Tania slammed the door to her house, the sharp sound echoing through the cavernous space. Her chest heaved with anger as she tossed her designer bag onto the marble counter, barely registering the crash as it sent a vase toppling to the floor. She didn’t care. Nothing mattered now except the rage burning through her veins.
“Why? Why? Why must they always ruin everything!” she shrieked, pacing like a caged animal. Her perfectly manicured nails dug into her palms, leaving crescent-shaped marks on her skin.
She had been so close. So infuriatingly close to getting what she wanted. The boys-her key to control, her means to force Ella out of Ethan’s life forever-had almost been within her grasp tonight. But, as always, Ethan had intervened, throwing her plans into disarray.
“It’s always him! Always!” Tania screamed, grabbing a glass from the counter and hurling it against the wall. The shattering sound seemed to soothe her momentarily, but the fury was quick to return.
She stalked across the room to the window, her eyes narrowing as she gazed out at the city skyline. Beneath her anger lay a simmering frustration that she couldn’t shake. Ethan had divorced her because of Ella. And those children those wretched twins were the final nail in the coffin of Tania’s plans.
For years, she had played the perfect wife, using her charm and cunning to keep Ethan tied to her side. But Ella’s reappearance had undone everything. Suddenly, Ethan was questioning her motives, digging into the past she had worked so hard to bury and eventually divorcing her. And now, they want to be happy
Tania let out a bitter laugh, her voice dripping with venom. “You think you’ve won, Ella. You think you’re so clever, so untouchable. But you have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
She turned away from the window, her mind racing. She needed a new plan, something bigger and bolder than anything she’d tried before. Something that would destroy Ella and Ethan’s fragile alliance and bring the twins under her control once and for all.
“Not to worry,” Tania muttered, her lips curling into a wicked smile. “There’s always a way. There’s always a chance to get what I want.”
Her laughter filled the room, a chilling sound that echoed off the walls.
Tania’s mind was a storm of thoughts as she poured herself a glass of wine, the deep red liquid swirling in the crystal goblet. She took a sip, savoring the warmth as it slid down her throat. Wine always helped her think, and tonight, she needed all the clarity she could muster.
The problem wasn’t just Ethan or Ella. It was the boys. Leo and Liam. They were the glue holding Ethan and Ella together, the reason Ethan was so determined to protect Ella. If she could remove them from the equation, even temporarily, everything would fall apart.
Tania’s fingers tapped against the rim of her glass as an idea began to take shape. It was risky, yes, but risk had never stopped her before. She had orchestrated Ella’s “death” once; surely, she could come up with something just as effective now.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the buzz of her phone on the counter. She snatched it up, her brow furrowing as she saw the name on the screen: Fabian.
For a moment, she hesitated. Fabian had been her most reliable pawn, the assassin who had once been tasked with eliminating Ella. But now, he was a liability. His failure to kill Ella had cost her dearly, and his recent attempts to distance himself from her had only fueled her anger.
Still, he could be useful.
Tania answered the call, her voice sharp. “What do you want?”
There was a pause on the other end, and then Fabian’s deep, gravelly voice came through. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Tania. You should back off before you get burned.”
Tania laughed, the sound cold and mocking. “Is that a threat, Fabian? Because I don’t scare easily.”
“It’s not a threat,” Fabian said. “It’s a warning. Ethan’s not stupid, and neither is Ella, If you keep pushing, you’ll only make things worse for yourself.”
“Worse for myself?” Tania sneered. “You think I care about their little games? I’ve come too far to back down now. And if you’re not with me, Fabian, then you’re against me.”
There was silence on the line, and Tania could almost feel Fabian’s frustration.
“You’re on your own, Tania,” he said finally. “I already told you I’m done with you.”
The line went dead, and Tania slammed the phone down with a curse. “Coward,” she muttered, her anger bubbling over once again.
But Fabian’s words had only strengthened her resolve. If he wouldn’t help her, she would do it herself.
Tania paced the length of her apartment, the gears in her mind turning faster and faster. She didn’t need Fabian, or anyone else for that matter. She had gotten this far on her own, and she could finish it the same way.
“Who needs him? Or anyone?” she spat, her voice cutting through the silence. “I’ll get it done myself. Ethan and Ella don’t even know the half of it. They think they’ve uncovered my secrets, but they have no idea that I’m still watching. That I’ve always been watching.”
Her lips curled into a wicked smile as she thought about the surveillance she had carefully orchestrated. She had planted eyes and ears in all the right places, monitoring their every move without them knowing. Even though they were aware they were being watched now, they had no idea who was behind it.
“Oh, how naive they are,” Tania murmured, pouring herself another glass of wine. “You can’t fight an enemy you can’t see.”
Her confidence grew with every passing moment. She would use the information she had gathered to turn them against each other. She would make Ethan doubt Ella, make Ella question Ethan, and ensure that their trust crumbled to dust.
As the night stretched on, Tania sat down at her desk, pulling out a notebook filled with meticulous notes and diagrams. This wasn’t just a plan-it was a masterpiece of manipulation and deceit.
“Soon,” she whispered, her eyes gleaming with determination. “Soon, everything will be mine again.”
The thought filled her with a dark satisfaction. Ella, Ethan, the boys they wouldn’t know what hit them.