

This was only the beginning of what she had planned. Jemma would pay dearly.

Getting to her feet, Anna crossed the cramped attic, shoved aside broken boxes, and pressed her fingers to a hidden switch on the wall.

A ladder slid down from above, revealing a passage to a secret room tucked away beyond anyone's notice in the Russell family's home.

Up in that hidden space, a man lounged on a weathered sofa, swirling a glass of wine. The moment Anna climbed up, he set the glass aside and said, "Back in trouble, I see? I keep telling you, just give the signal and I'll make everyone downstairs disappear before morning."

Anna shot him a steely look before moving to the far side of the room and settling into a chair. "Cade's not sharp enough to have orchestrated everything back then. Whoever gave him orders is still in the shadows. My only option is to keep playing the fool until the real mastermind shows up."

He studied her for a moment, then asked, "They're marrying you off to the White family as a pawn. Do you honestly think you can dig up the truth from there?"

A bitter smile tugged at Anna's lips, but her gaze stayed cold. "Being married off is actually a step up. With fewer eyes on me, I'll finally be able to move freely."

Seven years had crawled by since the crash that shattered her life.

Memories of her mother's final moments never faded from Anna's mind.

Inside that wrecked car, her mother had spent her last bit of strength shielding Anna, her voice frail as she begged, "Hide your intelligence. Survive this. Steer clear of the Russell family."

Anna pressed her nails into her burnt palm, refusing to let any pain reach her features.

Nothing mattered more than watching Cade and his precious family crumble, piece by piece.

"It's not as if you'd listen to me anyway." Joshua Bradley leaned back, a trace of resignation in his voice. He reached for his phone and added, "You should know your last payment's already in your account. And there's another job waiting, if you're up for it."

He retrieved a photo from his pocket and slid it across the table. "You have three months. The organization wants this man gone."

Anna lifted the picture and studied it.

Though out of focus, the photo still managed to capture the man's striking features-a sharp jawline, strong profile, and a presence that commanded attention even in a candid shot.

"I need everything you can get me on him," Anna replied coolly.

"He's the mastermind behind the Shadow Group overseas. Four years ago, three of the most powerful families tried to take him down together, but he dismantled two of their empires all by himself. Plenty have tried hunting him since then, but after that, he disappeared completely. No one's glimpsed his real face, except for this single, fuzzy photograph. We've just received-he's laying low somewhere in Aresrora." Joshua spoke with quiet certainty.

Anna studied the blurred photo, then shot Joshua a skeptical look. "You really think I can track down someone with nothing but a shadowy profile? That's asking a lot, even from me."

Joshua's lips twisted in a knowing grin. "Let's be honest, there's nobody else in the group with our eye for faces. I have to stay behind the scenes. If you can't pull this off, nobody can."

She traced the outline of the man's jaw with her thumb, considering. "If the price is right, I'll take the job."

After Joshua slipped away, Anna sparked a match and held it to the edge of the photograph.

She watched as flames licked across the image, a sly smile spreading as the picture curled and blackened. "Russell family, your quiet days are over. I hope you're ready for what's coming."