Life at Hilly Enterprises was usually quiet. Computers hummed, and people worked. It was my normal. But that peace was broken by a name I hadn't heard in years: Bianca Moreau.
I didn't hear it from talking or on the TV. It came in a very clear and upsetting way: a special invite to the city's big Business Awards Party. Bianca Moreau was written as the main speaker.
My first feeling was a cold anger. I thought I had gotten over that feeling a long time ago. Why now? After all these years of quiet? Was my success bothering her? Was it a reminder of her own empty win? Or was she planning something else?
Liam, my personal assistant, saw my mood change. He had learned to tell when I was upset. My jaw would get tight, my eyes would get narrow. "Ms. Hilly? Is everything okay?" he asked. His voice was calm, like a steady rock in the storm inside me.
I put the invite on my clean desk. "Bianca Moreau is speaking at the Business Awards Party."
Liam's usually calm face showed he understood. He knew about the past, the simple story of how she hurt me and made me build this company. He didn't need all the small details. He just understood what her showing up again meant. "Do you want us to say no to the invitation?"
I let out a short, almost unwilling laugh. "No, Liam. We will be there. Hilly Enterprises will take any award it wins. And I, Celeste Hilly, will be in the audience." I stopped. My voice became hard and strong. "I need to see what she wants."
The days leading up to the party were busy. I was getting ready for the awards, but also for the fight growing inside me. I found myself watching Damian more often on the cameras. He kept working in the mailroom, always busy. He seemed humble now, very different from how he used to be. He was still a reminder of my pain. But now, seeing how far he had fallen, it also felt like a strange kind of ending. His being there quietly showed what happens when you hurt someone.
The night of the party came. The city air was buzzing, and everyone was excited. The big meeting place glowed with bright lights. Many well-dressed people mixed and talked. I walked in with Liam. My black dress showed quiet power, strong but not too fancy.
As we walked through the crowded room, I looked at every face, like a hunter looking for its animal. It wasn't long before I saw her. Bianca. She hadn't gotten old, but her face seemed sharper. Her eyes held a sparkle of something that could be wanting to be important or something colder. She was with a small group, looking comfortable and used to being important.
Our eyes met across the busy room. She looked surprised for a moment, but quickly hid it with a practiced smile. She nodded her head a little. It could have been a hello or a small way of pushing me away.
The evening went on with the usual formal things: polite talks, not-so-great snacks, and the slow telling of who won the awards. Hilly Enterprises won two important awards. Each time I went on stage, my vote of thank speech was calm and thankful. As I stood in the bright lights, I could feel Bianca's eyes on me. It was like a heavy weight in the air.
Then came her main speech. She walked onto the stage with a sure and charming way. Her voice was smooth and strong as she talked about new ideas and good leaders in business. But as she spoke, hidden messages started to appear. She talked about right and wrong in business. She told stories that seemed meant to make people doubt, without saying anyone's name.
It was a brilliant show of quiet meanness. A clever attack aimed right at me. I felt a cold chill. This wasn't just about reminding me of the past. This was an attack on my success now, on the good name I had worked so hard to build. She was trying to bring me down, to make people doubt me in the minds of my business friends and rivals.
During a short break, I was talking to a local business leader when Bianca walked up. Her smile looked friendly, but it felt fake. "Celeste, dear. It's been so long." Her voice was soft, but only I could hear the poison in it.
"Bianca," I answered. My voice was calm and steady. "Indeed it has."
"Your success is… amazing," she went on. Her eyes quickly looked at me, showing a hint of wanting what I had. "It's truly inspiring how some people manage to… become new people." Her hidden meaning was clear.
"People change, Bianca," I said. My eyes didn't move from her. "Especially when they have certain… reasons."
Her smile got tighter, just a tiny bit. "Reasons? Oh, I'm sure we all have them. Some maybe more… sneaky than others."
That was it. The fight was on. Her attack was no longer hidden. It was a direct challenge. Whatever her plan was, it was clear she hadn't let go of the past either. She wasn't happy just letting me succeed. She needed to try and tear me down.
As the evening ended, and the last awards were given, I knew this wasn't finished. Bianca's showing up again wasn't by chance. It was a planned attack, a sign that the old fight was starting again. And this time, I wouldn't be surprised. This time, I would be ready.
Later that night, back in my quiet hotel room, I watched the news report about the party. Bianca's speech was being praised for its smart comments on business rules. There were even a few small mentions that linked her words to Hilly Enterprises. The doubts she planted were starting to grow.
My phone vibrated. It was a text from a number I didn't know: "She knows. Be careful."
A chill went down my back. Who sent that? And what exactly did Bianca know? The game had just become much more dangerous. And Damian, still quietly working in my mailroom, was about to get caught in the middle of it. The snake had returned, and its poison was already spreading.