Chapter Two

The First Strike

Selina didn’t cry.

Not that night. Not the next morning either.

Instead, she sat in the quiet hotel room, staring at her phone while the world outside prepared for a wedding that would never happen.

Guests were arriving. Her relatives were probably asking questions. Her parents had already called twelve times.

She ignored every call.

The only thing running through her mind was Jason’s face when he begged her not to cancel the wedding.

Embarrassing.

The word echoed in her head again.

Her fingers tightened around the phone.

“Embarrassing?” she whispered coldly.

If Jason thought being caught cheating was embarrassing, he had no idea what humiliation really looked like.

Selina opened her contacts.

She scrolled down until she found the name she was looking for.

Mark.

Lila’s boyfriend.

Her lips curved slowly.

If Lila wanted to play games, Selina would make sure she lost badly.

She tapped the number.

It rang twice.

Then Mark answered.

“Selina?” he said, surprised. “Hey. Aren’t you supposed to be getting married today?”

Selina leaned back against the couch.

“Plans changed.”

He laughed lightly.

“Yeah, I heard something happened at the rehearsal dinner. Lila wouldn’t tell me what it was.”

Selina’s eyes darkened.

“Of course she didn’t.”

“So what’s going on?” he asked.

Selina crossed her legs slowly.

“I need a favor.”

Mark hesitated.

“What kind of favor?”

Selina’s voice turned soft.

“Come meet me.”

A pause.

“Where?”

Selina glanced around the luxurious hotel room.

“Suite 1408.”

Another pause.

Then Mark chuckled.

“Is this a prank?”

“No.”

Her tone was calm.

Serious.

“I just want to talk.”

Mark sounded uncertain.

“Does Jason know about this?”

Selina’s smile turned colder.

“Oh,” she said quietly, “he will.”

Thirty minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

Selina opened it slowly.

Mark stood there looking confused.

“Okay,” he said, stepping inside. “This is weird.”

Selina closed the door behind him.

Mark glanced around the room.

“Why are you still here?” he asked. “Shouldn’t you be at your wedding?”

Selina leaned against the table.

“The wedding is canceled.”

Mark blinked.

“What?”

“Jason cheated on me.”

Mark frowned.

“Wait… what?”

Selina looked straight at him.

“With Lila.”

The words hung in the air like a bomb.

Mark’s face changed instantly.

“That’s not funny.”

Selina said nothing.

Mark’s jaw tightened.

“You’re lying.”

Selina picked up her phone.

Then she showed him the photo she had taken the night before.

Jason and Lila.

Kissing.

Mark stared at the screen.

His face went pale.

“You’re joking…” he whispered.

Selina put the phone down.

“I wish I was.”

Mark ran his hand through his hair.

“That… that doesn’t make sense.”

Selina laughed bitterly.

“Oh it makes perfect sense.”

Mark paced the room.

“That explains why she wouldn’t answer my calls last night.”

Selina watched him quietly.

“You deserve better than her,” she said softly.

Mark stopped walking.

“You deserve better than Jason too.”

Selina stepped closer.

“Exactly.”

The room suddenly felt smaller.

More intense.

Mark looked at her.

“You didn’t call me here just to tell me that, did you?”

Selina shook her head slowly.

“No.”

Mark narrowed his eyes.

“Then why did you call me?”

Selina stepped even closer.

Close enough to smell his cologne.

“Because,” she said calmly, “I want revenge.”

Mark frowned.

“What kind of revenge?”

Selina leaned closer to his ear.

“The kind that hurts.”

Mark swallowed.

“You’re serious.”

Selina looked directly into his eyes.

“Completely.”

Mark studied her face carefully.

“You want to get back at them.”

“Yes.”

“And you want me involved.”

Selina nodded.

Mark let out a low whistle.

“Damn.”

Silence filled the room for a moment.

Then Mark said slowly,

“You know… I should probably say no.”

Selina tilted her head.

“But you won’t.”

Mark raised an eyebrow.

“Why not?”

Selina smiled slightly.

“Because she humiliated you too.”

Mark looked away.

His jaw clenched.

Selina stepped closer.

“One night,” she said softly.

Mark looked back at her.

“What?”

Selina held up her phone.

“I record it.”

Mark’s eyes widened slightly.

“And send it to Lila.”

The idea hung heavily in the air.

Mark stared at her.

“That’s insane.”

Selina’s voice remained calm.

“Is it?”

Mark laughed nervously.

“You want to destroy her.”

Selina’s eyes were ice cold.

“She destroyed my wedding.”

Mark thought about it for a long moment.

Then he slowly said,

“You’re dangerous.”

Selina didn’t deny it.

“So,” she asked quietly, “are you in?”

Mark hesitated.

Then finally…

He smirked.

“Yeah.”

Selina lifted her phone.

“Perfect.”

That night, Lila’s phone buzzed.

She opened the message casually.

Then her smile vanished.

The video played automatically.

Selina.

And Mark.

Together.

Lila’s scream echoed through her apartment.

Across the city, Selina sat quietly on the edge of her bed, watching her phone.

Right on time.

Her screen lit up.

Lila Calling.

Selina let it ring.

And ring.

And ring.

Finally, she answered.

Lila’s furious voice exploded through the phone.

“You bitch!”

Selina smiled calmly.

“Hello, Lila.”

“How could you do that?!”

Selina leaned back comfortably.

“Oh,” she said sweetly, “I thought we were sharing.”

“You slept with my boyfriend!”

Selina laughed softly.

“And you slept with my fiancé.”

Silence.

Heavy.

Dangerous silence.

Then Selina added one more sentence.

“Oh, and Lila?”

“What?!”

Selina’s voice turned icy.

“This is just the beginning.”

She hung up.

Across the room, her suitcase sat open on the bed.

Inside it was a passport.

And a plane ticket.

Destination:

London.

Because revenge wasn’t finished yet.

Her next target was waiting.

Jason’s older brother.

The one who had never met her before.

Selina smiled slowly.