Ana gave a faint smile. Without wasting time, she handed her coat to Elena.

    “Be me. Dress yourself like me. I’ll leave as you.”

    “But, Miss-

    “I don’t have much time, Elena. I trust you to handle things here for me.”

    Elena’s face turned pale at Aliana’s unexpected request. She stepped back, gazing at her mistress anxiously. Her lips trembled, wanting to refuse but unable to form the words.

    “Miss, this is too risky,” Elena’s voice trembled with worry and fear. But Aliana didn’t give her a chance to hesitate.

    She quickly removed her outer gown and handed it to Elena, signaling her to undress as well.

    “We must switch clothes now, Elena. There’s no time left. I have to leave before anyone notices.”

    Elena swallowed nervously, but Aliana’s piercing gaze left no room for disobedience. With awkward, hurried movements, Elena began removing her

    maid uniform and handed it over to Aliana.

    Aliana swiftly dressed in Elena’s uniform, rolling up the sleeves of her ck outfit underneath so it wouldn’t be visible.

    Once dressed, Aliana grabbed the bag she had brought. Elena’s eyes widened when Aliana pulled out a wig that perfectly matched her own hairstyle.

    “Y-you even prepared all of this?” Elena gasped, shocked at how far Aliana had nned everything.

    Apparently, Aliana had not only prepared the disguise tools for Elena to impersonate her, but had also brought everything she needed to be Elena.

    “Help me put it on,” Aliana said, ignoring her assistant’s astonishment.

    Elenaplied wordlessly. Her hands moved swiftly, carefully fitting the wig on Aliana’s head, ensuring each strand looked natural and perfect.

    Once the wig was on, Aliana took out a small box from her bag. Inside was a pair of bright ck contact lenses-the exact shade of Elena’s eyes.

    “Make me up,” Aliana instructed as she inserted the lenses.

    Elena held her breath and retrieved a makeup kit from the bag. She applied makeup meticulously, then finished with the same lipstick shade she wore.

    “Done, Miss. You look just like me,” Elena whispered, her voice still trembling with disbelief at what they had just done.

    Aliana gave a faint, satisfied smile. Elena was indeed skilled at disguise. Aliana straightened the cor of her new uniform, then grasped Elena’s shoulders and looked her in the eye.

    “Remember, Elena. Right now, you are me. Don’t speak too much. Pretend you’re still unwell. I trust youpletely. You can do this. Be extra careful around Nathan-don’t let him suspect anything.”

    Elena nodded nervously, her heart pounding with the heavy task now on her shoulders. But despite her fear, she was determined not to fail Aliana’s trust.

    “Yes, Miss. I’ll do my best.”

    Aliana held her gaze for a moment before nodding with approval. Without dy, she opened the bathroom door and stepped out with calm, confident steps.

    She walked briskly yet kept her head tow, mimicking Elena’s cautious mannerisms perfectly.

    In front of the room, Damien stood alert. He furrowed his brow, slightly surprised to see “Elena” leaving in such a hurry.

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    “Is something wrong?” Damien asked, alert.

    Aliana stopped and bowed respectfully, copying Elena’s usual demeanor. She lowered her voice to sound concerned butposed.

    76%

    “Miss Aliana isn’t feeling well, Mr. Damien. Her condition has worsened. She’s resting in the room, but I need to retrieve her special medication from the car before things get worse,” Aliana exined softly but confidently.

    Damien frowned, his suspicion growing. He nced toward the staff room door, then back at her.

    “Is she really that unwell? Should I call a doctor to check on her?” he offered, genuinely concerned.

    Aliana quickly but politely shook her head.

    “No need, Mr. Damien. Miss Aliana specifically asked not to call a doctor or draw attention. There are reporters outside. She doesn’t want to rm anyone or disrupt the event.”

    Damien was silent for a moment, still hesitant, but he understood Aliana’s usual desire to avoid public scenes.

    “Alright then. Go quickly and get the medicine. We need to make sure she recovers soon. I’ll remain on guard here.”

    Aliana bowed again, hiding the relief that nearly showed on her face.

    “Thank you very much, Mr. Damien, I’ll be back right away.”

    She walked away quickly, still mimicking Elena’s mannerisms. Damien watched her go, unaware he had just beenpletely fooled.

    Inside the restroom, Elena was now alone in the narrow space.

    She bit her lip anxiously, trying to calm her racing thoughts. Elena knew the task ahead of her was difficult, but she couldn’t afford to fail.

    With firm resolve, she took Aliana’s thick coat and carefully put it on, mentally preparing herself to face whatever mighte next.

    Elena opened her own bag. Inside was aplete makeup kit she had prepared earlier. She used the same foundation Aliana usually wore, soft yet bold eyeshadow, sharp eyeliner that gave Aliana her famously intimidating gaze, and Aliana’s signature matte pink lipstick. Taking a deep breath, Elena began applying the makeup meticulously, aiming to match Aliana’s appearance as closely as possible.

    Once her makeup wasplete, Elena reached for the shimmering ombré wig she had prepared in advance. She brushed the hair smoothly, then carefully positioned it on her head, ensuring the style-long, straight, and elegant-matched Aliana’s perfectly. Then, she inserted a pair of dark brown contact lenses that matched Aliana’s eye color.

    When she finished, Elena paused and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Although her face now closely resembled Aliana’s, she knew that mannerisms and bodynguage were just as important.

    She took a deep breath and began practicing Aliana’s signature cold expression. Straightening her posture, lifting her chin slightly, she rehearsed speaking softly and firmly in front of the mirror.

    “Thank you for your wee,” Elena said slowly, imitating Aliana’s short yet sharp tone.

    She repeated the line several times until she felt confident enough. Fortunately, Aliana wasn’t the type to speak much, so Elena wouldn’t need to say too much-reducing the risk of raising suspicion.

    Satisfied with her preparation, Elena picked up the face mask Aliana had provided earlier. The ck mask would further obscure her features, making it even harder for anyone to notice the difference.

    With a pounding heart, Elena stepped out of the room. She took a long breath before opening the door and walked out with calm, firm steps-just like

    Aliana.

    Damien looked surprised to see “Aliana” emerging from the staff room. He furrowed his brows and approached her with concern.

    14.30

    MIU, 20 Aug

    “Miss Aliana, are you feeling better?” he asked, sounding both surprised and worried. “I heard you weren’t well.”

    20:

    Elena, now disguised as Aliana, took a slow breath, lifted her chin slightly, and fixed Damien with a cold, firm gaze that perfectly mimicked Aliana’s style,

    “I’m feeling a little better. I want to return to the conference hall. I don’t want people to worry,” she said in a low, t voice.

    Damien still looked confused.

    “But your assistant left to get your medicine and hasn’t returned yet,” he replied, watching her expression closely.

    Elena quickly realized this could make Damien suspicious. Without hesitation, she responded in Aliana’s usual straightforward tone.

    “It’s fine. I told her to meet me at the hall. I’m feeling better now.”

    Damien studied her for a moment, clearly unsettled by the situation. But finally, he nodded slightly, masking his doubt.

    “Very well, Miss. Allow me to escort you back to the main hall.”

    Elena nodded silently, then walked ahead of Damien with a graceful andposed manner, just like Aliana.

    As they made their way through the corridor, Elena focused on maintaining herposure. Several staff members passed by and greeted her politely. Elena responded with a small nod, saying nothing.

    When they arrived at the conference room, Nathan was standing at the podium giving a brief speech. Elena calmly walked to Aliana’s designated seat, doing her best to remain steady. She didn’t notice that Nathan had suddenly paused mid-speech. His eyes narrowed as he looked sharply in her direction, filled with curiosity and suspicion.

    Elena sat upright in the chair, lifting her chin slightly to match Aliana’s signature demeanor. Nathan resumed his speech but kept ncing at her with an unreadable expression.

    Elena sat tense, struggling to keep calm and praying everything would go smoothly until Aliana returned.

    Meanwhile, Aliana moved quickly down a hallway toward the exit, careful not to draw attention. She turned into a back corridor and slipped out,

    avoiding the CCTV blind spots.

    Once she reached the rear staff exit, she stopped briefly. Swiftly, she removed Elena’s outfit, revealing her fitted ck Nyx uniform underneath. She folded the clothes quickly and stuffed them into her small bag.

    Aliana took a deep breath and pulled out her nano-fiber mask from the bag. With a firm motion, she put it on, concealing her face entirely-leaving only her sharp, determined eyes visible.

    After making sure her disguise was wless, Aliana stepped into a narrow alley, dashed through it with agile strides, and leapt over a low wall onto a small road behind the facility. At the end of the street, a ck motorcycle waited-Rafe sitting astride it, ready.

    Rafe handed her a ck jacket. As soon as Aliana hopped on, the motorcycle sped off toward the restaurant where Bianca was.

    At the Exclusive Lounge restaurant, the atmosphere had calmed slightly.

    The meeting with investors had just concluded. Bianca stood near the window, calling Andrian with a satisfied look on her face. However, the call went

    unanswered.

    Bianca frowned in confusion as she stared at her phone screen. After trying twice without sess, she let out a slow sigh, attempting to push aside her growing unease.

    “He must be busy with something,” Bianca murmured, trying to reassure herself.

    Not long after, Derek approached her, having just finished coordinating with the restaurant staff. Bianca immediately gave him a questioning look.

    “Derek, did you find out where Andrian went?” Bianca asked, trying to sound casual.

    14:38 Thu, 28 Aug A

    Derek nodded, though he looked slightly frustrated.

    “I’ve tried, Miss, but no one knows exactly where Mr. Andrian went. He left only with Elric. Viktor didn’t go with them-he was assigned to attend an importantpany meeting in Mr. Andrian’s ce.”

    Bianca nodded slowly, her curiosity growing about Andrian’s sudden disappearance.

    “Are you sure there’s no clue at all?”

    “None, Miss,” Derek confirmed firmly. “I’ve checked everything. What’s clear is that Andrian is not with Miss Aliana. The person I stationed there confirmed that Mr. Andrian is not at the orphanage or anywhere else with her.”

    Derek’s answer brought Bianca some relief. She exhaled deeply, though her curiosity lingered. To Bianca, as long as Andrian wasn’t with Aliana, there

    was no reason to worry too much.

    “Alright,” Bianca said with a small smile. “In that case, it’s fine. Let him take care of his business. What matters is that he’s not with Aliana.”

    Derek nodded in agreement. “You’re right, Miss. I’m sure he’ll contact you once he’s done.”

    Bianca nodded again, more rxed this time. She turned back toward the restaurant window, her thoughts settling once more. Unbeknownst to her, a real threat was drawing ever closer.

    Meanwhile, Aliana and Rafe had started moving.

    Rafe handed her a small device to disrupt the restaurant’s surveince camera signals. Aliana tucked the device into the pocket of her ck jacket. She swiftly made her way through a poorly monitored side path and slipped in through the back entrance, which Rafe had already unlocked using his tools.

    Aliana continued forward, sneaking through the catering staff’s ess. One obstacle after another, she passed in silence until she reached the hallway

    near the room where Bianca was.

    Carefully, Aliana observed the guards around the exclusive room. She saw twò guards in ck uniforms standing rigidly at the door, while two others patrolled nearby. Aliana tapped the smallms device in her ear and whispered in a low but clear voice:

    “Rafe, be ready. I want you to cut the lights when I give the signal. I’ll move in and strike under cover of darkness.”

    Rafe’s calm voice responded through the device,

    “Ready, Miss. Just waiting for your word.”

    Aliana took a deep breath, preparing to make her move. But suddenly, her steps faltered. Her chest tightened, and a sharp pain surged through her body. Instinctively, she clutched her chest tightly. The pain mixed with a storm of uncontroble emotions-anger, vengeance, hatred-so intense it left her gasping.

    “Miss? What’s wrong? Is something happening?”

    Rafe’s voice turned panicked, sensing something was off.

    Aliana slowly shook her head, even though she knew Rafe couldn’t see her. She leaned against the wall, trying to suppress the pain and the wild rage swelling in her chest.

    “Give me a moment, Rafe,” Aliana whispered faintly. “I need a moment.”

    “Are you alright?” Rafe asked again, clearly concerned. “Should Ie inside?”

    “No,” Aliana replied softly but firmly. “I just need a moment.”

    In the silence of the deserted hallway, Aliana struggled to calm her emotions. She didn’t understand why her chest hurt so much, why the rage and

    14:38 Thu, 28 Aug DA

    vengeance she had managed to control for so long had suddenly erupted so violently

    She closed her eyes and held her breath, trying to regain control over herself.

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