It poured fiercely that night, soaking the enormous glass windows of Tiberius Marlowe and his wife, Cassy's, luxurious penthouse apartment. Occasional flashes of lightning illuminated the black apartment, while thunder roared in the background. Cassy sat in her upstairs study, her gaze fixed on the screen of her laptop. Her hands shook when she pressed play for the third time.
On the screen, the video replayed the scene that appeared to ruin Cassy's world in seconds. Tiber, her husband, whom she thought was faithful, was seen with a lady named Ivy Calder. Tiber is seen passionately touching Ivy's face in the secretly recorded tape, and they quickly retire into a beautiful hotel room together. The hallway camera did not lie.
Cassy felt her breath seize in her throat and her heart race in her chest. The crushing anguish struck her forcefully. This wasn't only about infidelity. This was a devastating betrayal, something she never expected from her husband, the guy she had loved for years. Cassy looked blankly at the screen, a cold hand on her rigid lips.
"How could you?" she asked gently, hardly heard above the roaring rain. "How could you do this to me, Tiber?"
Cassy watched the video again, this time without fighting back her tears. Every time she watched Tiber's face sparkle under the hotel lights, her heart broke just a little more. Her fists grasped the chair's arms hard, her nails nearly piercing her own skin.
"I gave you everything," she snarled, her voice filled with a rage she had never experienced before. "All this time, I've been by your side, supporting your every wild goal... And this is what you give me in exchange?"
She gave a quick, chilly, desperate laugh. "I'm a fool. I knew you were power hungry, but I never expected you to stab me in the back."
A burst of lightning struck outside, as if to intensify the misery she was feeling within. She slapped the laptop down on the table, but her hand swiftly grabbed it back, her fingers replaying the video like inexorable self-torture.
"What were you thinking when you touched it?" she inquired, looking at the screen. "Do you remember me, Tiber? Or did you never think of me? Did Ivy give you anything I couldn't?"
Cassy focused on Ivy's face in the video—the woman who was younger, more crafty, and had now taken a chunk of her life. But her suffering was becoming increasingly dangerous.
"You think you can win, Ivy?" Cassy spoke to herself, but it was as if she were speaking directly to the woman. "You think you can take him from me without consequences?"
A minute of silence. Silence. Only rain and thunder could be heard in the chamber. Then Cassy gave a chilly, calculating smile.
"No, it will not. It will not end like this. Do you think you can defeat me? You do not know who I am. I've been with this man for longer than you can imagine. I know all of his secrets, and I know how to destroy him." Her face stiffened, her eyes brimming with repressed rage.
"I will not scream or cry. I won't blame you directly, Tiber. You do not deserve such a response. I'll ruin you in a more subtle, deeper way. You will not even notice it coming." Cassy rose from her chair, calmly turned her phone, and began to plot her next move.
"Do you believe you can beat me at this game? Let's see how far you can travel, Tiber. You may be a good player, but I am better. I will cause you pain without ever touching you." She grinned again, but with a dreadful sense of delight. "Ivy may be your bait. But me... I'll be your downfall."
***
In the middle of the night, Nikolai Drakos sat in his study, reflecting on the tender setback that had recently broken his pride. His surroundings are loaded with books and antiquities from all over the world, demonstrating his immense achievement. Tonight, however, everything seemed empty. Something was wrong, and he knew it.
His cell phone abruptly vibrated on the table. He arched an eyebrow and glanced at the screen, which had a message from an unknown number. Curiosity drove him to open the message immediately.
"A serpent hides in the eagle's nest. It waits in the shadows, whispering to the breeze about concealed betrayal. Consider this: who is discreetly observing and measuring your every move?"
Nikolai read intently, his brow wrinkled. What exactly did she mean? His thoughts quickly turned to the commercial and political intrigues that had shaped his life. He traced each sentence, attempting to understand the implicit meaning of the poetic words. One thing was clear: someone was warning him of betrayal. A few seconds later, a second message arrived, escalating the tension.
"Snakes do not always attack with lethal venom. Sometimes it waits for its prey to become caught in a silent circle before slowly crushing until only shards of destruction remain. Who is devoted to you, Mr. Drakos? Who is only biding their time?"
Nikolai began to feel uneasy. "Who are you?" he texted back, his gaze tightening suddenly. But there was no answer, only terrible quiet.
After a few minutes, a third message arrived, which was longer than the previous one.
"In the game of fire, a serpent can burn the wings of a bird, including a noble eagle. It alternates between pride and arrogance, between comments that appear to be faithful. You're too high, Mr. Drakos. Remember that not all who bow are actually submissive, and not all who smile are friends."
Nikolai felt his heart skip a beat. The phrases seemed like a mirror, reflecting his own image and reminding him of those around him. Ivy? Tiber? Or perhaps his other subordinates?
His phone vibrated again, this time with a shorter and final message.
"Take care, Mr. Drakos. When the snake bites, it will be behind you, closer than you realize."
Nikolai grumbled, attempting to shake off the terror that had crept up on him. Under his rage and perplexity, mistrust was gradually growing. But who might it be? He wasn't sure, but he began to consider one possibility: perhaps he had placed too much faith in certain people.
***