Lianna sensed it before she saw it.
The hostility.
It clung to the air the moment she stepped onto the executive floor—sharp glances, whispers cut short, smiles that didn't reach the eyes.
And then—
"Miss Lianna."
The voice was smooth. Polished. Poisoned.
Lianna turned.
A woman stood a few steps away, dressed in a tailored crimson suit, heels clicking softly against the marble floor. Her makeup was flawless, her smile practiced.
Isabella Moretti.
Lucien's first love.
The woman who had stood beside him on the night Lianna died.
So fate had a sense of irony.
"I didn't expect to see you here," Isabella said, eyes flicking briefly over Lianna's clothes before returning to her face. "After all… the engagement was canceled."
Lianna smiled lightly. "Neither did I. Yet here we are."
Isabella's gaze sharpened.
"I'm the Director of International Affairs," she said smoothly. "I work closely with Lucien."
Of course you do.
"In that case," Lianna replied, "we'll be seeing a lot of each other."
Isabella's smile faltered—just for a second.
—
The first strike came an hour later.
Lianna was reviewing documents when an assistant rushed in, pale-faced.
"Miss Lianna, there's a problem. The files you approved… the numbers don't match. Finance is furious."
Lianna skimmed the documents once.
They'd been altered.
Deliberately.
In her past life, she would have panicked.
Now, she smiled.
"Call a meeting," she said calmly. "Include Director Moretti."
—
The conference room was tense.
Executives exchanged uneasy looks as Isabella presented her accusation with elegant concern.
"It appears Miss Lianna lacks experience," Isabella concluded. "A costly oversight like this could damage the company."
Lucien sat at the head of the table, fingers steepled, watching Lianna closely.
Not intervening.
Testing.
Lianna stood.
"Director Moretti is correct," she said calmly.
Isabella's lips curved.
"But," Lianna continued, "she forgot one thing."
She tapped the screen.
"The original files were submitted at 9:12 a.m. These altered versions were uploaded at 10:47 a.m.—from Director Moretti's private terminal."
The room exploded into murmurs.
Isabella stiffened. "That's absurd—"
"And," Lianna added smoothly, "I installed a silent verification protocol this morning. I anticipated sabotage."
Lucien's eyes darkened.
Interest flared—sharp and unmistakable.
The board members stared at Lianna like she was a loaded weapon.
Isabella's face paled.
"This meeting is over," Lucien said calmly.
As the room emptied, his gaze locked onto Lianna.
"Well played," he murmured.
She met his eyes. "I warned you. I don't break easily."
Lucien smiled slowly.
Dangerously.
"That wasn't what I was testing."
—
Outside the room, Isabella's nails dug into her palm.
She shouldn't exist, Isabella thought bitterly.
And from that moment on—
Lianna Blackwood became her enemy