Author's POV
A day before the incident,
Gloria paced back and forth in her lavish office, her face twisted with fury. Claire's boldness had struck a nerve, and Gloria was unwilling to let it slide. She wasn't just angry—she was determined to ruin Claire and Evander, to shatter the fragile alliance and feelings they seemed to be forming again
She sat down abruptly, tapping her manicured nails on the desk as a sinister plan began to take shape in her mind. Her eyes narrowed as she recalled Claire's mysterious time in the US. There was a gap—a whole year during which Claire had vanished from the public eye, and not even Gloria's extensive network could track her down.
"Zach," she called sharply, her voice slicing through the tense silence.
Her loyal assistant stepped forward with a cautious expression. "Yes, ma'am?"
"Contact the NGO I have been endorsing," Gloria ordered, her tone icy and calculated.
