جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 130

The city lights blurred through the rain-streaked windows of the taxi as Daniella sat in the back seat, her heart pounding like a war drum in her chest. The USB drive from Julian felt like a live grenade in her pocket, its weight a constant reminder of the dangerous game she was playing. She had slipped out of the office after telling Christian she had a late meeting, her voice steady even as guilt twisted in her stomach. The man she loved was fighting for his life, trusting her completely, and here she was spying on Angela without him knowing. The betrayal of her own secrecy felt like a knife in her heart, but the videos on that drive had left her no choice. She had to see the truth for herself.Angela’s black luxury car with completely tinted windows pulled out of the Harper Global parking garage, its taillights glowing like red eyes in the rain. Daniella leaned forward, her voice low and urgent. “Follow that car. Stay back, but don’t lose it.”The driver nodded, merging into traff

The rain had softened to a gentle mist by the time Daniella’s taxi pulled up to the Harper mansion, but the knot of dread in her stomach only twisted tighter with every passing second. The massive iron gates glided open with a low, metallic hum, swallowing her into the world of wealth and secrets. She sat motionless in the back seat for a long moment after the car stopped, staring at the golden glow spilling from the mansion’s windows. From the outside, it looked like a sanctuary warm, safe, timeless. Inside, she knew the truth: she was bringing a storm with her.She paid the driver with numb fingers and stepped out into the chilly night air. The damp breeze clung to her hair and coat as she walked toward the grand entrance, each step heavier than the last. Her phone burned like a live coal in her pocket the voice recording from the restaurant hidden inside it, every damning word from Angela, Sophia, and the scarred stranger still echoing in her mind.The butler opened the door befo

Christian stood motionless in the middle of the garden, the phone still pressed to his ear long after the call had ended. The fairy lights overhead swayed gently in the evening breeze, their warm glow powerless against the sudden, suffocating heaviness that had fallen over them.Daniella stared at him, her heart tightening with unease. His face had gone completely expressionless—a blank mask that frightened her far more than any outburst of anger ever could.“…Christian?” she whispered.He slowly lowered the phone and met her gaze. “Angela disappeared.”For a few stunned seconds, Daniella could only blink, the words refusing to settle. “What do you mean… disappeared?”“My security team went to bring her in for questioning,” he said, his voice flat. “They got there too late.” He dragged a hand through his hair, frustration radiating from every rigid line of his body. “Her apartment was empty. No luggage. No phone. No laptop. No documents. Nothing.”Daniella frowned, searching his face.

Daniella remained frozen behind her office desk long after the call ended, her fingers still wrapped tightly around the receiver. The silence that followed felt louder than the man’s voice had ever been. She slowly placed the phone back onto its cradle, her heartbeat thundering so violently she could hear it echoing in her ears.“I know you were at Le Noir.”Only one sentence. No threats. No shouting. No demands. Just a simple statement. Somehow, that frightened her more than anything else. Whoever the man was, he hadn’t called to scare her. He had called to let her know she was being watched.She stood up abruptly and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. From twenty-eight floors above the streets, everything below looked deceptively ordinary—cars crawling through traffic, people hurrying along the sidewalks. Nothing suggested that someone could be watching her every move. Yet the feeling clung to her like a shadow.A soft knock interrupte

Sleep never came easily that night. Daniella lay awake beside Christian, staring at the ceiling while his arm rested comfortably around her waist. His breathing was slow and even, completely unaware of the battle raging inside her mind.Tomorrow. Seven o’clock. Come alone.The mysterious waitress’s words replayed over and over inside her head. She hated lying to Christian. She hated it even more because she knew exactly what he would say if she told him: You’re not going alone. And if he came… the waitress would disappear forever.Daniella carefully slipped out of bed without waking him. She walked barefoot toward the balcony, wrapping her robe tightly around herself as the cool night breeze brushed against her skin. The Harper mansion slept peacefully beneath the moonlight. For a few moments she allowed herself to breathe. To think.Angela. Sophia. Julian. The mysterious man. Now the waitress. Every answer only seemed to create three more questions.A pair of warm hands suddenly wrap