Chapter 6
Chapter 6
“Welcome, Miss Aliana.”
As soon as she stepped into the pavilion, a middle–aged maid greeted her with a respectful bow.
“I’ll take you to your room.”
Aliana simply gave a short nod and followed the maid up a small staircase to a second–floor bedroom. The room was spacious and comfortable, with large windows overlooking the garden. But there was no warmth in the space–only cold emptiness, much like the man who had ordered her to stay here.
Once the maid left, Elena, who had been walking behind Aliana, could no longer contain her emotions. Now that they were alone, she burst out in frustration.
“This is outrageous! You’re Mr. Andrian’s wife, and yet he puts you out here in a pavilion instead of letting you stay in the main house- let alone sharing a room with him!”
Aliana turned and shot her a sharp look.
Calm down, Elena,” Aliana said quietly but warningly. “There are many servants here. Any of them could be Andrian’s spies. Never lose control, no matter how angry or frustrated you are.”
Elena fell silent, her face flushing with embarrassment.
“I’m sorry, Miss. I… I couldn’t help myself.”
“Careless words could put both of us in danger. We don’t know who’s listening.” Aliana’s voice was ice.
Elena nodded quickly, guilt washing over her.
“I’ll be more careful. Thank you for reminding me.”
Aliana said nothing more. She walked toward the large bed in the center of the room–but stopped when she saw something lying on it: a red envelope.
Her brows furrowed. She picked up the envelope; the paper was thick and expensive. With a controlled motion, she broke the seal.
Inside was not a letter–but a stack of photographs.
As the top photo slid into view, Aliana’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened–not just in shock, but in painful recognition. There, captured under the cruel flash of a camera, was Alicia.
For a moment, Aliana felt her blood freeze–only for it to boil with pure fury.
These were no ordinary photos. Alicia’s clothes were torn. Her once flawless skin was battered with bruises. But it was her eyes–empty, unfocused, hollow–that tore Aliana apart.
A memory flashed: Alicia’s laughter when they met secretly in the garden years ago, her glowing face as she spoke of her dreams. Now those memories felt poisoned–destroyed by the brutal reality in her hands.
Aliana’s fists clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, her knuckles going white
This wasn’t just another insult.
This was a declaration of war.
“Who did this?” she whispered, her voice trembling with restrained hatred.
Behind her. Elena gasped as she saw the photographs. Tears streamed down her cheeks
“Miss Alicia” she whispered, voice cracking
Aliana said the photos back into the envelope, her eyes burning with resolve. There was no naime, no note. But the fact that someone had the audacity to place this envelope in her new room proved the perpetrator held power in this house.
Blanca, perhaps. Or Andrian himself. Maybe another member of the Velor family.
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Chapter 6
But whoever it was, Aliana vowed she would find the person who had violated her sister–and they would pay for what they’d done.
“Elena,” she called, her tone sharp and cold.
“Yes, Miss?” Elena replied, though her eyes were still wet with tears.
“From now on, trust no one in this house. Speak only when necessary. Watch everyone closely.”
“Y–yes, Miss,” Elena said quickly.
Aliana’s gaze lingered on the envelope in her hand.
“I will find out who did this. And they will pay for what they did to Alicia–with their life.”
Two hours later.
Emotionally drained, Elena had fallen asleep in the small adjoining room connected to Aliana’s suite.
Meanwhile, Aliana sat at a writing desk, still fully alert. A desk lamp lit her face–calm, yet intensely focused. Her phone vibrated silently in her hand. A new message had arrived from Rafe.
With a swift motion, Aliana opened the message. A digital document was attached–neatly summarized. Seconds later, the phone rang.
It was Rafe.
“Rafe,” Aliana greeted quietly, careful not to wake Elena.
“I’ve gathered quite a bit about Bianca Lorraine,” Rafe replied, his voice serious.
“I sent you the summary, but I think there are some things better said directly.”
“I’m listening.”
Rafe took a deep breath.
ང ར ན ན ར ། ས ་ ། ། ང་ ནས ནང་
“Bianca Lorraine is the Vice CEO of Titan Group. She’s been working for the Velor family for nearly five years. She’s known to be ambitious, intelligent, and unafraid to take risks.”
“How close is she to Andrian?” Aliana asked, eyes narrowing.
“Very,” Rafe replied carefully. “They’ve had a personal relationship. But it was never approved by the late Lucian Velor, Mr. Andrian’s father. Lucian didn’t trust Bianca. He thought she was manipulative and feared she was only using Andrian.”
“What happened after Lucian’s death?”
“After Mr. Lucian passed, Bianca grew even closer to Andrian. But before his death, Lucian had made it clear–if Andrian wanted to remain CEO, he had to marry Miss Alicia. It was Lucian’s final attempt to sever Bianca’s influence over his son.”
Aliana clenched her fist on the desk.
So this marriage wasn’t just a business transaction–it was a strategic move to eliminate Bianca’s hold on Andrian.
“Bianca didn’t take it lightly,” Rafe added, as if reading Aliana’s thoughts.
“She knew this marriage was a major threat to her position.”
Aliana fell silent for a moment.
“Did you find anything linking Bianca to the attack on Alicia?”
Rafe sounded hesitant.
“No concrete evidence yet, but something suspicious did come up A few days before Miss Alicia was attacked, Bianca met with a man named Julian Crane He’s known as a ‘fixer—someone who gets paid to handle problems by any means necessary, even if that includes
Violence
“Julian Crane,” Aliana repeated the name, her voice low and cold, as if engraving it into her mind. She paused, letting Rafe’s information
sink in
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Chapter 6
“Rafe, a meeting, followed by a large transfer to an anonymous account around the same time? That’s not a coincidence. That’s a receipt.”
“I agree, Miss,” Rafe replied. “It’s not enough for court, but it’s a very clear trail.”
“I don’t need a court,” Aliana cut him off, her tone like ice.
“Keep eyes on Julian Crane. If he resurfaces, I want him secured immediately.”
“Understood, Miss. Anything else?”
“That’s all for now. But stay alert.”
“Yes, Miss,” Rafe replied before ending the call.
Aliana set her phone down and pressed her fingers to her temples.
Rafe’s findings had clarified Bianca’s potential role–but without solid proof, Aliana couldn’t make a move just yet.
She stood and slowly walked toward the large window. The night breeze slipped through the crack in the frame, cooling her skin—but doing nothing to extinguish the fire raging within her.
Aliana stared at her own reflection in the dark glass.
For years, she had been the enforcer of the Corvo family–delivering justice with cold calculation in service of power and business.
But this… this was different.
This was not business.
This was a blood debt.
“Bianca Lorraine,” Aliana whispered, eyes sharp as blades.
blade ru
“I know you’re hiding something. And I will uncover the truth–no matter how deep you try to bury it.”
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