"So she’s escalating now in hopes of destabilizing us before the decision point," Samuel reasoned.

"Exactly. Which means the next week is going to be critical. Whatever she’s really planning, it’ll happen before your father makes his choice."

Heena stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the courtyard.

"We need to be prepared for multiple simultaneous attacks. Financial sabotage, social sabotage, physical threats—she might try everything at once to overwhelm us."

Samuel joined her at the window.

"You’ve dealt with situations like this before, haven’t you? Multiple enemies, complex threats, political maneuvering?"

Heena glanced at him. "What makes you say that?"

"The way you think. The way you analyze threats. The way you’re never surprised by malicious behavior, just by incompetent execution of malicious behavior."

He looked at her seriously.

"You’re not just educated. You’re trained. Probably in politics and possibly in warfare. And you’ve used that training in real situations before."

Heena didn’t confirm or deny this. "Would it bother you if that were true?"

"No," Samuel said immediately. "Actually, it would make me feel more confident about our chances of surviving whatever comes next."

He paused.

"But I’d like to know eventually. Not just what you learned, but where and why. The full story."

"Eventually," Heena agreed. "When this is over. When we’re secure. When I can trust that the truth won’t cause more problems than it solves."

Samuel accepted this. "Fair enough."

They stood together in companionable silence for a moment, both looking out at the household that had become their battlefield.

"One week," Heena said quietly. "One week until the deadline. We can survive one more week."

"We will survive," Samuel corrected. "Because we’re smarter than they are, better prepared, and we actually work together instead of scheming against each other."

Heena smiled. "When did you become an optimist?"

"Since I married a woman who turns every attack into an opportunity," Samuel replied.

Before Heena could respond to that surprisingly sweet comment, there was a knock on their door.

Samuel’s guard entered, looking urgent.

"Young master, there’s news. Driver Li has been spotted in the town. Multiple merchants reported seeing him in the market district yesterday."

Both Heena and Samuel tensed immediately.

Driver Li—the man who’d tried to assault Heena, who’d been driven away from the household, who had every reason to want revenge.

"Did anyone determine what he’s doing here?" Samuel asked sharply.

"Not yet, young master. But he was seen speaking with Meili, the Mistress’s personal servant, in a back alley."

’There it is,’ Heena thought grimly. ’Maya’s real plan. Not petty insults and servant clothes—actual violence. She’s brought back Driver Li.’

Samuel’s expression had gone cold and dangerous.

"Double the guards around our quarters. I want someone watching the gates at all times. And send word to Master Feng and the other senior merchants—inform them that there’s a man with a history of violent assault operating in the market, and they should be cautious."

The guard bowed. "Yes, young master. Immediately."

After he left, Samuel turned to Heena.

"This is serious. Driver Li is dangerous. He’s strong, violent, and now he has a grudge against you."

"I know," Heena said calmly. "But I’ve dealt with dangerous men before."

"Have you dealt with someone who wants to hurt you specifically? Someone motivated by revenge and probably being paid by Maya?"

"Yes," Heena said simply. "More times than I can count."

Samuel looked at her with concern that went beyond strategic partnership.

"I don’t want you going anywhere alone. Not in the household, not in the market, nowhere. Take guards, take servants, take me—but don’t be alone where he could corner you."

Heena appreciated the concern, even if it was somewhat overprotective.

"I’ll be careful," she promised. "But I won’t hide in fear either. That would just encourage them."

"Being careful and being smart aren’t the same as hiding in fear," Samuel argued. "Please. Just... be cautious. For my sake if not your own."

The genuine worry in his voice made Heena’s chest tighten unexpectedly.

’When did I start caring what he thinks about me?’ she wondered. ’When did his concern start mattering?’

Out loud, she just said, "I’ll be cautious. I promise."

Samuel nodded, looking slightly relieved.

"Good. Now let’s plan our defenses properly..."

---

’’[That Evening - Maya’s Chambers]’’

Maya was pacing in her room, excitement and nervousness warring on her face.

Meili had just returned from meeting with Driver Li, and the news was both encouraging and terrifying.

"He agreed?" Maya asked for the third time.

"Yes, Mistress. He agreed to your terms. For 500 silver, he’ll... handle the situation with the young mistress."

Maya’s hands trembled slightly. "And he understands it needs to look like an accident? Or like self-defense? Nothing that can be traced back to us?"

"He understands, Mistress. He said he’s done this kind of thing before."

’This kind of thing.’ Meaning violence. Meaning possibly murder.

Maya had crossed so many lines already, but this was different. This wasn’t scheming or social sabotage or even mild poisoning attempts. This was arranging genuine harm to another person.

For a moment, doubt flickered across her face.

’Am I really going to do this? Am I really going to have someone hurt—possibly kill—that girl?’

But then she remembered the humiliation in the market. The way Heena had made her look foolish with the tomato plant incident. The way the servants whispered admiringly about the young mistress while treating Maya with barely concealed contempt.

The way her husband—her own husband!—had looked at Heena that morning in the courtyard, with hunger and interest in his eyes.

The rage and jealousy surged back, drowning out the doubts.

"Good," Maya said, her voice hardening. "Tell him to proceed. But he needs to wait until the right opportunity—when she’s vulnerable, when there are no witnesses who would contradict his story."

"He said he’s been watching her routines," Meili reported. "He knows she goes to the market on certain days, walks in the gardens in the evening, visits the servants’ quarters to teach reading..."

"The servants’ quarters," Maya said thoughtfully. "That area is poorly lit at night. Isolated. If something happened there, it would be difficult to prove what really occurred."

She smiled coldly.

"Tell Driver Li that the young mistress will be in the servants’ quarters tomorrow evening. I’ll make sure of it. And tell him... tell him to make it look convincing. An assault gone wrong. A robbery. A tragic accident. I don’t care which, as long as it can’t be connected to us."

Meili looked genuinely frightened now. "Mistress, if the young master discovers our involvement—"

"He WON’T discover it," Maya snapped. "Because we’re being careful. Because Driver Li is being paid enough to keep his mouth shut. Because there will be no evidence."

She grabbed Meili’s arm roughly.

"And you will never speak of this to anyone. Ever. Do you understand? If you betray me, I’ll make sure you suffer worse than that servant girl will."

Meili nodded frantically, tears forming in her eyes. "I understand, Mistress. I won’t say anything. I swear."

Maya released her and took a deep breath, composing herself.

"Good. Now go. Deliver the message to Driver Li. Tell him tomorrow evening, servants’ quarters, after sunset. And then stay in your room the entire night. I want you nowhere near any of this when it happens."