In the dressing room. bAliana /bopened the door and found bOlivia /bband /bEthan already bwaiting/b. bBut /bthey weren’t alone.

Her attention immediately shifted to another figure standing behind her parents–a woman, a few years younger, wearing a modest cream–colored dress. Her face bwas /bpale, her eyes tense and sorrowful.

“Aliana, Ethan stepped forward with ba /bbsmall/b, measured smile. His bvoice /bwas bt /bbbut /bced with significance. “Before you do anything else, I bwant /bto introduce someone to you.”

The woman behind him stepped forward, bowing her head respectfully.

“This is Elena Rossa, Ethan continued. “She was Alicia’s most trustedpanion. She served her for years band /bwas a firsthand witness to many things your sister endured”

Aliana showed no o reaction, but her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied Elena from head to toe.

“Elena was the bonly /bbone /bwith Alicia before she died.” bEthan /badded. “She even witnessed the moment Alicia’s car rwent over the cliff”

Aliana’s expression remained unreadable as she fixed her gaze on Elenab, /bwho kept her head down, seemingly afraid to look directly at her.

“Yesterday, Elena couldn’t attend the funeral. She bwas /bhospitalized from the shock of witnessing the incident,” Ethan said. “I know you bhave /bno one to trust in the Velor household. That’s why I brought her here. She’ll stay by your side. You can trust her–just like Alicia did.

Aliana said nothing at first. Her eyes stayed narrowed as she continued to assess Elena.

Elena trembled. Herrge eyes met Aliana’s for a moment–eyes identical to Alicia’s–and tears welled up instantly.

Realizing bshe /bbwas /bcrying. Elena lifted her bhead /bslightly and tried to speak, her voice trembling.

“Forgive me,” Elena said quietly, stifling ba /bsob. “You look so much like Miss Alicia. It feels like seeing her bagain/b. I.. I promise to do anything I can to help you. Miss bAliana/b. I swear, in bAlicia’s /bname.”

bAliana /bremained motionless, her face unreadable. After a moment, she nced at her parents.

“I want to change,” she said. “If there’s nothing else, you may go.”

Before bEthan /bor bOlivia /bcould respond, Elena stepped forward

“bMiss /bAliana, please allow me to assist you

Aliana looked at her, then gave a bsmall /bnod, as if finding no reason to refuse. Ethan smiled faintly and patted Olivia’s shoulder, signaling that they should leave.

Once the door closed behind them, Elena quickly began to help Aliana out of the heavy wedding gown. Her hands moved deftly, though they still btrembled /bslightly. Tears continued to glisten in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Aliana studied Elena through the mirror. She said nothing, but her mind was bracing/b. If Elena had truly been the closest person to Alicia, she was likely a vital source of truth. Still, Aliana knew not to btrust /btoo quickly–beven /bsomeone who bappeared /bbgenuine/b.

“Elena” Aliana broke the silence.

Elena paused and met Aliana’s gaze through the mirror. “Yesb, /bMiss?”

“Tell me what really happened to Alicia. I want to bknow /beverything.” Her bvoice /bwas calm but steely.

Elena hesitated briefly, then nodded. “bYes/b, Miss. I’ll tell you everything!

She btook /bba /bdeep breath bto /bsteady herself. Her hands clutched Alicia’s gown tightly, freshly removed from bAliana’s /bbody.

“It all started at a charity event at the borphanage/b,” bElena /bbbegan/bb, /bher voice trembling “Miss Alicia bwas /binvited as the guest of honor. She often attended such events–she bloved /bhelping others”

Elena paused, swallowing hard before continuing.

“I apanied her throughout the event. Everything went smoothly until thete afternoon. Suddenly, Alicia went missing. We bsearched /beverywhere, but no one bknew /bwhere she had gone. Panic set in.”

Aliana continued watching her reflection in bthe /bmirror, her bface /bexpressionless. “And then?”

“That night, someone brought Miss Alicia home,” Elena said softly, her voice barely audible. “I found her lying at the doorstep. Her clothes were tom, her body covered in bruises and… signs of a bman’s /btouch.”

Elena bit her lower lip, tears spilling down her cheeks.

After bthat/b, Miss bAlicia /bdidn’t speak. She just cried and screamed. Mr. and Mrs. Zavier called a doctor immediately. But.. the physical wounds were nothingpared to the emotional damage. She couldn’t stop crying. She kept saying she was dirty. that her life was ruined.”

Aliana clenched her fists but said nothing.

“We tried everything to calm her,” Elena continued. “But whenever she bwas /balone, she tried to end her life. She tried to drown herself in the bathtub, slit her wrists even jumped from the bbalcony/bb. /bWe had to watch her constantly.”

Aliana inhaled deeply to steady herself.

Then one day, Alicia seemed calm,” Elena said with a softened voice. “She stopped crying. She no longer tried to hurt herself. I thought she

was getting better. She even left the house to pick up her wedding gown”

But

was just an illusion,” Aliana interjected, her voice bitter.

Elena nodded, fresh tears falling.

“Miss Alicia asked me to apany her. On the way back, she asked to stop near the cliff. She said she wanted to enjoy the view. I didn’t suspect a thing. She asked the driver and me to step out of the car. But then… I realized she had gotten back in. She was behind the wheel. And before the car moved, she bsaid /bjust one thing-

Elena’s voice broke again.

“What did she say?” Aliana asked bsharply/b.

“She said, ‘I’m tired.”

Elena wept, covering her face. “And then it happened. Her car sped toward the cliff. I couldn’t stop her. It plunged off the edge band /bexploded at the bottom. L. I could bonly /bwatch. I couldn’t do anything..”

Aliana stood in silence. Her expression didn’t change, though her heart burned with grief and rage. She let Elena cry, saying nothing for several moments.

When Elena began to calm down, Aliana spoke.

“Elena–did Alicia ever tell you who hurt bher?/b”

Elena raised her tear–streaked face, eyes bred /bband /bswollen.

is all Bianca’s doing, never let me blive /bbin /bpeace.

“She never named banyone/b. But bonce/bb, /bshe bsaid/bb… /b“I know this is all Bian

Aliana closed her eyes bfor /ba brief moment, letting the name bAliana /bknew she couldn’t rely solely on Elena’s story.

e bsink /bbin/b. Bianca Lorraine. Andrian’s lover. A woman with clear motive. bHut /b

“Listen carefully.” bAltana /bsaid in a firm voice. “bFrom /bbnow /bbon/b, byou’ll /bbstay /bclose to me. You’ll be bmy /beyes and ears in the Velor household. If anything seems suspicious, you tell me immediately.”

Elena nodded quickly, fear still etched on her face:

“I swear, Miss Aliana. I’ll do anything to help you. For bMiss /bbAlicia/b.

bAliana /bsaid nothing more. She turned away bfrom /bthe mirror and walked out of the room.

Her mind was already forming a n

She wouldn’t stop until she uncovered the truth behind her sister’s death.