Chapter 4 It was time for Felix

The days that followed were filled with a restless calm. Mariana spent her time preparing, her mind constantly turning with the pieces of her plan. It had taken every ounce of self-discipline to remain composed in the days after her confrontation with Felix. She had wanted to scream, to lash out, but the woman who had once been blindsided by her husband's betrayal was no more. Now, she was a woman on a mission, determined to reclaim her power, and she would stop at nothing to see it through.

Felix had no idea what was coming. He was still living in the comfortable delusion that everything was fine, that the smooth exterior of their marriage remained intact. But with each passing day, Mariana felt the walls closing in around him. His lies, his secrets-soon, they would all come to light.

The house felt like a maze to her now, every room and corridor echoing with memories of a life she no longer recognized. She avoided Felix whenever she could, choosing instead to retreat into her private study, where she could carefully review the plans she had set in motion. The documents were ready. The calls had been made. Now, she only needed to wait for the right moment to strike.

Her phone buzzed on the desk, snapping her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the screen to see an encrypted message from Victor. A quick glance was all it took for her heart to race. It was time.

She quickly composed herself, running a hand through her hair and adjusting her blouse before standing up from the desk. Her movements were deliberate, calm, but beneath the surface, her mind was already racing ahead. She walked to the door of the study and opened it, her heels clicking against the polished marble floor. As she made her way down the hallway, she paused in front of Felix's office. The door was ajar, and she could hear his voice on the phone, low and indistinct. She couldn't make out the words, but it didn't matter. He was talking to someone-no doubt involved in his shady dealings. She had already uncovered much of his business's corrupt side, but there were still pieces of the puzzle that needed to be found.

Mariana took a deep breath, then continued on her way, her destination clear in her mind. The grand foyer stretched out before her as she descended the staircase. The mansion was a reflection of their status-lavish, extravagant, and full of empty grandeur. It was all an illusion, just like their marriage.

She reached the main door, where her driver was waiting in the car, and slipped inside. The air outside felt different-cooler, sharper-as if the city had somehow changed in the last few days. Her mind, still trapped in the web of betrayal, struggled to focus on anything else as the car drove through the streets.

The car stopped in front of an upscale restaurant, the kind of place that catered to the wealthy elite. Inside, the atmosphere was calm, but there was a quiet tension in the air. Victor was already waiting at a secluded table in the back, his expression one of quiet focus, as though he had been anticipating her arrival for some time.

"Victor," she greeted him coolly, sitting down without waiting for him to rise. "Have you got the information I requested?"

He nodded, his piercing gaze assessing her with a mixture of admiration and something else she couldn't quite place. "Everything is in order. I've secured the contracts and the necessary paperwork. It's all set up, just like you asked."

Mariana glanced down at the papers in front of her, her fingers tracing the edges of the contract. It was a well-thought-out move-Felix's businesses, the ones that had grown under his hands, were now hers to control. It wasn't just revenge-it was her way of taking back what she had always deserved.

"This is just the beginning," she said, her voice low, steady. "I want him to feel the weight of every decision he's made. This is only one piece of the puzzle."

Victor's eyes gleamed with approval. "I never doubted you, Mariana. You've got the strength to take everything you want."

She glanced up at him, meeting his gaze squarely. "I've had to learn to survive, Victor. I wasn't always this strong. But when your trust is shattered, you either rebuild or you break."

"I don't think you'll ever break," he said, a subtle smile curving his lips. "You're much more dangerous than you let on."

Mariana took a deep breath and straightened in her seat. "I don't care about being dangerous. I care about making them understand that betrayal has consequences. Felix will see the consequences, and so will his allies. I'm not going to be his victim anymore. I will be his reckoning."

Victor leaned back, his gaze unwavering. "And what about Anton? Have you made your move on him yet?"

Mariana's eyes flickered with a cold intensity. "I've been patient, but not for much longer. Anton Mikhailov is a snake. He's been playing both sides for years. It's time he realizes that loyalty means something-or he will lose everything."

Victor nodded, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "He won't see it coming. I'll make sure of it."

Mariana leaned forward slightly, her fingers clasped together on the table. "Good. I don't want to leave anything to chance. We make sure Felix is cornered, and then we wait. He won't be able to run from what he's done."

The conversation continued, strategies being laid out, alliances solidified. The tension in the air was palpable, a shared understanding between the two of them that things were about to escalate. Mariana's mind never stopped moving, calculating the next step, analyzing the repercussions of every decision.

By the time the meal was over, it was dark outside, the city lights shimmering like stars. As she climbed back into the car, she couldn't shake the feeling that everything was falling into place. But there was still a part of her that held a deep, gnawing emptiness-a reminder of the life she had lost. The love she had given so freely, only to see it trampled by the very man she had trusted most.

Her phone buzzed once more as the car sped through the streets, this time a message from her lawyer, confirming that all of the legal steps had been finalized. The contracts, the assets, everything was in her name now. Felix had no idea how deep the hole he had dug himself into was. His empire, his fortune-everything was now hanging by a thread.

As the car pulled up to the mansion, Mariana gazed out at the towering structure, feeling both disconnected and in control. The man she had once loved, the man she had thought she knew, was about to find out exactly what it meant to be on the receiving end of betrayal.

Her hand tightened around her phone as she stepped out of the car, a determined glint in her eyes. It was time for Felix to realize that the game had changed. And this time, he wasn't going to win.