Chapter 10 The FiRSt STRIKE

The wind that night carried a certain coldness, a reminder that the world was not the same anymore. I could feel danger breathing against my neck, even though the streets looked quiet and empty. Every moment after discovering the depth of Elianna and Ethan betrayal had changed something inside me. I was no longer the Clara who trusted too easily. I was no longer soft enough to be manipulated.

I sat by my small desk in my apartment and stared at the screen glowing in the dim light. The files I had gathered, the secret recordings, the photographs, all of them painted a truth so twisted that it could break a person. But instead of breaking, I felt myself harden. I was turning into someone new. Someone who would not let betrayal go unanswered.

My fingers tapped against the wooden table nervously. Revenge was not something I ever imagined myself planning. But this was not just about my heart getting broken. It was not only about love lost to a sister who smiled sweetly at me while stabbing me where I was most vulnerable.

It was bigger. It was dangerous.

And I was already in the middle of it.

I took a breath and scanned everything again. My eyes paused on a photo taken from a distance. Elianna with a sharply dressed man I did not recognize. Their heads close, their expressions serious. It looked nothing like lovers meeting or casual friends chatting. This was business. A dark kind.

I whispered to myself, like a vow.

"They will not take everything from me."

I closed my laptop gently and packed it into my bag. I did not want to wait any longer. Tonight would be the night I made my first official move.

I checked the mirror. My eyes looked tired, yes, but they also looked determined. There was no fear left in me, only fire. I put my hair into a ponytail, grabbed my phone, the tiny recording device, and a small camera pin I had bought earlier. It was time to step into their world, even if it terrified me.

By the time I left the building, the city lights flickered like stars fallen to the ground. My footsteps echoed against the pavement, each one a reminder that there was no turning back now.

The cafe was only a ten minute walk from my place. It was where Elianna usually met people when she did not want attention. It was expensive, sophisticated, and filled with a certain kind of clientele who acted like they had more secrets than money.

I arrived early, secured a corner table near a window where I could see without being easily seen. I placed the small camera facing the entrance, then casually pulled out a book to pretend I was just another customer passing time.

Time seemed slower than usual. I kept glancing at the clock near the bar counter. Minutes stretched like rubber bands threatening to snap. Just when I was starting to question whether tonight would actually give me anything useful, the glass door swung open.

My heart thudded.

Elianna walked in.

Tall, beautiful, confident. Every step she took looked like she owned the ground beneath her heels. How was I ever blind to the monster that lived beneath that polished surface?

She greeted the waiter with her usual bright smile, the one that captured hearts and disarmed suspicion. Then she walked gracefully to a reserved table near the back corner.

The sharply dressed man from the photo arrived less than a minute later. He sat opposite her, and I leaned in slightly, pretending to adjust the page of my book as I activated the audio recorder on my phone.

Their conversation started casually. Money. A new event. Some business names I did not recognize. But slowly their voices dropped, like they did not want anyone to hear now. I strained my ears, desperate to catch every word.

"You are running out of time," the man said with a sharp cool voice.

"I know," Elianna replied, irritation hidden beneath a sweet tone. "I just need her to break completely. Once Clara is no longer an obstacle, Ethan will fully align with us without hesitation."

My stomach twisted so hard I almost lost my breath.

So this was not just betrayal of love. It was a strategy. A planned operation to destroy me.

"I already isolated her from most of her friends," Elianna continued, swirling her drink without even blinking. "Soon, no one will believe anything she says. She will look like the desperate one, the liar, the jealous sister grasping for attention."

"Good," the man murmured. "The less credibility she has, the easier this goes."

He leaned forward and whispered something I could not catch. But the way Elianna smiled afterward made my skin crawl.

Then he mentioned a name.

A name that made my hand go cold.

"Ethan thinks this is all his idea," Elianna said with a slight laugh. "He believes he is protecting his future, his image. Poor boy. He does not realize we have been directing the game all along."

Game.

Their betrayal. My pain. All a game.

For power.

The shock hit me hard, and I had to grip the table to steady myself. This was beyond personal. They had a goal… one that needed me destroyed.

I kept recording, heart racing, mind spinning, fear slowly turning into rage.

After about twenty more minutes, they both stood. Shake of hands. Fake polite smile. Dangerous understanding.

When Elianna left, I waited two minutes before quietly packing my things and walking outside. I stayed close to the buildings, making sure she did not see me. Every step I took was calculated.

I was about to turn the corner toward the main road when a shiver ran through my body. The feeling of being watched flooded over me.

Slowly, very slowly, I turned my head.

A black tinted car sat parked near the edge of the street. The engine hummed softly. The windows did not allow me to see who was inside.

But I felt those eyes.

Watching.

Waiting.

Studying me.

The car headlights flashed once.

A warning.

My breath caught in my throat. Something deep inside told me that if I did not move now, I might never get another chance.

So I walked fast.

Faster.

Almost running.

When I reached home, I locked the door three times. The silence in my apartment was deafening but safe. My fingers trembled as I transferred the recordings and photos into multiple folders on my laptop. Then I backed them up into encrypted storage.

No one would take this evidence away from me.

Not again.

My phone buzzed suddenly. Unknown number. A single message.

You have just made your first strike.

But remember this. They always strike back harder.

I stared at the screen as fear wrapped around my throat. My hands grew cold. Whoever sent that message knew exactly what I had done tonight.

I was not just in a game.

I was now a target.

And they were already preparing their next move.