The First Sacrifice

The elevator ride was a blur.

Rhea stood in the corner, her reflection fragmented in the polished steel doors. Her pulse was steady, but her mind was racing. Every move she made now would shape the outcome of her return.

One mistake, and she could lose everything.

But she wasn't going to make a mistake.

As the elevator doors slid open, she stepped out onto the executive floor. The polished marble floor reflected her high heels, each click echoing like a countdown.

She adjusted her blazer, her hand steady, though the weight of what she was about to do pressed heavily on her chest.

Arden Blake was in the conference room, she knew that much. As the head of operations, she was rarely away from her desk—always involved in Kairo's strategic decisions. But Rhea wasn't going to confront her directly. Not yet.

Instead, she took a detour.

A quick swipe of her hand on the sleek screen of her phone and the system buzzed with an alert.

[System Notice]

Tool Activated: Redirect Email (Arden Blake)

Action: Email sent to CEO - Priority High

The email was perfect. A little nudge here, a suggestion there. Arden wouldn't know it, but she was now walking a thin line.

Subject: Prototype Files—Confidential Project Update

Content: "Kairo—As requested, here's the detailed breakdown of the new prototype files. You'll want to see the hidden layers we've been working on in the last few months. There's a vulnerability in the algorithm. I've attached the latest debug notes. Let's discuss further."

She hit send with a cold smile, the email winging its way directly to Kairo. Arden wouldn't even notice it had been tampered with, but Kairo? He would.

It wasn't long before Rhea saw the familiar silhouette entering the lobby. Kairo Alden—tall, immaculately dressed, always a perfect picture of control. He was everything Rhea had once admired… and everything she now wanted to destroy.

Her fingers twitched. Her heart raced.

But this wasn't the time to act on impulse.

Instead, she kept her eyes forward, pretending to be absorbed in the digital reports on her tablet, but her mind was far away.

She could feel Kairo's presence without looking. His aura was like a weight—heavy and suffocating. But no longer did it intimidate her.

Now, it was a mark, a target.

Kairo approached her, his footsteps smooth and deliberate. He paused a moment too long, as if sensing the change in the air.

"Rhea," he said, his voice cool, with that faint edge of mockery that always made her stomach twist. "I heard you were back. How does it feel to come crawling back to the lion's den?"

She didn't look up.

"Surprised to see me?" Rhea responded, her voice perfectly neutral.

There was a long pause.

Kairo's gaze pierced through her, but she didn't flinch. She wasn't the same Rhea anymore.

"Why don't we discuss that over lunch?" he offered, his tone casual, like the last five years had never happened.

Rhea didn't answer immediately. Instead, her gaze drifted just slightly to the side, catching the reflection of Arden Blake in the far corner. She was approaching, as if on cue.

"Sure," Rhea said, her lips curving into a smile she didn't feel. "Let's make it a lunch to remember."

And with that, Rhea turned and walked toward the private elevators, a plan already unfolding in her mind.

It didn't take long for Rhea to corner Arden later that afternoon. She was in a rare moment of solitude in the empty office corridors, her heels clicking like a countdown.

"Arden," Rhea called, her voice smooth as she approached.

Arden looked up, startled, then quickly masked it with a tight smile. "Rhea. What brings you out of your cage?"

Rhea's smile was icy, almost predatory. "I thought we should talk about the files you've been sending Kairo."

Arden's eyes flickered for a fraction of a second. She knew what Rhea was talking about. The files had been an integral part of Kairo's new project. But they'd never been properly validated. And now—Rhea had made sure Kairo would take notice of that mistake.

"You've made a few… adjustments, haven't you?" Rhea continued, her voice lowering. "What's the rush, Arden? You didn't think I would catch on?"

Arden's jaw tightened, but she quickly masked it with a forced laugh. "I'm not sure what you're insinuating."

Rhea stepped closer, her gaze unwavering. "You don't have to worry. I just thought Kairo would appreciate knowing that you've been—well, let's say, 'modifying' some of the files."

Arden stiffened. "You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?" Rhea tilted her head. "You might be a clever one, but Kairo won't like being manipulated. And right now? He's already on his way to discovering the truth."

The silence between them stretched. Arden's expression faltered, but only for a heartbeat. Then, she regained her composure.

"Is that a threat?" she asked, her voice laced with ice.

"No," Rhea replied, her tone chillingly calm. "It's a promise."

Arden didn't reply.

His jaw twitched for a moment, words caught somewhere between pride and panic. Then, with a sharp breath and a tight glance, he brushed past Rhea, his footsteps faster than before.

Running.

Not physically—but mentally? He was already spiraling.

Rhea didn't move.

She just watched him disappear down the hall.

The first crack.

She didn't need Arden Blake to fall today. Not yet. That would be too easy, too obvious. What she needed was far more dangerous—

Doubt.

Kairo needed to start doubting him.

And after today? He would.

Rhea turned and walked back to her office—smaller than before, tucked away in a forgotten corner of the executive floor.

A demotion.

A slap in the face.

But even pawns could become queens... if they survived the board.

She shut the door quietly behind her and let the silence settle. Her pulse was steady. Her thoughts weren't.

How much did that move cost me?

The system pinged.

[System Notice]

Action Complete: Redirection Protocol

Target: Arden Blake

Credibility Damage: 17%

Compensation: +5 Memory Fragments

Warning: Memory Vault at 40% Depletion

Rhea's breath caught.

More of her memories—gone.

What had she traded away this time?

Her first kiss? A weekend trip with friends? The last message her mother sent before she passed?

She would never know.

That was the trade.

To destroy the empire that ruined her, she had to give up pieces of the girl she used to be.

And she would.

Every last one… if that's what it took.

A knock interrupted her spiral.

"Ms. Lin?" Her assistant peeked in, nervous. "Mr. Alden confirmed lunch. He's waiting at the rooftop lounge."

Rhea , smoothing her blazer.

Perfect.

She glanced at her reflection in the dark glass of her office window.

Calm. Sharp. Empty.

Not a trace of the girl Kairo had once discarded.

"One lunch," she whispered. "Let's make it unforgettable."

[ To be continued.....]