The Blake estate had been quiet for days, a calm that felt almost deceptive. But the summons came on a Wednesday morning, just as Elena was finishing breakfast alone at the long dining table.
A servant approached with a polite bow. "Madam, your family has requested your presence at the White residence this afternoon."
Elena's fork froze midair.
Her family.
The people who had thrown her to the wolves in her last life, who had used her as a bargaining chip until there was nothing left of her.
Her lips curved faintly, though no warmth touched her eyes. "Very well," she said softly. "Prepare the car."
The White residence stood in sharp contrast to the Blake estate. Though wealthy in its own right, its grandeur always seemed a little hollow to Elena now—its marble pillars too polished, its chandeliers too desperate to impress.
As she stepped into the grand foyer, she could already hear the laughter spilling from the drawing room. Her parents, her sister Naomi, and a few extended relatives lounged comfortably, as though they were preparing for a performance staged just for her.
"Elena," her mother greeted, her smile thin and sharp. "You've been difficult to reach lately. Married life must be… distracting."
In her past life, Elena would have ducked her head, murmured apologies, tried to please.
This time, she simply lowered herself gracefully into a chair, her posture perfect, her gaze steady. "I've been busy."
Her father's brows drew together. "Busy? You're Adrian Blake's wife. What could you possibly have to do?"
The words landed like a slap, the implication clear: she was nothing but a decorative ornament, a pawn in their endless game of climbing higher.
Elena's lips curved in a faint smile. "You'd be surprised."
Naomi snickered softly, twirling her hair around her finger. "Don't tell me you've actually convinced Adrian to notice you. Everyone knows he married you only because of convenience."
Her chest tightened, but she refused to let it show. Instead, she tilted her head, her voice smooth as silk. "Funny. He brought me to his corporation just this week. Introduced me as his wife."
The room stilled.
Her mother's eyes flickered, her father's mouth pressed thin. Naomi's smile faltered.
"You're lying," Naomi snapped.
"Am I?" Elena asked, her tone sharp but calm. "You should ask the employees at Blake Corporation. I'm sure they'd be happy to confirm it for you."
A ripple of unease swept through the room.
Her father cleared his throat. "Enough of this. The reason we asked you here—there are certain investments we need Adrian's support for. As his wife, it is your duty to—"
"No."
The word slipped from her lips like a blade.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Her father's eyes widened. "What did you say?"
Elena met his gaze, her spine straight, her voice steady. "I said no. I won't use my marriage to line your pockets. If you want Adrian's support, speak to him yourself."
The fury that lit her father's face was instant. "Ungrateful girl! Do you think you'd even be married into the Blake family if it weren't for us?"
Elena leaned forward, her smile sharp as glass. "You're right. You sold me to Adrian. And yet, here I am—still standing, still his wife. Maybe you should be careful how you speak to me. After all, it would be such a shame if the Blakes realized how desperate you are."
Her mother gasped softly, her hand tightening around her teacup. Naomi's eyes flashed with rage, but beneath it, there was something else.
Fear.
For the first time, Elena saw it—the cracks in their arrogance.
Her father slammed his hand against the table, but his voice lacked its usual bite. "You dare speak to us this way?"
Elena rose gracefully, smoothing her skirt. "I'm not the Elena you remember. Consider this your first warning."
She turned and walked toward the door, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. Each step echoed like a declaration: the days of their control were over.
Naomi's voice followed her, shrill and desperate. "You think you've changed, but you're still nothing without us!"
Elena paused at the doorway, glancing back over her shoulder. Her smile was calm, almost serene. "We'll see."
The ride back to the Blake estate was quiet, but Elena's mind raced.
It wasn't a complete victory—not yet. Her family still held influence, still had claws that could reach for her if she wasn't careful. But today, she had planted something deeper than defiance.
Doubt.
They would begin to wonder, to fear, to question whether the pawn they thought they owned had slipped from their grasp.
And that fear would grow.
When she returned, Adrian was in the study, poring over documents. He didn't look up when she entered, but his voice cut through the silence.
"You went to see your family."
Her breath caught. "How did you—"
"I know everything," he said simply, his pen scratching across the page.
She hesitated, then stepped closer. "And are you going to ask me what happened?
For a long moment, he didn't respond. Then, finally, he set his pen down and looked up.
His dark gaze held hers, sharp and unreadable. "No. I'm going to watch."Her chest tightened, her pulse racing.
He was watching her—testing her—just as she had vowed to test him.
And for the first time, Elena realized this wasn't just her war.
It was their game.
And only one of them could afford to lose.