On the other hand, Andrea stared at the vibrant city lights from her penthouse window, her fingers gripping the edge of her desk. Her face was a mask of calm, but inside, a storm was brewing. The plan she had meticulously crafted for weeks was about to come to fruition, and while her mind raced with thoughts of success, her heart felt strangely heavy.Picking up her phone, Andrea dialed a number she knew by heart. The phone rang several times before her father, Mr. Sanchez, answered.“Hello, Andrea,” he said, his voice gruff but steady.“Dad, it’s me,” Andrea replied, forcing a note of cheerfulness into her voice. “I need to discuss something important.”Mr. Sanchez was quick to pick up on the seriousness in her tone. “What’s going on?”“I’ve got a situation,” Andrea began, her words carefully chosen. “You know the woman Evan was involved with—Marga?”“Yes. What about her?”“I need to make sure she’s out of the picture, for good,” Andrea said, her voice cold. “I need someone who can d

Evan could hardly bear to look at her. He pushed Marga away, his face a mask of cold determination. “I don’t want to see you again, Marga. Leave the city. If you need money, I’ll give it to you. Just go. I can’t deal with this right now.”Her eyes filled with tears, but Evan didn’t relent. His heart was too raw, too wounded by the repeated betrayals in his life. The echoes of his past—Andrea’s infidelity with Leo—resonated painfully with the present. The shattered trust, the broken promises; it all came crashing back in a devastating wave.As Marga turned and walked away, her silhouette fading into the distance, Evan felt a profound emptiness settle over him. The city, once bustling with life and opportunity, now felt like a cold, unwelcoming expanse. He was haunted by the knowledge that he had been fooled once again, that his judgment had failed him when he needed it most.Without thinking, Evan stumbled out of the office building, his legs moving on autopilot. He walked with purpose

Evan's resolve hardened as the memories of Andrea's betrayal resurfaced, tightening the knot in his chest. The idea of groveling for answers, of putting his heart on the line again, felt unbearable. He had built walls around himself for a reason, and Marga—despite all her warmth and kindness—wasn't going to make him tear them down so easily.He straightened up, the vulnerability in his eyes replaced by a steely determination."I can't, Elias," Evan finally said, his voice cold and distant."I can't go through that again. I won’t put myself in a position to be hurt like that. If she’s innocent, then maybe... maybe someday she’ll come to me. But I’m not going to chase after her."Elias watched Evan with a mixture of disappointment and understanding. He knew the weight of past scars, the way they could twist a person’s judgment and hold them prisoner to their fears. But he also knew the cost of letting those fears dictate every decision."Boss, I understand why you feel this way. But don

Evan’s thoughts drifted through the fog of alcohol, circling back to the one person he couldn’t get out of his mind—Marga. No matter how hard he tried to bury the memories, her face kept resurfacing, haunting him with the look of betrayal he had seen in her eyes. It was a look he had never wanted to see, a look that cut deeper than any accusation or rumor.He swirled the liquor in his glass, watching the liquid catch the light. The city outside was alive with its usual hum, but inside his mansion, there was only silence—a silence that felt as heavy as the burden on his shoulders. He had once prided himself on his ability to keep emotions at bay, to stay focused on the task at hand. But now, those emotions were seeping through the cracks, and no amount of liquor could drown them out.Evan took another sip, the warmth spreading through his chest, but it did nothing to numb the ache that had settled there. He thought about the press conference scheduled for tomorrow, about the statement

Andrea's frustration simmered just beneath the surface as she stared at her father, the man who had orchestrated this entire scheme with cold precision. She had always known he was ruthless, but now, standing in the midst of the chaos they had created, she was beginning to question whether she could continue down this path."It doesn’t feel like we've achieved anything," Andrea said, her voice tense."Evan may be angry with Marga, but he’s not turning to me. He’s pulling away, and every time I try to reach out, he shuts me down. This isn’t what I wanted, Dad."Mr. Sanchez’s expression hardened, his eyes boring into her with a mix of disappointment and irritation."You’re being emotional, Andrea. This isn’t about what you want—it's about the bigger picture. We needed to destabilize Marga to weaken Evan, and that’s exactly what we’ve done. You just need to stay the course."Andrea shook her head, her frustration finally boiling over."I don’t know if I can. Every time I see him, I reali