Tania couldn’t sit still, consumed by a growing sense of dread and rage. The walls of her world were closing in, and Ella seemed to be winning at every turn. Her pacing became frantic as her thoughts spiraled out of control. She gripped her hair, trying to think of her next move, but all she could feel was desperation. She couldn’t let Ella come out on top not after everything she’d done.
Grabbing her phone, Tania dialed Fabian. The line rang, but there was no answer. She cursed under her breath and tried again, but he wasn’t picking up. “Damn you, Fabian!” she hissed, slamming the phone on the table. He was supposed to be her ally, the one person who would do anything for her. But lately, he’d been distant, his loyalty seeming to waver.
Tania’s gaze shifted to the window, watching as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting an orange glow across the room. The dim light flickered against her reflection, making her look even more distorted broken. Her mind raced, calculating every possible move she could make, but nothing seemed to break through the web of failure and fear closing around her. She had always been the one pulling the strings, orchestrating everyone’s lives to her advantage. But now, the strings were slipping through her fingers, and for the first time, she felt truly powerless.
“Fabian, you coward,” she muttered. “You think you can turn your back on me now?” The memory of his last words to her stung words she’d never imagined he’d say. Fabian was supposed to be her secret weapon, the one constant in the chaotic world she had created. But Ella’s influence had reached him, too, and now he was gone, lost to her. She didn’t need him, though. Crystal would handle it.
Her fingers shook as she dialed another number. Crystal, her last resort. The one person she knew had the guts to finish the job. When Crystal picked up, Tania wasted no time.
“Ella’s is out of hididng,” Tania said, her voice edged with hysteria. “I need her dead. I don’t care how you do it, but you kill her on sight. Understand?”
Crystal hesitated for a moment. “Are you sure about this, Tania?”
“Do it!” Tania shrieked. “I don’t care what it takes. Just end her!”
Crystal sighed. “Fine. Consider it done.”
Tania hung up, her heart pounding in her chest. She had crossed another line, but there was no going back now. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes wild and desperate. “You won’t win, Ella,” she whispered. “I’ll make sure of it.”
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Ethan continued to sit in silence, his thoughts a tangled mess. The steady rhythm of Grace’s breathing was both comforting and torturous. Her fragile state was a constant reminder of how much had gone wrong in his life, not just with her, but with everything. He had been trying to hold onto control of the company, his marriage, his sanity but it was slipping away. Even now, as he looked at his daughter, the woman who had caused so much damage, Tania, was still in his mind. Why hadn’t he seen her true colors earlier?
Victor, sensing Ethan’s internal battle, leaned against the wall, arms crossed, offering silent support. He had known Ethan for years, had seen him go through the highs and lows. This was one of the worst times, but also a moment where Ethan could finally break free if he had the strength to do it.
“Ethan,” Victor started cautiously, “I know you’re trying to hold it all together, but at some point, you have to ask yourself what you’re fighting for. Is it the company? Your marriage? Your pride?”
Ethan rubbed his temples, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on him. “I thought it was all of those things… but now, I don’t know anymore. Every time I think I’ve figured something out, the ground shifts under my feet. Tania’s deception, Ella’s reappearance it’s like I’m stuck in this nightmare, and no matter what I do, it keeps getting worse.”
Victor sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Maybe it’s because you’re still playing by their rules, letting them control the narrative. Tania manipulated you, and you’re letting her keep you stuck in this fake marriage. Ella…. well, that’s a whole other story, but the point is, you’re still letting other people decide what your life should be. It’s time you make your own choices.”
Ethan swallowed hard, staring at Grace’s small, fragile hand in his. He had been clinging to the idea that he could fix everything if he just tried hard enough, but maybe Victor was right. Maybe it was time to stop trying to control the uncontrollable and start living for himself.
He turned to Victor, eyes clouded with uncertainty. “And what about Ella? You think there’s still hope for us?” ” I still love her you know”
Victor considered this for a moment. “Ella’s been through a lot. She’s strong, but she’s not invincible. She probably feels just as lost as you do, especially now that she knows Tania’s been gunning for her this whole time. But if you’re serious about her, if you still love her then it’s worth fighting for, too. You just have to show her that you’re the same man she fell in love with and married years ago.”
Ethan nodded slowly, his mind churning. It wasn’t going to be easy, but nothing worth having ever was. He would have to prove himself to Ella, to show her that despite everything, he was willing to stand by her side, to face the darkness that still loomed over them both.