Chapter 8: The Mastermind – Olivia

Olivia Hayes had always been the shadow behind Vanessa's throne. Not the starlet basking in the spotlight, but the puppeteer pulling the strings from the darkness. While Vanessa preened and plotted with the emotional volatility of a scorned lover, Olivia operated with chilling precision.

Smart. Calculated. Merciless. These were the words that whispered on the rare occasions her name was spoken in hushed tones. She possessed an uncanny ability to foresee the consequences of actions, to recognize weaknesses in others, and to exploit them without a flicker of remorse.

While Vanessa obsessed over Damian, her affections burning with the intensity of a possessive fire, Olivia felt nothing. Damian was merely a pawn, a piece on the board. She saw him for what he was: powerful, influential, but ultimately, predictable. Love, to Olivia, was a weakness, a distraction, a liability.

She only cared about power. The kind of power that allowed her to shape events, to control outcomes, to bend others to her will. Power was the currency she valued, the fuel that drove her ambition. And she craved it with an insatiable hunger.

And right now? Emma was in their way. Not just in Vanessa's way, but in their way. Emma represented an obstacle to the power Olivia sought, a hurdle that needed to be cleared with ruthless efficiency. Emma's rising star threatened to eclipse them both, and Olivia simply couldn't allow that to happen.

Vanessa's BreakdownVanessa paced inside Olivia's meticulously organized office, her expensive heels clicking a frantic rhythm against the polished floor. The sound echoed in the spacious room, a sharp contrast to Olivia's calm stillness. Large windows offered a panoramic view of the city, a symbol of the empire Olivia intended to build, one carefully plotted move at a time.

"Damian still looks at her," Vanessa snapped, her voice laced with a raw, visceral jealousy that bordered on hysteria. She tossed her phone onto the sleek, uncluttered desk, the action reflecting her inner turmoil, "Even after the leak scandal, he's still protecting her! He defended her in the meeting today! How is that even possible?"

Olivia leaned back in her high-backed leather chair, completely unfazed by Vanessa's outburst. Her expression was one of cool detachment, her eyes sharp and assessing. She took a slow, deliberate sip of her coffee, the small clink of the ceramic cup the only sound in the room.

"Of course, he is," she said, her voice smooth and measured, a calming balm against Vanessa's frantic energy. "A scandal like this won't ruin her overnight. Damian is nothing if not loyal, its one of his many flaws. He wouldn't be seen to publicly destroy someone without evidence. And we are not giving him evidence."

Vanessa's nails dug into her palms, the sharp pressure a desperate attempt to regain control. "Then what will?" she demanded, her voice rising in pitch. "What will finally make him see her for who she is? What will make him choose me?"

Olivia smirked, a slow, predatory curve of her lips that never quite reached her eyes. Her gaze was fixed on Vanessa, analyzing her, understanding her desperation.

"We don't just need to ruin her reputation," she said slowly, each word carefully chosen, each syllable dripping with intent. "We need to ruin her confidence."

Vanessa stopped pacing, her body suddenly still, her attention fully captured. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Olivia's smile widened, taking on a sharper, more dangerous edge. "Emma is still standing because she believes she can fight back. She believes she can prove her innocence, that she can overcome this obstacle. Take that belief away… remove her self-belief and assurance..." She paused, allowing her words to sink in.

"And she'll destroy herself." Vanessa finished, her eyes widening with a mixture of understanding and anticipation. "If she doubts herself, if she loses faith in her abilities, she'll crumble. She needs to lose trust in everything she knows."

Olivia nodded, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Precisely. We need to undermine everything she believes about herself, about her talent, about her place in this company. Make her question her every decision, every move. Weaken her from the inside out." She tapped her finger on the desk, a subtle rhythm that underscored the plan. "A broken woman is a defeated one."

The Next TrapOlivia pulled out a pristine manila folder and slid it across the desk towards Vanessa. The folder was unmarked, its contents a carefully guarded secret, a weapon waiting to be unleashed.

Vanessa picked it up, her fingers trembling slightly with anticipation. She flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning the documents with a growing sense of excitement.

Her eyes lit up as she realized what it was. Blueprints, design proposals, budget spreadsheets – all meticulously detailed and professionally presented.

"This is her project proposal for the CEO's upcoming designer contract," Olivia explained, her voice laced with a subtle note of triumph. "The one that could make or break her career. The CEO is looking for a fresh vision, a bold new direction. This contract is the key to unlocking everything she wants."

Vanessa smirked, a cruel and satisfied expression spreading across her face. "If we sabotage this… if we make sure this project fails… she'll lose everything."

Olivia nodded, her gaze unwavering. "But we have to do it right. We don't just want her to fail—we want Damian to be the one who delivers the blow. We want him to be the one who pulls the rug out from under her."

Vanessa's heart pounded with excitement. This was more than just sabotage; this was a carefully orchestrated betrayal. This was about driving a wedge between Emma and Damian, about destroying their bond of professional respect.

It was the perfect plan. Elegant in its simplicity, devastating in its potential impact.

Damian wouldn't just doubt Emma's abilities; he would question her integrity. He would see her incompetence, her failure, with his own eyes. He would be forced to confront the reality that she wasn't the brilliant, capable designer he believed her to be.

He would turn against her.

And once Emma was out? Once she was discredited, demoralized, and defeated?

Vanessa would finally take her place. Not just in the company, but in Damian's life. She would be the one he relied on, the one he trusted, the one he admired. She would finally be the woman he saw as his equal.

Emma's Growing FuryMeanwhile, Emma sat in her starkly minimalist office, the cool, clean lines offering little solace in her simmering rage. The sunlight streamed through the large window, highlighting the dust motes dancing in the air, each one a tiny representation of the chaos swirling within her.

Someone had framed her.

Someone was actively trying to destroy her career, to dismantle everything she had worked so hard to build.

Someone wanted her gone.

And she had a very strong feeling about who it was. The tendrils of suspicion wrapped around Vanessa, tightening their grip with each passing moment. Vanessa's jealousy, her resentment, her unwavering ambition – it all pointed to her.

She gritted her teeth, her jaw tight with anger. She wasn't just going to clear her name; she was going to expose the truth. She was going to unmask the person responsible for this betrayal.

She was going to make Vanessa pay.

For the first time, Emma wasn't just surviving, wasn't just trying to weather the storm. She was fighting back, and she was determined to win. A dormant fire was ignited within her, fuelled by a potent combination of anger, betrayal, and a deep-seated desire for justice.

And this time, she wouldn't stop until Vanessa was the one begging for mercy.