Chapter 261 The Secret About Her
Rufus was highly efficient.
The very next day, Anna, now completely changed in appearance, moved into a luxurious suite at a five-star hotel in Harmony City.
On the table lay a brand-new smartphone alongside a prepaid SIM card with no registered owner.
These would be her tools for contacting Stefan.
Rufus’s plan was straightforward: she would reach out to Stefan herself, give him a reason he could not turn down, and arrange a private meeting. The rest, Rufus would handle.
Anna spent half the day steeling herself mentally before finally picking up the phone and dialing his number.
Meanwhile, in the top-floor office of the Hensley Group, Stefan swiped through his tablet, reviewing several breathtaking design proposals for wedding venues. Each concept was more impressive than the last.
He imagined Cecilia’s eyes lighting up when she saw them, and a gentle smile formed on his lips without him realizing.
A harsh buzzing sound cut through his thoughts.
Stefan glanced at his phone, seeing an unfamiliar number on the screen. He hesitated briefly, then answered.
"Who is this?"
Silence lingered for a moment on the other end before a voice he despised spoke.
"Stefan, it’s me."
The warmth vanished from Stefan’s face instantly, replaced by cold hostility.
"Anna?" His tone was icy, dripping with undisguised contempt. "You actually managed to get my number? Life in detention must have been too comfortable for you."
"I’m out," Anna replied, ignoring the jab. "I want to see you—just the two of us."
Stefan laughed, finding the idea absurd.
"You think that’s possible? First, you hired someone to attack Amelia, then you pushed her down the stairs, and now you expect me to meet you? Anna, have you lost your mind?"
"I haven’t lost my mind," Anna said, her voice carrying a calmness that felt like she had nothing left to lose.
"I know you hate me and don’t want to see me. But I have a secret."
"A secret about Amelia. I think you’ll be very interested."
Stefan’s movements froze.
The office fell silent, and he could hear his own steady heartbeat.
A secret about Cecilia?
His first instinct was that it was a trap—an obvious and clumsy one.
If he had previously wondered whether remnants of the Clark family had helped her escape, now he was almost certain Rufus was behind it.
Anna would say anything to achieve her goals.
But Rufus, that unpredictable lunatic, never played by the rules.
Anything concerning Cecilia, Stefan could not afford even the slightest risk.
This so-called secret, whether real or fabricated, was a thorn that had to be removed.
"What secret?" Stefan’s voice deepened.
"It’s not something I can say over the phone," Anna replied, sticking to the script Rufus had given her. "We need to talk in person. Don’t worry—I just want to talk. I won’t harm you."
"How can I trust you?" Stefan’s tone was mocking. "What credibility does a liar with no integrity have?"
"Believe me or not, that’s your choice," Anna said firmly. "If you don’t come, I’ll vanish with this secret, go somewhere no one can find me. When that happens, don’t regret it."
It was a blatant threat.
Stefan’s brows furrowed.
The trap was obvious.
Rufus’s aim was to use Anna, a discarded pawn, to disgust him or drive a wedge between him and Cecilia.
Even knowing it was a trap, Stefan decided to go.
He could not allow any potential threat to Cecilia.
Moreover, this was the perfect opportunity to gain the upper hand and eliminate Anna once and for all.
"Fine," Stefan said after a moment’s thought. "Time and place."
Hearing his agreement, Anna’s breathing eased noticeably.
"Tomorrow afternoon at three, at—"
She began to name the location Rufus had arranged, but Stefan cut her off coldly.
"I’ll choose the location."
His tone left no room for negotiation, radiating absolute control.
"Tomorrow afternoon at three, the sky garden on the top floor of the Hyatt Hotel. I’ll wait for you there. That’s my territory, with surveillance everywhere and foolproof security."
He paused, his voice growing even colder.
"If you try anything, I’ll make sure you understand that life in detention was paradise compared to what comes next."
He had seized the initiative, putting all the pressure and decision back on her.
Anna hesitated on the other end. She had not expected Stefan to be so forceful.
After a long pause, she said through clenched teeth, "Fine, we’ll do it your way."
After hanging up, Stefan’s eyes were like ice.
He looked at Anna’s number on the screen and forwarded it to Garth with an instruction: "Find out who owns this number and everyone connected to her."
Almost simultaneously, at Rufus’s villa, Anna reported the change to him.
"He switched the location to the Hyatt Hotel?"
Rufus was not angry; instead, he laughed softly.
"Stefan is still as arrogant as ever," he said, pouring himself a glass of red wine. "Does he think that on his own turf, he can control everything?"
"What do we do now?" Anna asked, a hint of anxiety in her voice.
"We turn his plan against him," Rufus replied, swirling the red liquid in his glass, his eyes cold.
"If he wants to catch bait on his own turf, we’ll replace it with a predator."
A sinister smile spread across his face.
"Tomorrow, you’ll keep the appointment exactly as planned."
On the other side, Stefan sat quietly in his office for five minutes, running through every possible scenario in his mind.
He picked up the phone again and dialed Garth’s internal line.
"Mr. Hensley."
"Find out where Anna is right now. Starting at one o’clock tomorrow afternoon, clear the entire top floor of the Hyatt Hotel. Replace all security personnel with our own people, bring equipment to block all communications, and set up an ambush in the surrounding area. Make sure not even a fly could slip through."
His instructions were precise and calm, devoid of emotion.
"Yes, Mr. Hensley," Garth replied.
"Wait," Stefan added. "Don’t tell Amelia about this yet."
He did not want her involved in such dirty business.