The drive to the Zichen Estate was quiet, but my thoughts were anything but.
This was the night my downfall had begun in my past life. The night Ava had humiliated me, stripping away my dignity in front of X City's elite.
But this time… this time, I was prepared.
The car slowed to a stop in front of the grand estate, its golden lights illuminating the night like a beacon of wealth and power. Expensive cars lined the driveway, their owners stepping out in tailored suits and shimmering gowns, exuding the arrogance that came with old money.
As I stepped out, the hushed whispers began.
"Is that… Lisa Jing?"
"The spoiled, willful girl from the Jing family?"
"I heard she's uneducated and lacks manners."
"Tch, beauty wasted on a foolish girl."
I smirked. Let them talk. Let them underestimate me.
I moved forward, my every step deliberate, my heels clicking against the polished marble floor. The black silk of my dress hugged my figure, the high slit revealing just enough to be both elegant and dangerous.
And then, my eyes found him.
Damon Carven Zichen.
The head of the Zichen family. The Dark Prince feared by men and desired by women.
He stood on the balcony, overlooking the event with an unreadable expression. His all-black suit was sharp, emphasizing his lean yet powerful frame. His mere presence commanded the room.
At his left stood Caleb Wang, his trusted assistant, and at his right stood Daniel Jiehong, heir to the second-richest family in X City—though still 50% behind the Zichen family's wealth.
That fact alone spoke volumes about Damon's power.
Daniel was speaking in a low, serious tone, his face solemn as he reported something to Damon. Caleb stood beside them, nodding occasionally, his brows furrowed. Whatever they were discussing was serious.
But I already knew what it was.
In my past life, Damon left this party early that night. His enemies—rival mafia factions—had hired a top-tier hacker to infiltrate the mafia's encrypted files. Their goal? To uncover the true identity of the masked man leading the largest underground syndicate.
They had succeeded.
For exactly one minute.
A post revealing the real identity had appeared on a hidden forum before being wiped clean by Damon's people. But in that single minute, some enemies saw it—just like I had.
And that was when Damon's true danger began.
I knew who the masked man was.
And tonight, I would use that knowledge to change everything.
I took a slow sip of champagne, my lips curling into a confident smile. Damon's deep, piercing gaze flickered toward me, the weight of his stare pressing down like a challenge.
It was time to make my move.
I stepped forward.
And for the first time in both my lives, his gaze landed on me.
Dark. Intense. Unwavering.
I took a slow step forward, my fingers lightly tracing the rim of my champagne glass. Damon's eyes were on me now.
Ava and her mother had ruined my reputation, painting me as spoiled, foolish, and unworthy of high society. But tonight, I would show them just how wrong they were.
I approached the balcony, my every movement poised and deliberate. The closer I got, the more I could see the faint tension in Caleb Wang's expression and the sharp, almost cold seriousness in Daniel Jiehong's eyes.
Damon remained unreadable.
But I knew what Daniel had just reported to him.
The hacking incident. The attempt to uncover the identity of the masked leader of the most feared mafia group in the country.