Dawn broke cruelly, illuminating Elara's face, still deep in sleep after her physical and emotional exhaustion. David Yang had woken up earlier, watching her for a long time, his face contorted in an endless internal struggle.
As Elara slowly opened her eyes, she saw David already standing rigidly in front of the bed, his face once again an unreadable stone mask.
"David?" her voice was hoarse, still carrying traces of fragility.
David took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Elara. But I have to do this."
Before Elara could react, David quickly pulled back the blankets and guided her firmly to her feet. With practiced movements, he escorted her back to her room.
"Wait! David, what are you doing?" Elara cried, starting to panic.
David didn't answer. He pushed her gently but firmly into the room, and with a heart-piercing click, he locked the door from the outside.
"For your own safety," David said through the door, his voice trembling. "I can't take any risks. That scandal nearly broke yesterday. It took all my influence and money to bury it."
From behind the door, Elara began to struggle. "DAVID! DON'T! YOU PROMISED! YOU SAID YOU WOULD ALWAYS FIGHT FOR US!"
"THIS is me fighting for us!" David's voice rose in response. "You think I want to do this? But look what almost happened! Our reputations, your reputation, my career—everything would be destroyed!"
Elara's heart-wrenching sobs made David shut his eyes tightly, tears streaming down his cheeks. He leaned against the door, hearing every punch and scream from Elara as if they were direct blows to his soul.
"I'm doing this because I love you, Elara," he whispered weakly through the door. "Someday you'll understand."
He wiped his tears harshly, then turned to face his two loyal guards standing at attention.
"Guard her. Don't let anyone in or let her out. The media are still lurking outside. If anyone manages to get a photo of her..."
"Yes, Sir," they answered in unison.
---
Behind the locked door, Elara finally collapsed, her body slumping to the floor. Tears of pain and betrayal flowed freely. Yet, amidst the despair, she remembered—the burner phone hidden under her mattress.
Carefully, she crawled to the bed and reached for the phone. Her trembling fingers typed a short message to the only number saved: "I'm trapped. Help."
A reply came a few minutes later: "Hold on a little longer. I'm arranging something. Trust me. -K"
However, unbeknownst to Elara and Kael, their every word was being monitored.
---
In a luxurious apartment, Clara watched their conversation with a satisfied smile. She swirled the wine glass in her hand before making a call.
"Grant," she said when the connection was answered. "The fish are starting to move. Kael is getting impatient, and Elara is growing more desperate. It's time for us to give a little... nudge."
"Good," Alexander Grant's deep voice echoed on the other end. "I'll arrange a 'leak' of information suggesting that David actually looks down on Kael's foundation and only uses the charity events for publicity. That will provoke Kael's anger."
"And I," Clara added coldly, "will make sure Elara finds out that David was the one who told Grant about their past relationship, triggering all of this. Her sense of betrayal must be perfect."
"We will destroy them from within, Clara. David with his obsession, Kael with his pride and foolishness, and Elara with her weakness."
"And for me?" Clara asked meaningfully.
"You'll get Kael—or at least, victory over him. And of course, the financial compensation we agreed upon."
Clara ended the call. Her eyes, once full of love for Kael, were now filled with bitterness. Elara had taken everything from her—happiness, self-esteem, and now, her family. And for that, Elara must pay.
---
The next day, a cautious David opened the door to Elara's room. He brought breakfast, hoping to mend the situation. Instead, he was met with Elara's empty stare.
"You told Grant about me and Kael," Elara stated flatly, without a question.
David froze. "What? No. Elara, I didn't—"
"Don't lie to me anymore, David!" Elara snapped, rising from the bed. "Clara told me everything. You're the one who triggered all this! You're the one who made Grant come after us!"
"Elara, Clara is lying to you! She's working with Grant!"
"Then why did you lock me in here? If you're right, why are you treating me like a prisoner?"
Their heated argument was interrupted when David received an emergency call. His face paled as he listened to the report.
"Kael just announced on social media that his foundation is rejecting all assistance from our company. He's accusing us of using charity for money laundering."
Elara laughed bitterly. "See? Your protection is only provoking a bigger disaster. Kael is going to destroy everything now."
---
Meanwhile, at the Grant Corporation headquarters, Alexander Grant watched the chaos he had created with a satisfied smile. On his computer screen, the stock charts of David's company showed a significant decline.
"Perfect," he murmured. "By severing the ties between David and Kael's foundation, I've damaged David's reputation in the philanthropic world. The first step to completely destroying him."
Sterling, his assistant, asked, "And Clara, Sir?"
Grant winked. "She thinks she's using me for her revenge. But in the end, when the dust settles, there will be nothing left for her. She's just a tool to be disposed of someday."
---
Elsewhere, Clara received an anonymous package. Inside were photos of Kael and Elara meeting secretly a few days prior—taken from angles that made their meeting look intimate. A smile of satisfaction appeared on her lips.
She immediately sent copies to David with a short message: "They are lying to you. They have always been lying."
Soon after, her phone rang. From the other end, she heard Kael's panicked voice.
"Clara, we need to talk. I—"
"It's too late to talk, Kael," Clara interrupted coldly. "Now you will see the consequences of your betrayal."
She hung up, knowing that the seeds of destruction she and Grant had planted had begun to bear fruit. The game had just begun, and she wouldn't stop until Elara felt the same pain she did—until David and Kael were destroyed fighting over the same woman.
And amidst all this, Elara stood on the edge of the abyss, unaware that her next step would determine all of their fates. Would she remain a victim in others' games, or finally take control of her own life?