Chapter 3 - A POISONED GIFT
Julian did not reach for his phone.
He stood looking at the black USB drive sitting on the desk.
"Julian, did you hear me?!" Victoria screamed, her composure entirely shattered.
"If she leaks those files, the stock market opens in eight hours!"
"Our shares will plummet to zero!"
"We will be ruined!"
Isabella sank into an armchair, her mind spinning uncontrollably.
"She looks exactly like me," Isabella whispered to herself.
"She has my face..."
"She has nothing!" Victoria barked.
"She is a pest from the gutter!"
"Julian, do what I told you!"
Julian walked over to the desk and picked up the USB drive.
"If she dies tonight, Mother, we become the primary suspects," Julian said coldly.
"The entire city saw her confront us in the ballroom."
"There were hundreds of live streams running."
"The video of Isabella slapping her is already trending number one worldwide."
Isabella pulled out her phone with trembling hands.
The headlines were terrifying.
Vance Heiress Assaults Secret Twin Sister at Birthday Gala!
The Dark Secret of the Vance Dynasty Exposed!
Isabella Vance: The Monster in Couture?
"Delete them!" Isabella screamed, throwing her phone against the wall.
It shattered into pieces.
"Make them delete those videos!"
"It's too late for that," Julian said, slipping the USB drive into his pocket.
Suddenly, Victoria's phone began to ring furiously.
It was the Board of Directors.
Then Julian's phone rang.
It was the company's chief legal adviser.
The legal storm had arrived far faster than they anticipated.
Meanwhile, Seraphina walked down the long, dark driveway of the Vance estate.
The rain began to pour heavy drops onto the pavement.
She didn't run for cover.
A sleek black sedan pulled up quietly beside her.
The window rolled down.
A man with sharp, cold features looked out at her.
"Did you achieve what you wanted?" the man asked.
Seraphina opened the door and climbed into the dry passenger seat.
"This is only the beginning, Marcus," she said, leaning her head back against the leather seat.
"They are panicked."
"Panic makes people make mistakes."
Marcus handed her a dry towel and a small medical kit.
"Your face is bleeding."
"Let it bleed," Seraphina said, looking into the side mirror.
"This scar will remind me of what I am here to do."
Marcus started the engine and drove into the dark night.
"The board members are already calling an emergency meeting for 6 AM," Marcus reported.
"Two major investors have pulled their funding within the last twenty minutes."
Seraphina looked out the window at the flashing city lights.
"Good."
"Tomorrow, we trigger the second phase."
Back at the Vance estate, Isabella walked into her bedroom.
Her massive room, filled with luxury, now felt like a prison.
She walked over to her full-length mirror.
She stared at her own face.
Then she remembered the thin line of blood on Seraphina's cheek.
She raised her hand and touched her own cheek.
A terrifying thought crossed her mind.
What if Seraphina wasn't just here to ruin her?
What if Seraphina was here to replace her?
Suddenly, Isabella's computer screen on her desk lit up by itself.
May you like
A single message appeared on the dark monitor.
Check under your pillow, sister.
