The High-Stakes Gamble
The air inside the high-security visiting room was heavy with the smell of floor wax and old secrets. Felix sat behind the reinforced glass, looking dangerously cool. He had traded his usual sharp suits for a charcoal-grey oversized tee and black baggy pants. Three distinct white streaks in his dark hair caught the harsh fluorescent light, making him look absolutely lethal.
The Prison Confrontation
When Robert was led in, Felix's restraint snapped. He slammed his hand against the glass, the sound echoing like a gunshot.
"You were behind my parents' accident, weren't you?" Felix's voice was a low, vibrating growl.
Robert flinched, then recovered with a casual, mocking chuckle. "Me? You're always blaming me for your tragedies, boy." He rolled his eyes, leaning back in his orange jumpsuit.
Felix's lips curled into a dark, terrifying smirk. "If I find out it was you, I won't just leave you to rot in here." He pointed a single finger toward the ceiling—a silent vow of a final destination. Robert's jaw tightened, his arrogance flickering into genuine fear.
"I don't know who killed your parents," Robert spat, his voice trembling with spite. "But I know who killed your lover, Jane."
Felix froze. A jagged flashback tore through his mind: A rainy highway at midnight. Jane lying on the cold asphalt, her blood blooming like a dark rose from her head. Felix screaming, cradling her as the life left her eyes.
He snapped back to the present, his eyes black with fury. "Who?"
Robert laughed, a hollow, dry sound. "That's my gift to you. You put me in here, so I'll leave you to go mad. You'll never find the killer."
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Minutes later, Jake arrived at the prison. He stared at his father through the glass, his face a mask of disappointment and shock.
"Why is he here, Dad? Is he the reason you're behind bars?" Jake asked, his voice cracking. "All this time... the illegal drugs... we thought you were a decent tycoon. It was all a lie."
Robert looked at his son coldly. "That lie gave you an elite life. It put you in the high class. Everything you have is because of those 'illegal' deals."
Jake stood frozen, the weight of his father's sins crushing him. "Then who is Felix?"
"He's not just some guy, Jake," Robert hissed. "He's a secret government agent."
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The Queen of the Auction
Across town, the atmosphere at the Grand Business Plaza was electric. Raina strode into the auction hall looking like she owned the world. She wore a sharp black pencil skirt and a crisp white silk blouse, with a tailored blazer draped over her wrist.
"This land will be ours," she whispered to her assistant. "No matter the cost."
The auctioneer started the bidding at 20 million. The room was a buzz of small increases—22, 24, 25 million.
"35 million!" Raina called out, her voice confident. The room went silent. The auctioneer was about to close the deal when a cool, melodic voice cut through the air.
"50 million."
Raina spun around, her eyes widening in fury. Gabriella was standing in the center of the aisle, looking like a total boss in a power-red business suit.
"60 million!" Raina screamed, her face turning red.
"65 million," Gabriella countered calmly, adjusting her red-tinted sunglasses.
"Ma'am, stop! That land is only worth 30 million!" Raina's assistant pleaded.
But Raina was blinded by hate. She didn't see the trap. "80 million!" she shrieked.
The room gasped. It was an insane price. Gabriella looked at Raina, slowly lowered her hand, and let out a soft, mocking laugh.
Raina stood tall, a triumphant smile on her face as the gavel fell. "I won," she hissed.
"Ma'am," her assistant whispered, looking at the tablet in his shaking hands. "She trapped you. You just spent 80 million on a plot of land that was officially declared a protected wildlife zone ten minutes ago. We can't build anything on it."
Raina's smile died. She turned to see Gabriella lowering her red glasses to the bridge of her nose, her eyes gleaming with icy satisfaction.
"My job here is done," Gabriella whispered, her voice loud enough only for Raina to hear.
As Gabriella walked out of the hall.
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The Wedding Bells
Her phone buzzed with a call from Han. "Aren't you ready yet, Gabby? We're waiting!"
Gabriella forced a smile into her voice, the kind of fake cheer she had perfected. "I got home late, don't worry! Just forward the location. I won't miss a single second of my brother's big day. How could I miss the bride and groom's shopping spree?"
Han sighed with relief. "Good. See you there."
Gabriella hung up and pulled on her outfit: a high-waisted pleated black skirt and a matching cropped blazer over a white corset top. She looked sharp, modern, and perfectly composed—the ultimate teen fashion icon. But underneath the expensive fabric, her skin felt cold.
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The Closet of Secrets
She walked down the hallway to Roselette's suite to see if her mother was ready. The room smelled of expensive French perfume and hairspray. Roselette was sitting at her vanity, meticulously applying a deep red lipstick.
"Gabby, dear, could you grab my sling bag from the closet?" Roselette asked without turning around.
Gabriella nodded and stepped into the walk-in closet. As she reached for the designer bag, her sleeve caught on a folder hidden behind a row of winter coats. It tumbled to the floor, spilling a single, yellowed document.
Gabriella knelt to pick it up, but her breath hitched. It was a Legal Adoption Decree.
Her eyes scanned the page frantically. There was her name. There was her birthday. And there was the name of the St. Jude's Orphanage. The date of the adoption was the date she has been celebrating as birthday for every year.
"Impossible," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Am I... an orphan?"
The realization hit her like a physical blow. The woman in the other room wasn't her mother.
She heard Roselette's chair scrape against the floor. "Gabby? Did you find it?"
Gabriella quickly wiped a stray tear, memorized the address of the orphanage, and shoved the paper back into the folder. She grabbed the bag and walked out, her face a mask of stone. "Here, Mom. I'll wait for you in the car."
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The Cracks in the Empire
Across the city, the atmosphere in the Royal Group HQ was toxic. Bianca slammed her hand on her mahogany desk, her eyes flashing with a rare, cold fury.
"Why did you buy that land, Raina? 80 million for a wildlife preserve?"
Raina scoffed, crossing her arms over her tailored pinstripe suit. "Do you want me to lose in front of her? I had to show Gabriella who has the real power."
Bianca leaned back in her chair, looking older than she ever had. She stood up slowly, her voice dropping to a terrifying, quiet tone. "For the first time, Raina, I feel like I made a mistake allowing you to take charge of this company. You let your ego destroy our capital."
Raina's face fell, a flicker of genuine hurt crossing her eyes. "Mom..."
But Bianca didn't look back. She walked out of the office, leaving the door swinging. Raina let out a guttural scream of frustration and hurled her luxury car keys across the room, where they shattered a glass vase against the wall.
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The high-end bridal boutique was a sea of ivory silk and sparkling lace. Janet, Han's mother, was draped in a sophisticated navy wrap dress, carefully inspecting a designer gown for Selina, the bride-to-be. Beside her, Roselette looked every bit the elegant socialite in a champagne-colored midi dress, offering advice with a graceful smile.
The Shadow in the Boutique
But in the corner of the room, Gabriella felt like a ghost. She wore a sleek black skirt and a white cropped blazer, looking sharp but feeling hollow. Her face was sulky, her eyes dark with a secret that felt like lead in her chest.
Han noticed her standing alone and stepped away from the wedding chaos. "Gabriella? Why the long face? You're standing here like you're at a funeral, not a wedding shop."
Gabriella forced a small, tight smile. "It's nothing, Han." She looked across the room at Roselette, who was laughing and holding up a veil. "Han... what if everything around us is a lie? The people, the history... everything?"
Han's eyes narrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Gabriella quickly masked her pain with a hollow laugh. "Don't worry. I just read a line in a novel that stuck with me."
"You? Reading a novel?" Han raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you have that habit?"
"Since now," Gabriella whispered, her gaze returning to Roselette. Why aren't I your biological daughter, Mom? she thought, the betrayal stinging more than any physical wound.
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Date Night: Amusement & Alibis
The night air at the amusement park was filled with the scent of popcorn and the distant screams of thrill-seekers. Gabriella sat on a wooden bench, wearing a pair of relaxed cargo pants and a loose graphic top, her hair tied back in a messy but stylish knot.
She scanned the crowd, waiting for Felix. For a split second, she thought she saw Ajax slipping through the shadows near the Ferris wheel. Before she could follow him, a warm hand tapped her shoulder.
She spun around to find Felix. He looked effortlessly handsome in a casual red T-shirt and dark denim pants.
"Sorry I'm late," he said, his voice a bit raspy. "Work ran over."
Gabriella noticed the fatigue in his eyes. "You look exhausted, Felix. We can skip this date if you want."
"No," Felix said, his tone turning serious and firm. "Every single date is important." He stepped closer, a smirk playing on his lips. "We work all day, sure. We get tired. But I won't let that ruin even a tiny happy moment of ours."
He looked at her with an intensity that made her breath hitch. Before he could lean in, Gabriella started walking toward the rides. "Why the park, Felix? I'm not a kid."
"Aunt Fiona said you loved it here," Felix teased, catching up to her.
"Maybe when I was ten," she muttered, but Felix just laughed and dragged her toward the Roller Coaster.
At first, Gabriella pretended to be bored, but by the second drop, she was screaming and laughing. By the time they got off, she was the one dragging him back to the entrance. "One more time!" she cheered.
Felix scoffed, shaking his head. "Liar. You love it."
After three more rides, they walked along the boardwalk, sharing a large bucket of popcorn. The neon lights reflected in the puddles on the ground, creating a kaleidoscope of colors.
"I haven't been here since college," Felix admitted.
"Me too," Gabriella said. "First year..." She stopped abruptly. She remembered coming here with Jake. The memory felt like a dusty relic of a past life. Her mind drifted back to the adoption document—the cold, hard truth that she didn't belong to the World she is living.
She stopped walking and looked at him, her voice trembling. "Felix... do you still love me? No matter who I am? Even if I'm not who the world thinks I am?"
Felix stopped, the playful look vanishing from his face. He looked at her with a deep, soulful gaze. "Yes. I know exactly who you are... Andria."
Gabriella froze. Her heart stopped. Andria. "How... how do you know that name?"
Felix leaned in, his face inches from hers. He winked, his thumb slowly brushing against her lower lip. "Do you really think I was going to marry you blindly, Gabriella?"
He smirked, his hand sliding around her waist to pull her flush against his chest. Gabriella's heart raced against her ribs.
"Whoever you are, it doesn't matter to me," he whispered against her lips. "You. Only you."
He kissed her gently, a soft, lingering promise in the middle of the crowded park. Gabriella inhaled sharply, melting into him, the world around them disappearing into the hum of the machines.
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To be Continued.....
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