Chapter 3 - The Illusion of Victory
For three days, I stayed at the estate. While I was sipping espresso on the balcony, Elias and his mother were busy moving Brenda into my apartment. I had hired a private investigator who sent me photos every hour.
There was Cynthia, carrying boxes. There was Elias, kissing Brenda in the hallway. There was Brenda, hanging her cheap coats in the closet I had designed. They were celebrating. They thought they had won. They thought the fragile, poor secretary had broken under the pressure of commitment.
“He actually moved her in,” Rebecca said, standing behind me in the study, looking at the photos over my shoulder. "Greed makes people stupid," I replied, turning away from the screen. It was time to shed the final layers of my old life.
I spent the afternoon at the finest salons in the city. The dull, mousy brown hair I’d maintained to look "ordinary" was stripped and dyed a brilliant, striking ash blonde. My cheap drugstore makeup was replaced by a flawless, sharp, high-fashion contour. I threw away the discount store jeans and pastel cardigans Elias had loved so much.
In their place, I wore a custom-tailored Tom Ford suit. Midnight blue. Sharp shoulders. I slipped on a pair of Christian Louboutin heels—the kind of shoes Cynthia could only dream of affording. When I looked in the mirror, the secretary was entirely gone. The heiress to a two-billion-dollar empire stood in her place.
My phone chimed. It was Elias. “Ella, honey, are you okay? My mom is so worried about you. Just letting you know, Brenda had a plumbing issue at her place, so I let her crash in the guest room for a few days. Hope you don't mind! Miss you.”
May you like
I smiled at the screen. A cold, lifeless smile. He was establishing the narrative. Making Brenda's presence seem innocent in writing. I didn't reply. Let him sweat in his fake confidence.
"Ready, Miss Wilson?" my driver asked, opening the door to the Maybach. "Yes, Arthur," I said, sliding into the leather seat. "Take me to Wilson Headquarters." Tomorrow, Elias had the biggest pitch of his career. He was hoping to meet the legendary, reclusive CEO, Jonathan Wilson. He was going to get a massive surprise.
