"When I have money, I''ll buy a big house, and we''ll all live there together."


    She was painting Ca an impossible dream.


    "Would you really want to live with your mother?" Ca asked, voice tinged with disbelief.


    "Of course—if you can get rid of Isadora first."


    Ca had raised Isadora for years. She knew all her daughter''s weaknesses.


    A flicker of cold determination crossed her eyes. "Don''t worry. I''ll take care of her quietly. She won''t even see iting."


    *


    The next morning, Isadora arrived at her office. A knock sounded at the door.


    "Ms. Vaughan, the midyear summary meeting for Metropolitan Mall needs your participation," her assistant announced.


    Metropolitan Mall was a joint venture between the Vaughan family and the Wainwrights-an old project Richard had once convinced Magnus Wainwright to invest in.


    These minor mall meetings were rarely important enough for Magnus to attend.


    After a moment''s thought, Isadora replied, "I''ll join the meeting online."


    A few minutester, she logged into the conference call. The mall''s general manager had just finished his year-end report when, suddenly, some movement came through the speaker.


    "Mr. Wainwright, what brings you here?" someone asked in surprise.


    Magnus had just entered the conference room. He scanned the table, searching for Isadora, but she was nowhere to be seen. Disappointment clouded his face. "I''m just here to listen in. Please, continue," Magnus said quietly, taking a seat.


    Isadora froze at the sound of his voice.


    As the meeting wound down, the manager addressed her, "Ms. Vaughan, are you satisfied with this year''s revenue n, or do you have any suggestions?"


    "Everything seems fine," Isadora replied, thoughtful for a moment. "From now on, the Vaughan Group will be withdrawing from all operations at Metropolitan Mall. This year''s dividends will go exclusively to Wainwright Holdings."


    With that, she ended the call.


    Back in the meeting room, Magnus stared at his phone, the empty silence deepening the gloom in his eyes. He let out a bitterugh.


    She was really cutting him off-leaving nothing behind, not even a thread of connection.


    For the first time, Magnus truly understood: Isadora was gone. She wasn''t bluffing, wasn''t ying games, wasn''t trying to make him chase her.


    She simply didn''t love him anymore.


    Every time he thought about it, the silence and suffocating darkness threatened to swallow him whole.


    He had tried to run from it. Yet when he heard Isadora might attend the Metropolitan Mall meeting, he couldn''t help himself—he had toe, just for a glimpse, just to hear her voice, even if she was rejecting him.


    And when he heard her speak, even those cold words made his heart, long turned to ashes, flicker with life again.


    He wanted to see her. The thought took hold. Magnus stood up and strode out of the conference room.


    *


    Isadora had a full day of work and left the officete. She made her way to the underground parking garage.


    Without warning, the entire garage was plunged into darkness.


    Isadora frowned, a chill creeping up her spine. She hurriedly pressed her car key -her car''s lights blinked red in the distance.


    Suddenly, heavy, hurried footsteps echoed behind her-sharp and jarring in the empty parking lot.


    Isadora''s heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, she turned, but before she could fully face the threat, a shadow shed before her eyes.


    A split secondter, a wooden club swung through the air and struck her head with brutal force.


    Isadora crumpled to the ground, unconscious.


    Ca tossed the club aside. Her eyes, cold and predatory, glittered with malice as


    she stared down at Isadora. A cruel smile curled on her lips.


    Then, grabbing Isadora under the arms, Ca began dragging her slowly toward the shadowy stairwell.