Grace sipped her whiskey as she gazed out the window of her office, the New York skyline glittering before her.

  Years of relentless work had brought her success and wealth, yet an emptiness lingered inside. On the surface, she seemed in control of everything. But deep down, there was a void that no amount of money or power could ever fill. A single, haunting thought echoed in her mind: it could all vanish in an instant.

  The allegations against her—unspoken but looming—were enough to shatter the empire she'd built. And if it came to that, she knew she could only rely on herself. She always had.

  There was no room for weakness. No time to wait for help.

  Her family had given her the best education money could buy. She had traveled the world, spoke five languages fluently. And still, it had never been enough.

  They had always demanded more. She had spent her whole life trying to prove she was worthy—not realizing that what she truly sought wasn’t success, but meaning.

  At just twenty-five, she felt closer to fifty. Everything looked perfect from the outside, yet inside she was drowning in a quiet, spiritual exhaustion.

  She took another sip and turned to the display case. Her eyes drifted among the whiskey bottles until something caught her attention—an envelope, tucked discreetly behind the glass.

  Grace’s breath hitched.

  She quickly opened the cabinet, pulled it out, and tore it open.

  Inside was a single message:

  “You have a new mission. Time is running out. We will find you. Until then, be ready.”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Her blood ran cold.

  How?

  How had someone gotten past her security, into her private office—into her display case?

  Grace had built her life around control. No one got past her. Ever.

  Her shock quickly turned into fury. She crushed the envelope in her fist and tossed it into the trash, but the questions in her mind refused to be silenced.

  Was someone watching her?

  She stayed in the office all night, working through the hours to quiet the chaos inside her head. But sleep never came.

  The next morning, she opened the office doors to her staff.

  Everyone knew her reputation—cold, commanding, untouchable.

  No one dared cross her.

  No one questioned her authority.

  But this message… this was different. This was deeper.

  She summoned everyone to the center of the office. Her voice rang out—firm, sharp:

  “Yesterday, I found an envelope inside the display case in my office. Whoever put it there, step forward. Now.”

  Silence.

  Eyes darted across the room.

  No one moved.

  She stepped closer, voice colder than before.

  “Someone placed that envelope there. Are you all going to stand there and say nothing?”

  Still—nothing.

  Her anger simmered into something darker. This wasn’t just a prank.

  This was personal.

  Someone had breached her world.

  And she knew, without a doubt, she was being watched.

  Her gaze swept across every face in the room. Her voice rose:

  “If someone here thinks they can threaten me—watch me—I promise you, there will be consequences. No one plays games with me. No one. And if anyone here knows something and stays silent, you’re just as guilty.”

  Then she turned on her heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

  Her chest tightened. Her breath caught.

  The weight of accusations, betrayal, and now this message—

  It was all too much.

  She collapsed to the floor in the hallway, her back against the cold wall.

  For a moment, the world blurred. Her vision dimmed.

  And then, she cried.

  Not in anger. Not in weakness.

  But in exhaustion.

  Everything she had fought for now felt like it was crumbling into shadows.

  And for the first time in years—

  Grace felt truly, utterly alone.