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Disclaimer: This chapter contains depictions of emotional trauma, grief, and manipulation. Reader discretion is advised.
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The warmth of spring didn't reach Liv's heart. Despite the sun outside, her home remained dim—a reflection of her soul. Since reuniting with Mia, who was in truth her reincarnated twin Nia, she had begun to live again. Yet healing was never simple. The discovery of damning evidence against Kavian and his friend—Zavian—from the hidden company records had given her purpose, but it also brought the weight of revenge to her fragile chest.
They had copied everything from the locked drawer in the office room—the files, financials, and a voice memo from a tampered recording system. It revealed how the drug that killed Nia had been switched by a rogue nurse under pressure from Zavian. Kavian's voice had been heard instructing him.
Ravien, the eldest brother, had long distanced himself from the business of betrayal. He stayed within the legacy of their family's core enterprise. He had never involved himself in Liv's company, nor shown ill intent. The venom stemmed from Kavian and his thirst to prove himself, aided by Zavian's cunning. They had sought to manipulate Liv emotionally, gaining her trust, learning from her, and preparing to take over by faking loyalty.
They didn't expect Liv to be recording everything now.
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The nights were still difficult.
Sometimes, Mia would cry in her sleep—deep, silent sobs that broke Liv's heart. Liv would rush to her bedside, brushing her fingers gently through Mia's hair, whispering lullabies she remembered from their childhood.
"I'm here… you're safe now," she whispered, voice trembling with guilt.
She held Mia close, feeling her tiny arms curl tightly around her waist.
"I should've protected you back then…" she whispered into the darkness. "This time, I won't fail."
Mia stirred but didn't wake. Tears streamed down Liv's face, not for the first time.
Over the weeks, she began seeing herself less as Mia's older sister and more as her mother. Not just legally—but spiritually. She'd adopted Mia a month earlier, but their bond was older than blood.
Liv now juggled being a mother and a CEO, all while weaving a trap.
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Their plan was subtle.
Liv proposed a massive new international expansion project—a fabricated opportunity that could place the entire company under shared leadership. Kavian and Zavian would get everything they'd always wanted. She watched as greed lit their eyes like matches to gasoline.
She pretended to soften.
"I want to step back. I want to live a quiet life with Mia," she told them over a fabricated celebratory dinner. "You both should learn everything I know. Let's make this your legacy too."
They bought it.
Zavian, smug and self-assured, started spending more time in Liv's office. Kavian played the doting brother, calling her 'inspiring,' feigning concern for her peace.
But Liv never left them unsupervised.
She had installed hidden mics and cameras. Her assistant was in on it—quietly transferring all recordings to a private server. Every time Kavian whispered to Zavian, every smug chuckle about their 'victory,' it was all being archived.
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One night, after putting Mia to bed, Liv sat in her study, watching a clip from earlier that day.
Kavian: "Once she signs off next quarter, we'll move the assets. She won't even notice. That kid—Mia—she's just a distraction."
Zavian: "We made her trust us. Now we take everything."
Liv paused the video. Her hands trembled, not with fear—but fury.
In the hallway, a tiny voice called, "Mama?"
Liv turned. Mia stood in the doorway, eyes wide, clutching her blanket.
"Another bad dream?" Liv asked.
Mia nodded. "I dreamed you disappeared… like last time."
Liv knelt and opened her arms. Mia rushed into them.
"I'm not going anywhere," she whispered. "And I won't let anyone take anything from us again."
Mia looked up. "Are they the same ones?"
Liv nodded slowly. "Yes. But we're going to stop them. Together."
Mia smiled—an old, knowing smile that belonged to her sister more than a child. "Then let's begin."
The game was far from over.
But this time, the sisters were playing by their own rules.
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End of Chapter 11