Alden sat in his study, his fingers drumming rhythmically against the polished wooden desk. His expression was unreadable, but his thoughts were turbulent. The events of the past few days had left a bitter taste in his mouth. Kara had crossed the line, and it was time she understood the gravity of her actions.
He picked up his phone and dialed her number. It rang once, twice, and then went to voicemail.
Alden sighed in frustration. He wasn't the type to chase after anyone—not even his own daughter. With a determined expression, he called for one of his attendants.
"Tell Kara to come to my study immediately," he instructed.
"Yes, sir," the attendant said with a slight bow before hurrying off.
Minutes later, the young man returned, his face hesitant. "Sir, Miss Kara said she's busy and doesn't have time for a lecture."
Alden's jaw tightened. Kara was testing his patience. He rose from his chair, smoothing out the creases in his suit, and walked toward the grand staircase. If she refused to come to him, he would go to her.
As he reached her room, he found the door slightly ajar. He pushed it open without knocking. Kara was lounging on her bed, scrolling through her phone with her earphones in, deliberately ignoring his presence.
"Kara," he said sternly.
She didn't even look up.
"Kara." His voice was sharper this time.
She let out an exaggerated sigh and removed one earphone. "What now, Father? If you're here to give me another lecture, save it. I already know what you're going to say."
Alden crossed the room with slow, deliberate steps. "Oh? Enlighten me, then. What exactly do you think I'm going to say?"
Kara smirked, swinging her legs off the bed. "That I messed up. That I should apologize to Aiden and Harrison. That I need to stop acting out and behave like the daughter of Alden Blackwell. Did I miss anything?"
Alden watched her carefully, noting the defiance in her eyes. He had always known Kara to be headstrong, but this wasn't just stubbornness—this was her way of rebelling.
"You missed one thing," he said coolly.
"Oh?" She arched a brow.
"You need to understand that your actions have consequences, and you don't get to walk away from this without accountability."
Kara rolled her eyes. "Consequences? Please. What are you going to do, cut me off? Take away my credit cards? Lock me in my room like a child?"
Alden's lips pressed into a thin line. "Do you honestly think this is about money?"
She scoffed. "Isn't everything in this house about money and power?"
Alden exhaled slowly, reigning in his temper. "You are playing a dangerous game, Kara. You don't just risk hurting Aiden and Harrison—you're putting yourself in harm's way. Do you think I don't know about the people you've been associating with?"
Kara's expression faltered slightly, but she quickly masked it. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Alden leaned in, his voice low and firm. "Then let me spell it out for you. I know about your meetings, the alliances you're trying to form behind my back. You're not as discreet as you think you are."
For the first time, uncertainty flickered in Kara's eyes. She shifted uncomfortably but forced herself to keep a composed front. "You're being paranoid."
Alden straightened, looking down at her with disappointment. "You forget, Kara, that I built this empire by staying five steps ahead of everyone. Did you really think I wouldn't notice my own daughter plotting behind my back?"
Kara's hands curled into fists. "I'm not a child, Father. I can make my own decisions."
Alden's eyes darkened. "Then start making better ones."
A heavy silence fell between them. Kara wanted to lash out, to tell him he was wrong, that she had everything under control—but a part of her knew he was right. She had pushed too far, and now the walls were closing in.
Alden sighed, running a hand over his temple. "I'm giving you one chance, Kara. Fix this mess before it's too late. Because if you don't, I won't be the one cleaning it up for you."
Kara swallowed, her bravado slipping just a little. "And if I don't?"
Alden's expression hardened. "Then you'll have to face what's coming on your own."
Without another word, he turned and left the room, leaving Kara sitting on the edge of her bed, her mind racing.
For the first time in a long time, she felt something she hadn't felt before—fear.
Kara sat frozen on the edge of her bed, her father's words echoing in her mind.
"Then you'll have to face what's coming on your own."
Alden Blackwell had always been a man of control and precision. He rarely made empty threats. If he said she'd have to deal with the consequences alone, he meant it.
Her grip on her phone tightened as a sinking feeling settled in her stomach. What if she really had pushed too far this time?
But then, she shook her head, pushing the thought away.
"No. He's just trying to scare me. He always does this. He thinks he can control me just like he controls everything else."
With a deep breath, she forced herself to stay composed. She wouldn't let him see her crack.
Just as she was about to put her earphones back in, her phone vibrated in her hand. A message popped up on the screen.
Unknown Number: You're playing a dangerous game, sweetheart. Be careful where you step.
Kara's breath hitched.
She sat up straight, reading the message over and over again.
"Who the hell is this?" she thought, quickly typing a response.
Kara: Who is this?
No reply.
She stared at the screen, her pulse quickening. The message wasn't from her father—he wouldn't resort to anonymous threats. No, this was someone else.
Someone who knew exactly what she was up to.
A knock on her door made her flinch.
"Miss Kara," came the hesitant voice of one of the house attendants. "Your father is leaving for an important meeting. He said to remind you that you're expected at the family dinner tonight."
Kara clenched her jaw.
Family dinners were never just about food. They were strategic meetings disguised as casual gatherings—where her father sized everyone up, measured their loyalty, and dictated the unspoken rules of the Blackwell dynasty.
She hated them.
"Tell him I'll think about it," she said coldly.
The attendant hesitated. "He said it wasn't a request."
Kara rolled her eyes. "Of course, he did."
She heard the attendant's footsteps fade down the hallway as she stared at her phone again.
She knew she had to be careful now. If her father was already watching her movements, and someone else had noticed too, then she wasn't just walking a fine line—she was running straight into the fire.
Still, she wasn't about to back down.
Kara Blackwell had never been one to play by the rules.