Chapter 81

Chapter 81
Chapter81

That afternoon, the air was stale.
In the middle of the deserted streets of an abandoned industrial estate, an old metal door was half-hidden behind a grove of bushes.

That's where Nuno Gract was hiding — the man who had been a shadow in cyberspace, hacking, manipulating, spreading lies from behind a screen.

Elena got out of her black car.
Behind her, Nathan followed, his face tense, jaw hardened.

Two plainclothes policemen were also standing by, their jackets slightly open, revealing weapons at their waists.

"This is the place," Nathan whispered, pointing to the door.

Elena gave a small nod, her eyes as sharp as daggers. Silently, they approached, footsteps muffled by the dusty ground.

One of the policemen signaled a countdown.

Three... Two... One.

BRUKK!

The door was forced open. The sound of metal creaking echoed.

The dark room was immediately ambushed by flashlights. Thin smoke billowed — the smell of dampness and burning wires was overwhelming.

In the corner, Nuno Gract was stunned. The skinny man in the shabby hoodie staggered to his feet, one hand still holding the half-open laptop.

Nathan didn't wait for a signal.
In an instant, he lunged, grabbed Nuno by the collar, and roughly choked him.

"You son of a bitch! You think you can mess with my woman?" Nathan shouted, his eyes burning red.

The police rushed to intervene.
"Hey, hey! Mr. Nathan! Don't get emotional! We need him to talk, not die silly!" snapped one of the cops.

Breathless, Nathan finally released his chokehold. Nuno coughed loudly, clutching his neck.

"Who told you to!" cried Elena, her voice cold and piercing.

Nuno raised his face slowly. His eyes were wide, but calculating. He knew that if he lied, his own life might be at stake.

"I... I was just paid!" he stammered.

"Who?!" Nathan snapped, taking another step forward.

The police held Nathan's shoulders. "Calm down. Let him answer."

Nuno swallowed. His hand trembled as he pointed at Elena. No, not Elena — at the cell phone in Elena's hand.

"All... all the instructions are from someone who... claims to be Damian Lancaster's wife."

Elena squinted sharply.
"Isabella?"

Nuno nodded quickly. "Yes! Isabella! She paid me! All the fake accounts, manipulated videos, fake news about you are all from her!" Nuno replied fearfully.

For a moment, a heavy silence hung.

Then, Elena chuckled softly.
A bitter laugh that made the hairs stand up.

"Very good," she murmured, her voice husky from being too quiet. "Well done, Isabella. You think I'll fall for your petty games?"

The police immediately cuffed Nuno's hands.

"In the name of the law, you are under arrest for further questioning," one of them said firmly.

Nuno surrendered, his face deathly pale. As the police led Nuno out, Nathan turned to Elena.

"What are you going to do next?" he asked quietly, his voice still filled with suppressed anger.

Elena shoved her phone into her pocket, her lips curving into a sly smile. It was a smile Nathan had never seen before — sharp, calculating.

"I'll pretend I don't know anything," Elena replied lightly. "Let them think their plan is working."

Nathan frowned. "Are you sure?"

Elena nodded slowly.
"I'll break Isabella down slowly. Cleverly. Without the need to touch her directly." She turned, walking slowly towards the car.

Nathan caught up with Elena. "Where to start?"

Elena opened the car door, then turned her head with flashing eyes.

"From Nuno's place," she whispered.
"If Isabella thinks all the evidence is secured, she'll let her guard down. We'll trap her with evidence that we reverse-engineer."

Nathan nodded slowly, beginning to understand her train of thought.

"And when she gets the upper hand..." Elena continued, "I'll pull the rug out from under her feet. Until she falls really hard."

Nathan smiled a small, admiring smile.
"Cool! I'll follow your plan," he murmured softly.

Elena smiled slightly, her eyes gazing up at the reddening twilight sky.

"This world is no place for fools, Nathan. And I'm not one to be defeated easily," she said in a voice that was very calm, yet contained a burning threat.

Meanwhile, in the distance, a man wearing dark glasses watched them from behind a car window. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. He picked up the cell phone, dialing a quick number.

"Boss, we have a problem. Elena is moving faster than expected," he whispered.

The voice on the other side sounded angry.
"Keep monitoring. Make no mistake."

The call was disconnected.

The man stared at Elena from a distance, then stepped on the gas pedal, disappearing into the shadows of the night.

It turned out that besides Isabella, there was also someone who wanted to destroy Elena.

The Lancaster Group headquarters seemed busier than usual. On the highest floor, the executive boardroom had been sterilized. There were only two people in it.

Damian sat at the end of a long table, his left hand busy flipping through files, while his right clutched a coffee cup whose contents were already cold. There was a knock on the door, then it opened.

Isabella stepped in, looking stunning in an elegant white suit. Her face was as usual: full of confidence, full of intrigue.

"You called me, Damian?" she asked sweetly, her voice like poisoned syrup.

Damian nodded without a smile.
"Come in. Sit down."

Isabella stepped over, sitting gracefully in the chair opposite him. Her eyes looked questioningly at Damian.

"I have some important news," Damian said finally. "I've done Alva's DNA test."

Isabella's eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly controlled her expression.
"So fast? And the results?"

Damian smiled slightly.
"Not out yet. But I'm confident. If the results are positive, I can file for custody of Alva."

Isabella nodded.
"Good," she said, trying to sound sincere. "You deserve that custody. Elena is no longer fit to be a mother."

Damian squinted, observing Isabella's gesture. There was something that felt too sweet to be honest.

"Of course," she replied flatly. "I need Alva. For the future and for the power in this company."

Isabella crossed her legs, her fingers playing with the handle of the coffee cup.
"Then I'll help you completely," she said.

Damian just nodded slowly, as if accepting. But in his heart, he remained wary. He knew Isabella always had her own agenda.

Somewhere hidden on the outskirts of the city, someone sat in front of a wall full of monitor screens.
Images of Elena, even Damian, reflected in his sharp eyes.

The man was wearing a dark hoodie. His face was partially covered, but the look in his eyes showed one thing: hatred. He was typing fast, opening some secret files, copying documents, organizing strategies.

"Isabella thinks she's the smartest," he muttered. "Damian is busy fighting over the child. Meanwhile, I'm going to break Elena."

The man's hand paused.
He held up an old photograph — a picture of Elena when she was young, innocent.

"All will be broken. Including you, Elena," he whispered coldly.

Who was he?

I don't know.

But one thing is certain: he is no ally, even more dangerous than Isabella.

Back at the Lancaster Group, Isabella fixed Damian with a piercing gaze.

"Are you sure we don't need to find a back way too?" she asked, her voice a half-whisper.

Damian raised an eyebrow. "You mean?"

Isabella smiled faintly, meaningfully. "There are many ways to win a battle, Damian. Sometimes... a little 'leak' to the media about Elena's past can speed things up."

Damian held his breath for a moment.
Part of him was tempted. But another part realized that if he was too brutal, he would lose sympathy in court.

"Let's do this clean," he said finally.

Isabella snorted softly. "As you wish. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Damian did not answer. He turned his face to the large window, gazing out at the city that was beginning to take on the orange hues of dusk.

Deep in
his heart, there was a restlessness that he could not ignore. It was as if... a great storm was approaching, and he didn't know if he would still be standing when it was all over.