Dana's penthouse sat high above the city, wrapped in glass and arrogance.
Maria had been here countless times in her past life—wine nights, girl talk, fake laughter. She knew every corner, every scent, every place where Dana had whispered lies while smiling sweetly.
But today, she wasn't here for tea.
She was here to uncover the truth.
"Come in!" Dana chirped as she opened the door. Her face was its usual mask of friendliness, but her eyes still held a flicker of suspicion. Ever since the engagement party incident, Dana had been trying to regain control—inviting Maria over, sending little gifts, smiling wider than necessary.
Maria played along.
"I brought those macarons you love," she said, holding up a box tied with a pale pink ribbon.
Dana's expression softened. "You're too sweet."
Maria stepped inside and scanned the room. Nothing looked out of place, but she knew better.
"I figured we could have one last relaxing day before everything goes wedding-crazy," Maria said, slipping off her coat. "No stress. Just us."
Dana led her to the living room, where a glass coffee table gleamed under soft lighting. Two wine glasses sat waiting. Maria glanced toward the study door just down the hall. Still closed. Just like she remembered.
They sat, clinking glasses. Maria barely sipped.
"So," Dana said lightly, crossing one leg over the other, "have you and Ian talked since the party?"
Maria smiled. "Of course. He trusts me."
Dana's fingers tightened slightly around her glass. "That's good. Trust is... everything."
Maria tilted her head. "Isn't it?"
---
Half an hour later, Dana excused herself to take a call on the balcony. Maria watched her disappear behind the glass, then moved quickly.
She padded down the hall and slipped into the study.
The scent hit her immediately—books, paper, and a hint of Dana's rose perfume. The room was immaculate, with dark wood shelves, a sleek desk, and floor-to-ceiling windows. But Maria knew where to look.
She went straight to the drawer in the far-right cabinet—one Dana always kept locked.
Except today, she hadn't.
Inside, Maria found a leather folder filled with printed emails. Most were business-related. One stood out.
Subject: Milan.
From: dana@rossglobal.co
To: unknown@protonmail.com
> He'll be alone. I'll intercept in Milan. If he resists, we move to Phase Two. Either way, I'll make sure she believes it's him.
Maria's breath caught.
Intercept? Move to Phase Two?
It wasn't about love. It had been planned. Coordinated. Dana had orchestrated something in Milan—something designed to manipulate both her and Ian.
She snapped a photo of the email and placed the folder back exactly as she'd found it.
Then she opened the desk drawer and found something else—a small black box.
Inside was a silver USB drive.
Unmarked.
She slipped it into her purse just as Dana's heels echoed back into the hallway.
Maria returned to the couch and picked up her wine glass as if nothing had happened.
"Sorry about that," Dana said, breezing in. "Work drama."
"Anything serious?"
"Just annoying."
Maria smiled and raised her glass. "To peaceful days."
They clinked again.
---
Back in her car, Maria didn't relax until the building was out of view.
The USB burned in her bag like a live wire.
By the time she reached home, she locked her door, pulled the curtains, and slid the drive into her laptop.
There were two folders.
1. Legal
2. Recordings
Her heart pounded.
She opened Legal first.
Documents appeared—transfer agreements, shell company listings, private bank transactions.
She scanned quickly. The names tied back to Ross Global... and her family's old shipping company.
Her breath stopped.
Dana had been stealing from both sides.
The contracts had been altered—money diverted quietly, slowly. Just enough to go unnoticed. But over time? Millions.
She clicked on Recordings next.
The first was audio-only. Voices.
Dana: "She won't see it coming. She still thinks Ian's just cold, not calculating."
Unknown male voice: "And Ian?"
Dana: "He's too loyal to the board to question anything. By the time he figures it out, it'll be too late."
The next file was a video.
It was grainy, from a security camera. But the faces were clear enough. Dana. Standing in an upscale hotel hallway. Ian was there too—but he looked confused, even angry.
He turned to leave.
Dana grabbed his wrist.
Maria paused the video, stunned.
He hadn't wanted to be there.
She stared at the screen as the truth she had avoided started to crystallize.
Ian hadn't betrayed her in Milan.
Dana had orchestrated it. Manipulated her. Framed him. For what?
Power? Money?
And then there was that male voice in the recordings. Who was he?
Maria closed the laptop and leaned back, her pulse racing.
She needed to stay quiet—for now. Dana would never suspect she had broken into her study. Not unless Maria acted out of turn.
No, she had to play it cool. Let Dana believe she was still the clueless bride-to-be.
But Maria's next move would be different.
She had a weapon now.
---
The next morning, Maria visited her father's old lawyer under the guise of checking some wedding documents.
The moment they were alone, she slid a copy of the legal folder across his desk.
"Don't ask how I got it," she said. "Just verify it."
The man paled as he scanned the documents.
"These are your family's shell companies," he muttered. "Dana—this woman—you say she's been handling your family's business?"
Maria nodded. "She forged three of those signatures. And I have proof of the offshore transfers."
He looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time.
"I'll start tracing it," he said. "But you'll need more."
"I'm working on it," Maria replied. "Quietly."
---
That night, Ian called.
> "Can we talk? Face-to-face?"
She hesitated.
Then answered, "Tomorrow. My place. Noon."
She had questions.
And he had answers she wasn't afraid to hear anymore.
Because whether he had pulled the trigger or not, Maria now understood one thing:
He wasn't the enemy.
But Dana was.
And Maria was finally ready to fight fire with fire.