​Quietly, Lyvana closed her eyes, trying to block out the pain.

​Ring. Ring. Ring.

​The loud noise made her gasp, and she sat up fast. For a moment, she looked around in confusion. She wasn’t in a hospital room at all. Instead, she was lying on the sofa in her office.

Her body started trembling as she gasped for air.

Immediately, she grabbed her arm, checking for signs of the gunshot wound. There was no blood, no bandage, and no wound.

​Was the whole thing just a dream?

She continued to stare at her arm, her heart pounding violently against her ribs. It had felt so real.

Marco getting shot.

Julian’s angry expression.

The sniper.

Her breathing was still uneven when she realized the office phone was still ringing beside her.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Still shaken, she reached for it and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" she said hoarsely.

"Ms. Lyvana, you have an unscheduled visitor waiting downstairs at reception to see you."

The moment she heard those words, a chill crawled slowly down her spine.

Because suddenly... she remembered the lawyer, Alaric.

Her grip on the receiver tightened.

What to do, what to do...

For a second, the images from the dream flashed through her mind again.

She swallowed hard and forced herself to calm down.

"Um..." She cleared her throat softly. "Bertha, tell him to come upstairs to my office." She hesitated briefly before adding. "And get me Marco as well."

A minute later, the office door opened.

Lyvana’s breath caught instantly.

It was him. She knew that she would never forget that face and she recognised him at once. The same lawyer from her dream.

He wore the same sharp, tailored suit that looked expensive, every detail perfectly in place. His posture carried that same quiet confidence.

For a brief moment, Lyvana simply stared at him, her heart pounding harder with every step he took into the room.

The man stopped in front of her desk and gave a polite nod.

"I am Alaric," he said smoothly. "I apologize for arriving without an appointment, but I believe we have matters to discuss that cannot wait."

The exact same words.

A cold wave of dread washed over her, but she forced herself to keep her expression calm.

Before she could respond, the office door opened again, and Marco stepped inside. He was alive and uninjured.

For a brief second, the terrifying images from her dream loosened their grip on her chest.

She straightened herself quickly and motioned toward the chair across from her desk.

"Mr. Alaric, please, sit down."

Alaric inclined his head politely before taking the seat.

"What can I do for you?" Lyvana asked, keeping her tone professional despite the unease crawling beneath her skin.

Alaric’s gaze briefly shifted toward Marco, who remained standing near the door like a silent wall.

Then the lawyer looked back at her calmly.

"Can we speak alone?" he asked smoothly. "This is a very sensitive matter."

"No," she said flatly. "Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of him."

One of Alaric’s brows lifted slightly.

"I understand your caution," he replied evenly. "But my client specifically instructed that this conversation remain private."

Lyvana studied him carefully for a long moment.

"Are you here to waste my time?" she asked sharply. "Say what you came to say, or leave."

A heavy silence settled over the room before Alaric finally gave a small nod.

"Very well."

He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a sealed envelope, placing it carefully on the desk between them.

The moment Lyvana saw it, her stomach tightened. Just like the dream.

Alaric folded his hands calmly.

"Someone is preparing to destroy your company, Ms. Lyvana."

Lyvana’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Then she looked toward Marco without even glancing at the envelope.

"Marco, can you have someone confirm with Kline & Co. whether an Alaric works there?"

Alaric’s eyes widened slightly. Because he hadn’t mentioned Kline & Co. yet.

Lyvana leaned back carefully in her chair, her pulse pounding beneath her calm expression.

Marco nodded, already typing on his phone.

"Why would this anonymous client have any interest in me?" Lyvana asked.

Alaric cleared his throat. "Someone has spent a lot of money to destroy you, Ms. Lyvana. They purchased a large amount of your latest clothing line..."

"... and replaced it with cheap, fake copies." she said together with him.

Alaric froze.

For the first time since arriving, genuine shock crossed his face. Even Marco lifted an eyebrow.

"Continue," she waved for him to go on.

Alaric hesitated, not knowing what was really going on. "They... they are planning to file a lawsuit against your company tomorrow morning, claiming..."

He stopped talking completely, when again she pronounced all the words at the same time as him.

"How do you know what I’m going to say?" Alaric asked, standing up abruptly.

"Because I have my sources," she replied. "Sit down, Mr Alaric."

Before Alaric could take a step, Marco moved and blocked the lawyer’s path, and heavy-handedly forced him back down into the chair.

​"He’s a lawyer at Kline & Co, alright," Marco said. "He’s also been investigated for fraud, twice."

Oh my God... oh my God...

Inside, Lyvana was completely freaking out. Every hair on her body felt like it was standing on end.

This was real.

Every single detail from the dream was happening exactly the same way.

"Did Catalina send you?" she asked him.

Alaric blinked, thrown off balance.

"I... I don’t know any Catalina."

Lyvana’s eyes narrowed further.

"Then who is your anonymous client?"

Sweat formed at Alaric’s temple. "I can’t disclose my client’s identity," he said quickly, forcing his professional tone back into place. "It would be a breach of..."

Marco’s hand shot forward, gripping Alaric by the collar and yanking him halfway out of the chair.

​"Wrong answer," Marco said coldly. He paused, letting the lawyer feel the danger, before adding calmly, "Let’s try again. Who sent you?"

Alaric swallowed. "Errm... his name is Mark. Mark Vaughn."