"Well, they’ve taken strong counterasures to shift the bla. By claiming that you deliberately orchestrated this to damage the Dawn family due to your personal vendettas, they’re working hard to redirect the public’s outrage onto you. And, I must admit, they’re succeeding. Your uncle seems to have deeper reserves of hidden funds than we anticipated. It’s almost as if he’s been preparing for a mont like this. On the brighter side, Ava is finally out of interrogation, and new scandals in the entertainnt industry are now stealing the headlines, taking so of the pressure off Lydia.
"Fascinating," Serena murmured, leaning back in her chair. "And did you manage to trace any of it back to the source?"
"Of course," Mahi responded with a smiling nod. "As suspected, it’s all linked to a shell company—an entity that barely exists on paper. They go by the na IHL Group. What’s particularly interesting is their history of minor clashes with your grandmother over the years. While these incidents have never escalated to anything significant, it’s clear they have been careful. Almost as if they feared the consequences of provoking her wrath or coming on her radar. This ti, however, they’ve thrown caution to the wind and co out swinging in full support of your uncle’s agenda.
"The company itself, while not large by any ans, is surprisingly stable. Whoever has been managing it has skillfully built it into a well-regarded fixture in certain circles, establishing a foundation that holds credibility within society. It’s this stability that allows them to act boldly now, at a ti when most entities would think twice. So, no one doubts that this is a shell company. It’s just used to save and store money."
Serena nodded slowly, absorbing the details. "So, they’re more deeply embedded than we thought. But this changes nothing. We’ll simply need to rethink our strategy and prepare for another ga."
"Yes," Mahi agreed, but her tone hinted at hesitation as she spoke the next words. "Also, there’s sothing else you need to know."
Serena’s gaze sharpened, a flicker of curiosity sparking in her eyes. "What is it?"
Mahi drew in a asured breath, her expression shifting to one of cautious concern. "We received an invite this morning. It’s from IHL Group. More specifically, it’s addressed to you."
Serena’s eyebrows rose in interest. "An invite?"
"Yes," Mahi continued, her voice low but steady. "The letter assures your safety but insists that you must co alone. It claims you will find answers to all your questions there, and it warns that if you don’t attend, you might regret it. The date and ti are specified for tonight, and they’ve left little room for negotiation."
"They’re baiting ," Serena said finally, "But why now? Why this sudden need for answering my questions?"
"It’s hard to say," Mahi replied, the worry lines on her forehead deepening. "But one thing is certain—we have no reason to trust them, especially considering they’ve tried to kill you in the past- repeatedly. My advice is to disregard the invite. It’s too dangerous to simply walk into a trap. And that is what it probably is."
Serena looked out the window, the skyline painted in shades of steel and gold as the sun set on the city. A part of her knew Mahi was right; this was a trap, a potential ’death’ trap. But another part of her, the part that craved answers felt the pull of the unknown. If these people were willing to talk, then she was willing to end this.
"Your advice is noted," Serena said, turning back to face Mahi, a spark of resolve hardening her expression. "But sotis, the only way forward is to walk straight into the storm."
"No! Ma’am. This is dangerous. Mr. Hawk would never allow—" Mahi began urgently but....
"You’re not going to tell Aiden," Serena cut in sharply, her tone leaving no room for argunt. The weight of her stare pinned Mahi in place, silencing the protest poised on her lips.
Mahi shifted uneasily, the urgency in her eyes clashing with the unwavering determination in Serena’s. "But, Miss Serena, this is reckless! Going in without sufficient protection—into enemy territory, no less—is beyond risky. If they’ve asked for you to co alone, they undoubtedly have ulterior motives."
Serena’s gaze softened, if only slightly, as she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "I am not so untrained novice, Mahi," she said firmly. "I’ve prepared for situations like this. Just because they want to co unaccompanied does not an I will go in unprepared. I have my own asures in place. I will be taking a few ’gifts’ inside with , hidden tools that will even the playing field. And you," she added, her voice hardening again, "will be coming with ."
"With all due respect, Miss Serena, that doesn’t change the danger you’re walking into. Accepting their invitation might be playing right into their hands. They’re expecting you—they must want sothing, and if you refuse to et them, they will find another way to make contact. A way that could leave us less vulnerable. If they are really interested in answering ’questions’ they should simply find another way to co to you.
"And what if whatever they tell you is a lie?" Mahi whispered, intent on playing the devil’s advocate, "What if this is all a trap designed to manipulate you, to wound you in ways we can’t foresee? How can we trust any answers they give us?" "We don’t have to trust the answers. We simply need to hear them out and ferret what is needed and what is not. Mahi! Just stop worrying! If you were in my place, can you promise that you would not have done the sa thing? That you would not rather charge head first and would rather wait for another opportunity?" Mahi exhaled then. She knew she had been caught. She too, would not be willing to wait. "Fine. But you have to promise that you won’t take any unnnecessary risks. And ten minutes. We’ll go there only for ten minutes. If you’re not back in ti, I will be calling for backup."
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