Grace's heels clicked against the concrete floor of the basement as she descended the stairs. She immediately noticed how the air was heavy with tension as everyone watched her making her way down.
The basement was lit brightly, granting every person present there to have a clear view of what was about to happen.
From the seven members of the Inner circle, four were present there - Kevin, Seth, Aleena, and Maven. They stood in position, ready for action while their eyes followed her every step.
But what really pulled her attention was something else. In the center of the room, there were six people tied to chairs. They were none other than Daniel and the five other members of the outer circle who betrayed her in her previous life. They were the ones who took pleasure in ending her life.
While the other five carried at least a hint of fear in their gazes, all that she saw in Daniel's eyes was anger and confusion. He glared at her as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
"What nonsense is this, Grace? How dare you tie us up like this?" He demanded in an angry tone, not even trying to hide his contempt toward her.
Grace felt all five members of the inner circle tensing at Daniel's outrageous words, but none of them moved from their positions or even spoke, waiting for her instructions. She knew that it would take only one word from her for the four of them to end Daniel and his minions.
Shifting her full attention to Daniel, she smiled - a smile that was full of mockery. She started walking toward him, keeping her icy gaze fixed on his as she spoke, "It's Boss, Daniel. Either that or Ms. Blackwood. But I have noticed that you love forgetting exactly who's the boss and who's the follower here."
She watched as his eyes flickered with unease as she approached, but he quickly masked it with a smirk. He still had no idea of what was going on... or what was about to happen.
"You always were dramatic, Grace," he sneered, still refusing to change his way of addressing her. His voice was dripping with mockery as he continued, "But this? Tying us up in the basement? Really? What's next, a monologue?"
Grace stopped in front of him, her eyes cold and unreadable. She had waited for this moment since the moment she returned to the past that morning, and now it was finally here. The hatred she carried toward him bubbled just beneath the surface, but she kept her voice steady.
"No monologues, Daniel. Just the truth."
She pulled the flash drive from her skirt's pocket, holding it up for everyone to see. The room grew even quieter as the men and women of the outer circle, who had once believed they could join Daniel, shifted nervously. They could sense the shift in power and the realization of their mistakes was hitting them hard.
Grace plugged the drive into the laptop Kevin had set up and gestured for him to start the video.
As the screen flickered to life, Daniel's face paled. Grainy footage of his most recent meetings with rival gangs, the illicit deals he had made behind Grace's back, flashed on the screen. Conversations that proved his betrayal, his plot to take control of the Blackwood house by eliminating her, filled the room.
"Wait—" Daniel began, struggling against his restraints. "This is doctored! You can't trust this—"
"Shut up," Grace cut in coldly. "I have spent years gathering this. You thought you covered your tracks well, didn't you? You thought no one would ever find out how you undermined me, sold out our people, and eventually had me killed."
Her voice was ice, and the room seemed to grow colder with each word. But what really left everyone stunned was the last sentence.
Despite being aware of everyone's confusion, Grace made no effort to elaborate, not like there was anything she could explain to them... or even wanted to.
Aleena stepped forward, her expression hard as she addressed the outer circle. "This footage, along with all the evidence on this drive, will be sent to every major house around the world. Everyone will know what Daniel has done, how he betrayed the Blackwood house, and how all of you supported him. Your names are already on the list."
Panic set in among the outer circle members. They had always thrived in the shadows where their crimes remained hidden. Now, everything was about to be exposed, and they had no way out.
Grace's gaze never left Daniel. She could see the desperation in his eyes, the fear that he was losing everything. He had always believed he could control her, manipulate her, but now, he was the one who was powerless.
"I should thank you, Daniel," she said, her voice calm despite the fire burning in her chest. "You taught me a valuable lesson. Never trust anyone fully, not even those closest to you. I trusted you once, and you drove a knife into my back - literally."
Daniel flinched at her words, but his gaze was filled with confusion as he stared at her and demanded, "Why are you talking like i have ever tried to harm or kill you? I have never done anything of that sort."
"And that's because you never got the chance. I'm sure the thought was always here." She returned coldly as she pointed her fingers at his head.
This time, he failed to find his voice to even deny her accusation. Grace felt so foolish for never seeing his true intentions in her past life. She wondered exactly what made her so blind toward the obvious.
"A-are you going to kill me?" Daniel asked when he finally started realizing just how bad the situation was for him. He was now clearly seeing the killing intent in her eyes.
Grace smiled in response, but it was a cold, distant smile, one that never reached her eyes. "Oh, Daniel. You killed me once already. It's only fair I return the favor."