006

Jane knew that her presence at the office was a threat, and she didn't want things to go any further than they already had. She hadn't come to make friends—she just wanted to learn and show Diego that she was capable of taking over the business. Still trying to be comfortable, she wondered what her next move should be.

Perhaps she should wait until others arrived—or maybe just play some games. As she minimized an app on her phone, a message popped up from Diego:

"Hope you are prepared for the press conference?"

Jane frowned. She didn't even remember being told about that. Ever since waking up, it felt as if some of her memories had been left behind. Explain to me why I'm still forgetting things like this.

"Okay, when should I leave the office?" she texted back. Saying that word was new to her—once, Jane had been just a housewife, but now she was sitting behind her own desk, trying to live her life. She was starting to relax when her phone beeped again; this time, it was Dante:

"Am outside the office. Diego asked me to lead you to the OR team; he is waiting for you there."

Immediately, Jane got up to adjust her makeup and her dress.

Stepping out, she ran into Sylvia—the head of PR—whose withering look bored a hole right through her. Jane knew that Sylvia must be wondering exactly what was going on here, but Jane didn't care about her; she just wanted the press conference to be over. When they reached the meeting room, Diego addressed Jane and told her everything she should say. He instructed her that if they asked personal questions—mostly about her name—she should be as truthful as possible. And when asked about what she was doing at the Orlov empire, she was to say she was undergoing training. Jane agreed and left with those instructions.

Meanwhile, Sylvia approached Dante, her tone dripping with envy as she asked, "Where is she from and who is she to him? Is she really his wife?" Dante said nothing and walked away. Jane didn't care about their gossip—she rather enjoyed the show they were giving. Although she hadn't spent much time with Sylvia, it was clear that Sylvia wanted Diego for herself; seeing Jane with him seemed to make her angry.

When the press conference began, Diego addressed the public. The first question after his speech was about Jane. He didn't answer; instead, he left the floor for her. Stepping up, Jane said confidently, "I'm Jane Stadlar, the new vice of Orlov Empire, and also an assistant to Diego Orlov, also undergoing a training." She delivered her speech flawlessly—until one reporter raised a hand for a question.

"Jane Stadlar, how come you have the same name as Assemblyman Daniel's dead wife?" the reporter asked.

That was the question Jane had been expecting and trying to avoid, but she met it with confidence. "Yes, I'm Daniel's dead and ex-wife," she declared, deliberately causing chaos. She added an exclusive: "How come you are alive? I thought they said you died." The reporter, adjusting his glasses, pressed on.

Jane's fingers twitched nervously as she replied, "I was in a coma for six years, and I just woke up to meet a different world. What do I really know? But if you have more questions, you can try reaching out to him."

Almost immediately, the headlines exploded:

"Is Daniel's dead wife back from the dead?" one read; another, "Is she back for revenge?" while a third asked, "Who is the new Jane Stadlar?"

Meanwhile, Lucy was watching the news. When she saw Jane, she screamed for Daniel, "Daniel, come fast—hurry, you need to see this, we are busted!" In a flurry, Daniel came running, gloves on his arms from washing dishes—something he never did for Jane.

Daniel rushed into the living room, his hands still damp as he snatched the remote from Lucy's trembling fingers. His eyes fixed on the TV screen, and his breath caught. There she was—Jane, alive.

His grip on the remote tightened as the headlines scrolled: "Is Daniel's dead wife back from the dead?" "Is she back for revenge?" "Who is the new Jane Stadlar?"

"No… no, this can't be happening," Daniel muttered, shaking his head as his pulse pounded in his ears and his world began to unravel.

Lucy turned to him, voice frantic: "We're screwed, Daniel! You told me the body was taken care of! You promised me she was gone for good!"

Daniel's face twisted in rage as he grabbed Lucy's wrist. "I did take care of it! I paid those thugs to get rid of her body! She was dead, Lucy! Dead and buried!" His voice dropped to a venomous whisper, as if speaking it aloud might make it true.

Lucy yanked her wrist away, fury rising. "Well, clearly your thugs failed because she's standing there—breathing, talking, living!" She let out a hysterical laugh, running a shaky hand through her hair.

"She was supposed to be gone," Daniel hissed, pacing back and forth. His mind raced—this wasn't just about Jane being alive; it was about the truth she might reveal. The life he'd built with Lucy, the career he was fighting for, the fortune he'd stolen—it was all at risk.

Lucy's eyes flashed dangerously as she leaned in close. In a low, trembling whisper, she said, "Do you realize what this means? If Jane talks… if she remembers what really happened…"

Daniel stopped pacing. A cold silence stretched between them.

"She won't," he said firmly, though Lucy wasn't convinced.

"She's already talking, Daniel. She called herself your ex-wife on live TV! She's baiting you. What if she remembers everything?" Lucy's words dripped with both panic and malice.

Daniel's jaw tightened. He knew what Lucy was truly afraid of. Jane wasn't just some ex-wife coming back from the dead—Jane was the woman they had once tried to erase. The one Lucy had betrayed by pushing her off that rooftop, the one Lucy had falsely claimed committed suicide. And Daniel, instead of calling the authorities, had paid thugs to dispose of Jane's body. They had celebrated her supposed death.

Lucy's voice dropped, trembling with remorse and defiance, "I should have made sure she was dead that night..."

Daniel turned sharply to face her, coldly reminding her, "You pushed her, Lucy. You were the one who went to me, crying crocodile tears, claiming she jumped. I cleaned up your mess! I paid to have her body removed!"

Lucy swallowed hard. "I didn't just push her," she admitted in a near-whisper. "I watched her fall. I saw the blood... I—I thought she was gone."

Daniel clenched his fists, the memory burning. Jane had been a thorn for too long—and Lucy, her own adopted sister, had been the final blow. Instead of mourning, they had celebrated her death.

"I should have made sure," Lucy repeated, panic rising. "I should have gone down there myself. I should have—"

"Enough!" Daniel barked, grabbing her by the shoulders. "We don't panic. We fix this."

Lucy looked up at him, eyes wild. "How?"

A sinister smirk curled on Daniel's lips. "We do what we do best. We lie. We make her the villain. If Jane is back, then she's not going to be the innocent victim anymore."

Lucy's breath hitched as the implication sank in. "You mean…?"

Daniel's smirk widened. "We spin the story. She's been gone for six years. We control the narrative. If she remembers, we make sure no one believes her and nobody will, didn't you see her, it won't be hard to turn the world against her."

Lucy's eyes darkened with a mix of fear and resolve. "We will turn the world against her, making sure she ends her own life her self ,how dare she."

Their gazes locked, sealing their unholy pact.

Jane had survived. But Daniel and Lucy were determined to make sure she wished she hadn't.

"bringing yourself out from your little home was a wrong choice, you should have stay hidden forever" Lucy murmured to herself, not even happy to see her sister again, all she cared about was her life with Daniel and money.

.....

Later that evening, after the press conference had aired on TV and the fallout had spread like wildfire, Daniel sat alone in his study, trembling as the reality of the situation set in. His thoughts churned, but one image cut through the chaos: the man standing next to Jane during the broadcast. That man—so calm, so imposing—was Diego Orlov.

Daniel's eyes widened as he recalled the press conference, replaying the moment over and over in his mind. His heart pounded with dread as he murmured, "That man… Diego Orlov.jane is not just some assistant to him because—he's Mr. Orlov. I need his approval."

Lucy, who had followed him into the study, noticed the terror in his eyes. "Daniel, what is it?" she asked softly.

He turned sharply, his voice barely a whisper, "Look at her—Jane is really with him. With Diego. The almighty Diego Orlov, the very man whose word rules this empire. I… I'm terrified, Lucy, how did she even know him. His approval is everything. Without it, our plan crumbles, I know we spoke about turning the world against her, but still yet I have my own personal issues I need his approval for."

Lucy crossed her arms, her tone a mix of envy and alarm. "Diego? But I thought he was just... someone who helps out around here. You're saying he's Mr. Orlov—the one everyone fears?, and the funniest he is with Jane, that's not possible, have been with Jane all these while and I can't remember anyone by the name, and besides maybe he is just helping her to get the sympathy of the world"

Daniel's eyes darted to the framed photograph on his desk—a reminder of Diego's unyielding presence. "Yes. He is Mr. Orlov. And seeing him there, by Jane's side—so confident, so powerful—makes me realize our little scheme is in grave danger. If he doesn't back us, if he turns against us... then everything we've built will vanish, so let's hold on our plan of turning the world against your sister, until I get what I want from him"

"I will win his trust" Daniel murmured to himself

meanwhile back at the office Jane..