Kingston Enterprises — Early November
The morning was unusually quiet inside Kingston Enterprises.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, November had settled over the city, the streets below already busy with the morning rush.
Inside Arthur's private office, however, everything was still.
Arthur stood near his desk, reading through a file when the door opened.
Andrew walked in.
Arthur looked up.
"You're early."
Andrew closed the door behind him.
"I wanted to talk before the day got busy."
Arthur set the file aside.
"About Catherine?"
Andrew nodded.
"About Catherine. And Brittany."
Arthur's expression remained calm.
Andrew took the chair opposite him.
"The more I think about what happened, the less I believe it was random."
Arthur said nothing.
"Brittany's secret was used to destroy Damien and Catherine's relationship."
Andrew's eyes remained fixed on him.
"Someone knew exactly what would hurt Damien."
"And now Trio Fire is falling apart."
Arthur leaned back slowly.
"You think the two things are connected."
"I know they are."
Arthur's gaze sharpened slightly.
Andrew continued.
"And you're too close to both of them not to know something."
A brief silence filled the room.
"You care about both your sisters," Andrew said. "You wouldn't sit back and watch someone use them without figuring out why."
Arthur's expression remained unreadable.
Andrew leaned forward.
"So tell me."
"Who is behind this?"
Arthur watched him for several seconds.
Then he answered calmly.
"You'll know when the time is right."
Andrew's jaw tightened.
"That's it?"
"For now."
"Arthur, this isn't a game anymore."
"I know."
"Damien and Nikolas nearly destroyed each other."
"Andrew—"
"And Catherine is caught in the middle of it."
Arthur's expression changed slightly.
"I am aware."
"Then why keep me in the dark?"
Arthur stood and walked toward the window.
"Because knowing too much too soon can be more dangerous than knowing too little."
Andrew stared at him.
"You're hiding something."
Arthur looked back at him.
"I'm protecting something."
The answer only made Andrew more suspicious.
Before he could respond—
Both their phones rang.
At almost the exact same moment.
They exchanged a brief glance.
Andrew pulled out his phone.
"Yes?"
His expression changed.
"What?"
Arthur answered his own call.
"What happened?"
A pause.
The color drained slightly from his face.
"Catherine?"
Andrew immediately looked toward him.
Arthur listened silently for another few seconds.
Then—
"Where is she?"
Another pause.
"Which hospital?"
He ended the call.
Andrew had already lowered his phone.
"What happened?"
Arthur looked at him.
"Catherine has been involved in a car accident."
Andrew froze.
"What?"
"They're taking her to the hospital."
For the first time that morning, Arthur's controlled expression disappeared.
Andrew stood immediately.
"Is she alive?"
"They said she's alive."
A beat of silence.
"But they haven't told me how serious it is."
Andrew grabbed his jacket.
"Then let's go."
Arthur didn't argue.
Whatever secrets they had been discussing could wait.
For now, there was only one thing that mattered.
Catherine.
The hospital corridors were already crowded that morning.
Michael had only come because a friend of his wasn't feeling well. He had accompanied him to the hospital and was waiting while his friend was being taken toward the doctor's consultation room.
Michael stepped away to make a phone call.
As he turned into another corridor, he heard two men's voices nearby.
At first, he paid no attention.
"Sir, I—"
Then a name caught his attention.
"Catherine Kingston."
Michael stopped.
He looked toward the voices.
Kingston?
He remained where he was, listening.
One of the men stood with his back toward Michael.
"If anything happens to Catherine," the man said coldly, "remember this—you will pay with your life."
The other man immediately lowered his voice.
"I'm really sorry, sir."
"She was getting too close to the truth."
A pause.
"That's why I decided this was necessary."
Michael's expression changed.
The truth?
Before the man could say anything else—
THUD.
The first man's fist struck him across the face.
He stumbled backward.
"You were told to handle it."
"I know, sir—"
But the other man had already turned away.
His footsteps disappeared down the corridor.
Michael instinctively stepped back behind the corner.
He hadn't seen the man's face.
Only his back.
The injured man slowly touched his mouth, wiping away the blood.
Michael remained frozen.
Catherine Kingston.
A car accident.
A threat.
And someone had just admitted that she had been getting too close to something.
Michael's thoughts immediately went to Andrew.
He pulled out his phone.
His finger hovered over Andrew's name.
For a moment, he hesitated.
Whatever he had just overheard...
It didn't sound like an ordinary accident.
And Michael suddenly had a feeling that Catherine Kingston's accident was anything but accidental.
Outside the Operation Room
The hospital corridor was painfully quiet.
Everyone was there.
The Reed family.
The Kingston family.
Arthur.
Andrew.
Nikolas.
Brittany.
And Damien.
They stood outside the operation room, waiting for the surgery to end.
No one spoke.
Every few minutes, their eyes drifted toward the closed doors.
Damien stood slightly apart from everyone else.
He looked toward the operation room, his expression hollow.
Inside, Catherine was fighting for her life.
And all he could think about was how he had treated her.
He remembered her trying to explain her feelings.
Her frustration.
Her hurt.
The questions she had asked him.
And how he had dismissed them.
He had been so consumed by his own anger that he hadn't listened.
He hadn't apologized.
He hadn't even tried to make things right.
He had simply thought there would be time.
Tomorrow.
The next day.
Eventually.
But now...
He didn't know if there would be another chance.
Damien lowered his gaze.
His hands slowly tightened at his sides.
I should have listened.
His chest tightened.
For the first time, the possibility of losing Catherine felt terrifyingly real.
He looked toward the operation room again.
Please.
His eyes remained fixed on the closed doors.
Just let her come back to me.
He swallowed hard.
He had never been good at admitting when he was wrong.
But now, all he wanted was the chance to tell her he was sorry.
To hear her voice again.
To see her look at him with those eyes that could make him forget every argument they had ever had.
He had taken her presence for granted.
He had believed he had time.
Now he understood that time was never promised.
Damien closed his eyes briefly.
One thought remained above everything else.
You can't leave me, Catherine.
He opened his eyes and stared at the operation room.
He wouldn't allow himself to think beyond those doors.
Not yet.
Because somewhere inside that room, his wife was still fighting.
And Damien could only wait.
Andrew's phone vibrated.
He glanced at the screen.
Michael.
He answered immediately.
"Hello?"
"I'm outside. Come out for a minute."
Andrew frowned.
"Where?"
"Just come outside."
The call ended.
Andrew looked toward the operation room once before stepping away.
A few moments later, he reached the hospital entrance and found Michael waiting.
Andrew's expression immediately hardened.
"How did you know I was here?"
Michael looked at him.
"And what are you doing here?"
"I came with a friend. He wasn't feeling well, so I accompanied him to the hospital."
Andrew studied him.
"Then how did you know about Catherine?"
Michael hesitated.
"I heard someone talking about her."
Andrew's eyes narrowed.
"The news about Catherine's accident has been suppressed. The Reeds don't want it getting out."
"I know."
"Then what exactly did you hear?"
Michael lowered his voice.
"I heard two men talking."
"One of them said he never wanted to hurt Catherine."
Andrew's expression changed.
"And the other?"
Michael swallowed.
"He said..."
"She was very close to the truth. That's why..."
He didn't finish.
He didn't need to.
Andrew went completely still.
His mind immediately began connecting the pieces.
Catherine had been investigating.
She had been asking questions.
Trying to understand why Trio Fire was falling apart.
And if she had discovered the truth about what had happened...
She might have known about the video Damien received.
She might have known about Brittany's secret.
She might have been getting dangerously close to whoever was behind everything.
Andrew's jaw tightened.
"So that's why."
Michael looked at him.
"Why what?"
Andrew didn't answer.
His eyes shifted toward the hospital doors.
For the first time, the accident felt less like an accident.
Catherine hadn't simply been caught in something.
She may have been targeted because she was getting too close.
And whoever was behind it had just made one thing very clear—
They were willing to silence her.
Andrew's expression hardened.
"They're after Catherine."
Michael stared at him.
Andrew looked back toward the hospital doors, his mind racing.
This wasn't just about destroying Trio Fire anymore.
Catherine had become their target.
Meanwhile — Sinclair Mansion
Robert's phone rang.
He answered immediately.
"What?"
The voice on the other end was cold and furious.
"You've made a serious mistake."
Robert's expression hardened.
"What are you talking about?"
"Your sister's marriage proposal to Arthur Kingston."
A pause.
"Cancel it."
Robert's eyes narrowed.
"You told me to strengthen the connection with the Reeds."
"Exactly."
The voice became sharper.
"Felicia Reed is the connection we need. Through her, the Reed family can be brought under control."
Robert said nothing.
"And now you're offering Lenora to Arthur?"
His jaw tightened.
"That was my decision."
"Then undo it."
A long silence followed.
"You know what happens if you interfere with the plan."
Robert's expression darkened.
The voice lowered.
"Cancel the proposal."
"Or you'll lose far more than your sister's marriage."
The call ended.
Robert slowly lowered the phone.
His eyes hardened.
For the first time, he realized that Arthur Kingston wasn't simply an opportunity.
He was becoming an obstacle.
And someone wanted him removed from the equation.
The doors of the operating room finally opened.
Everyone standing outside immediately turned toward the doctor.
The doctor removed his mask.
"Catherine is out of danger."
A collective breath escaped the room.
"But she needs to remain under observation for the next twenty-four hours. The next few hours are important."
Everyone nodded silently.
The doctor left.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then—
THUD.
Catherine's grandfather struck his cane heavily against the floor.
Everyone turned toward him.
His eyes settled on Damien.
"Bring me the person responsible."
Damien's expression hardened.
"I will."
"You'd better."
His voice was cold.
"Someone tried to take my granddaughter from this family."
He stepped closer.
"And I will not allow it."
The Reed family remained silent.
His gaze remained fixed on Damien.
"You are her husband."
His voice sharpened.
"You were supposed to protect her."
Damien lowered his eyes.
He didn't defend himself.
He knew he had failed her in more ways than one.
Her grandfather continued.
"I know enough to understand that this accident wasn't random."
A tense silence followed.
Damien looked up.
The older man's eyes were hard.
"Whatever is happening around your family, your friends, and my granddaughter—solve it."
He struck the cane against the floor again.
"Before I involve myself."
The warning was unmistakable.
"And believe me, Damien..."
His voice lowered.
"...you will not like the consequences if I have to."
Damien remained silent.
Neither did anyone from the Reed family object.
Because deep down...
They knew he was right.
Catherine had been pulled into something she never asked for.
And now she was lying unconscious behind those doors.
Her grandfather turned away.
"Protect her."
Two words.
But they carried more weight than any threat.
Damien looked toward the operating-room doors.
For the first time, the fear of losing Catherine felt painfully real.
And somewhere beneath that fear...
A decision was already forming.
He would find whoever had done this.
Before they got another chance to come near her.
The VIP waiting room beside Catherine's room was silent.
Damien sat near the window, his eyes fixed on the floor.
Andrew, Nikolas, Brittany, Michael, and Arthur were gathered around the room.
Andrew finally broke the silence.
"Michael heard something at the hospital."
Everyone looked at him.
Michael explained what he had overheard—the two men discussing Catherine and how she had been getting too close to the truth.
Nikolas's expression darkened.
"So someone wanted Catherine silenced."
Andrew nodded.
"That's what it looks like."
Nikolas's eyes immediately moved toward Damien.
"And this happened because of you."
Damien slowly looked up.
"What?"
"Everything that has happened to Catherine started with what happened between us."
Nikolas's voice was filled with anger.
"You should have protected her."
Damien's jaw tightened.
"I know."
"Do you?"
Nikolas stepped closer.
"Because she's lying in that room while you're sitting here doing nothing."
Damien's expression hardened.
"I said I know."
Arthur watched the exchange carefully.
Andrew stepped between them.
"Fighting isn't going to help."
Nikolas ignored him.
"You always think you can control everything, Damien."
Damien stood abruptly.
"And you think attacking me will save her?"
The room fell silent.
Damien's voice cracked slightly.
"I don't know what to do."
It was the first time anyone had heard him admit it.
He looked toward Catherine's room.
"I don't know who did this."
Nikolas stared at him.
For a moment, his anger seemed to soften.
Then his eyes shifted toward Brittany.
He reached for her hand.
"Come."
Brittany looked at him.
"Nikolas—"
"Now."
He pulled her gently but firmly toward the door.
Brittany glanced back at the others before following him.
The door closed behind them.
Andrew exhaled slowly.
Arthur remained silent.
Michael looked uneasy.
Nobody noticed the figure standing farther down the corridor.
Watching.
Waiting.
The moment Nikolas and Brittany disappeared from sight, the person pulled out a phone.
"They're fighting again."
A pause.
"Trio Fire is completely fractured."
The person listened for a moment before continuing.
"And Damien is barely holding himself together."
The call ended.
The figure disappeared down the corridor.
---
Somewhere in the City
Valerie stood in the middle of her bedroom.
Her phone had just delivered the news.
Catherine was out of danger.
For several seconds, she stared at the screen.
Then—
CRASH!
She threw it across the room.
Her anger erupted.
She swept everything from the dressing table.
A vase hit the wall.
A mirror shattered.
She screamed in frustration.
"Why?"
She paced through the destroyed room, breathing heavily.
Catherine was supposed to be gone.
But she had survived.
Valerie's eyes burned with hatred.
"I will not let you have Damien."
She clenched her fists.
"Not for long, Catherine."
Her voice dropped into a bitter whisper.
"Very soon..."
She looked at the shattered reflection in the mirror.
"...you will be out of Damien's life for good."
And this time, Valerie wasn't willing to leave anything to chance.