Jilted Bride's Revenge The Valkyrie Awakens Fu

Neon.Harbor

Transcript

00:00:00I woke up on my wedding night.

00:00:01My husband was in bed with my sister.

00:00:03A secret AI program activated in my brain.

00:00:05My emotions died and my heart slowed down.

00:00:07I beat them both and left.

00:00:09The king granted me a royal annulment.

00:00:10Now, I am working with Crown Prince Elias.

00:00:13I will destroy everyone who betrayed me.

00:00:15I wake up on my wedding night.

00:00:16On a lounge chair across the room, two bodies are tangled together.

00:00:19The air in my bridal suite is thick with my husband's cologne and the sour smell of sex.

00:00:23I force my eyes open and see them.

00:00:25I see the sprawling tattoo on his back.

00:00:27It's my husband, Hardin.

00:00:28I see the platinum blonde hair.

00:00:30It's my sister, Carissa.

00:00:31A blinding white hot pain shoots through my skull.

00:00:33I should be screaming, crying, falling apart.

00:00:36But I'm not.

00:00:37Instead, a dormant program in my brain boots up.

00:00:39Is less than host emotional response overridden?

00:00:42Valkyrie protocol initiated.

00:00:44Is greater than Valkyrie protocol splice.

00:00:46The panic in my chest vanishes instantly.

00:00:48The weak, terrified girl I used to be is gone.

00:00:51Now, I am a machine.

00:00:52My heart rate drops from a frantic 180 to a steady 60 beats per minute.

00:00:56I sit up, the silk sheets pooling around me.

00:00:59My new mind begins its cold analysis.

00:01:01Is less than threat assessment initiated.

00:01:03Subjects.

00:01:04Hardin Harrison, Carissa Foley.

00:01:06Is greater than.

00:01:06Is less than status.

00:01:08Compromised.

00:01:10Unclothed.

00:01:10No visible weapons.

00:01:12Is greater than.

00:01:13I swing my legs out of bed.

00:01:14Is less than hostile intent probability.

00:01:1698.7%

00:01:18Is greater than.

00:01:19My bare feet touch the cold hardwood floor.

00:01:21On the nightstand is a crystal glass of water.

00:01:23I pick it up.

00:01:24My hand is perfectly steady.

00:01:26I take a slow, deliberate sip as they continue.

00:01:28Completely unaware.

00:01:30Then, I set the glass back down on the marble coaster.

00:01:32But in the quiet room, the sharp click echoes like a gunshot.

00:01:35The sound is not loud.

00:01:36The frantic movement on the chair stops.

00:01:38The moaning cuts off.

00:01:39They both freeze.

00:01:40Their heads snapping toward the bed.

00:01:42He whipped around.

00:01:43His eyes flaring with rage.

00:01:44He pointed a shaking finger toward the door.

00:01:46He stood up, completely naked.

00:01:48Trying to use his body to intimidate me.

00:01:50You're awake.

00:01:51Get out.

00:01:51Behind him, Carissa clutched a blanket to her chest.

00:01:54Already crying fake tears.

00:01:56I straightened my spine.

00:01:57Standing to my full height for the first time in years.

00:01:59But the weak, stuttering woman they knew was gone.

00:02:02Correction.

00:02:02You're in my light.

00:02:03Hardin's face twisted into an ugly snarl.

00:02:05He stormed toward me.

00:02:07His voice dripping with venom.

00:02:08Don't look at me like that, you frumpy mute.

00:02:10He raised his hand to shove me.

00:02:11A clumsy, obvious attack.

00:02:13The world slowed to a crawl.

00:02:14My body moved without thinking.

00:02:16I sidestepped his lunge.

00:02:17Letting his momentum carry him past me.

00:02:19As he stumbled, I pivoted.

00:02:20I drove my knee upward, directly into his solar plexus.

00:02:24The sound of impact was a sickening, wet thud.

00:02:26Air exploded from his lungs as he collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.

00:02:30Hardin!

00:02:31She scrambled off the bed and lunged at me, her nails aimed for my face like claws.

00:02:34I didn't even bother to turn my head.

00:02:36I caught her wrist in midair.

00:02:38Then, I twisted it hard against the joint.

00:02:39She yelped in pain, her body forced to bend backward.

00:02:43Sit!

00:02:43I shoved her, and she tumbled back onto the mattress.

00:02:46Her eyes wide with confusion and pure terror.

00:02:48My husband tries to stand, his face twisted with humiliation.

00:02:51I don't let him.

00:02:52I kick the back of his knee.

00:02:53He collapses to the floor.

00:02:55I grab a silk robe and throw it over his head.

00:02:57Cover up!

00:02:58You're a public health hazard.

00:02:59In the mirror, I check my neck.

00:03:00No marks.

00:03:01My pulse is steady.

00:03:02You're insane!

00:03:03I'll have you committed.

00:03:03She assaulted a naked, unarmed man.

00:03:06I turn to face them.

00:03:07My arms crossed.

00:03:08This was self-defense.

00:03:10Against a sexual predator and his accomplice.

00:03:12I see my wedding ring on the nightstand and pick it up.

00:03:14I hold it to the moonlight, inspecting the stone.

00:03:17Cheap cut!

00:03:17Just like your excuses.

00:03:19With a flick of my thumb, the ring spins through the air.

00:03:21It hits hard and squarely in the forehead.

00:03:23My lawyers will be in touch by morning.

00:03:25I turn and walk to the door.

00:03:27You can't leave.

00:03:28You're a Harrison.

00:03:29I pause, looking back over my shoulder.

00:03:31My eyes narrow.

00:03:31And you, Carissa?

00:03:32What are you?

00:03:33I leave the door and walk toward the bed, invading her personal space.

00:03:37Does the press know about your mother, Carissa?

00:03:39The housekeeper?

00:03:39In the guest wing?

00:03:41I recite a specific address, a run-down apartment in Queens.

00:03:43All the color drains from her face.

00:03:45Shut up!

00:03:46She covers her ears, but she can't block out the truth.

00:03:49A sharp pain explodes in my skull, and the room starts to spin.

00:03:52I stumble, my hand shooting out to grip the doorframe.

00:03:55Hardin sees my weakness immediately.

00:03:56He takes a step forward.

00:03:57You're sick.

00:03:58You need a doctor.

00:04:00He reaches for me, but I'm not falling for it.

00:04:02I bite the inside of my cheek, hard.

00:04:04The taste of copper grounds me.

00:04:06Just a headache from the trash fumes.

00:04:07I shove myself off the frame and slam the heavy oak door in their faces.

00:04:11A moment's peace.

00:04:12But then I hear it.

00:04:13The thunder of heavy boots on the stairs.

00:04:15Security.

00:04:16That bastard must have hit the panic button.

00:04:18The main exit is blocked.

00:04:19I have seconds to find another way out.

00:04:21I duck into a servant's alcove as flashlight beams slice through the hallway.

00:04:25Two guards rush past, their radios crackling.

00:04:27They're heading for the bedroom.

00:04:28I smash the painted shut latch with my elbow and shove the window open.

00:04:32The noise echoes down the hall.

00:04:33A guard spins around.

00:04:35Hey!

00:04:35Stop her!

00:04:36I vault onto the sill as I hear the distinct zap of a taser charging.

00:04:39With no other choice, I jump into the night.

00:04:42I watch the anger on Hardin's face curdle into confusion.

00:04:44He looks at his precious Carissa, then back at me.

00:04:46He has no idea.

00:04:47A cruel smile spreads across my face.

00:04:50Time to twist the knife.

00:04:51Oh!

00:04:51Didn't she tell you?

00:04:52She's an illegitimate child.

00:04:54A bastard.

00:04:55Pretending to be a debutante.

00:04:56That does it.

00:04:57Hardin stares at Carissa, as if seeing her for the first time.

00:05:00I can see the disgust in his eyes.

00:05:02For a Harrison, bloodline is everything.

00:05:04Carissa starts to sob.

00:05:05Real, ugly tears this time.

00:05:07But my victory has a price.

00:05:08I hit the lawn hard, rolling to break the fall.

00:05:10Cold mud instantly stains my white silk nightgown.

00:05:13Searchlights slice through the darkness like blades, hunting for me.

00:05:16I stick to the shadows.

00:05:17My bare feet silent on the grass.

00:05:19I reach the perimeter wall.

00:05:20Eight feet of solid stone.

00:05:22Thorns tear at my palms, but I don't stop climbing.

00:05:24A garden trellis I once saw as part of my prison is now my ladder to freedom.

00:05:28From the top, I see it.

00:05:30A black SUV patrolling the road below.

00:05:32I time the gap in its patrol.

00:05:33I have ten seconds.

00:05:35I drop to the sidewalk and disappear into the night, as rain begins to fall.

00:05:38The Duchess is gone, left to die in the mud.

00:05:41Hours later, a taxi drops me in the desolate meatpacking district.

00:05:44I paid with emergency cash I had sewn into the hem of my nightgown.

00:05:47No one followed me.

00:05:48To the suspicious driver, I was just another drunk party girl having a rough night.

00:05:51I check every reflection in the dark shop windows.

00:05:53I find the rusted key hidden behind a loose brick.

00:05:56I arrive at a condemned brick building, my mother's secret safe house.

00:05:59But a strange smell hangs in the dusty air.

00:06:01I climb the rickety fire escape and slip inside.

00:06:04I lock the heavy steel door behind me.

00:06:05I am finally safe.

00:06:07It's not just neglect and decay.

00:06:08It's the sharp, metallic tang of fresh blood.

00:06:11My muscles lock.

00:06:12I am not alone.

00:06:13I grab a rusted length of pipe from the floor.

00:06:15I creep toward the living area, my only weapon held tight.

00:06:18A man is sprawled on the moth-eaten sofa.

00:06:20He's dressed in black tactical gear, like a soldier.

00:06:22A dark stain of blood is spreading across his side.

00:06:25I raise the pipe, ready to strike.

00:06:26Friend or foe, I find a man bleeding out on the floor of my safe house.

00:06:30His breathing is shallow, his skin is pale, and his dark hair is matted with sweat.

00:06:34A modified Sig Sauer lies next to his hand.

00:06:36I don't hesitate.

00:06:37I kick it across the room.

00:06:38Then I see his face.

00:06:39I know him from every news channel and intelligence briefing.

00:06:42Crown Prince Elias.

00:06:43Of all the people to wash up on my doorstep, my first instinct is to leave him.

00:06:47Calling 911 would mean ID checks.

00:06:49Questions I can't answer.

00:06:50But a living, breathing prince is a powerful asset.

00:06:53An asset I can use.

00:06:54I find a dusty first aid kit in the bathroom and a bottle of cheap vodka in a cabinet.

00:06:58With no proper antiseptic, I pour the vodka directly into the wound to sterilize it.

00:07:02He groans in his sleep, his body twitching from the sting.

00:07:05But he doesn't wake.

00:07:06Every single loop is a calculated investment in my future.

00:07:09He will owe me for this.

00:07:10The next morning, I wake up on the floor.

00:07:12I check on him.

00:07:13His fever has broken.

00:07:14He's stable.

00:07:15But then, a loud, violent banging echoes from my steel door.

00:07:18Miss Blake, we know you're in there.

00:07:20Open up.

00:07:20I know that voice.

00:07:22It's Lee, the Duke's chief of staff.

00:07:24They must have tracked my phone before I ditched it.

00:07:26A rookie mistake.

00:07:28I quickly hide the unconscious prince behind a folding room divider and then open the door.

00:07:31Lee stands there, flanked by two massive security guards,

00:07:34a sneer plastered on his face.

00:07:36The Duke is furious.

00:07:37You're coming with us.

00:07:39Quietly.

00:07:39His eyes rake over my dirty nightgown with pure disgust.

00:07:42Then he reaches out to grab my arm.

00:07:43His grip is bruising, disrespectful.

00:07:45He thinks I'm just some helpless girl he can manhandle.

00:07:48But that's his final mistake.

00:07:49I grab his thumb and twist it back,

00:07:51forcing all my weight onto the joint until it's ready to snap.

00:07:54Ah, let go.

00:07:55What are you doing?

00:07:56He drops to his knees in agony.

00:07:58His two hulking guards reach for their belts.

00:08:00Take one more step.

00:08:01And I break his finger completely.

00:08:03They freeze, looking at their boss whimpering on the floor.

00:08:06The man who helped imprison me trembles on the floor.

00:08:08Touch me again and you lose the hand.

00:08:10That's a silk rug.

00:08:11Are you insane?

00:08:12Lee scrambles back, his eyes wide with terror as he clutches his wrist.

00:08:15He is no longer my keeper.

00:08:16He is my servant.

00:08:17I need a ride to Foley Manor.

00:08:19My car is indisposed.

00:08:21I have business with my father.

00:08:23Drive.

00:08:23I button it all the way up, hiding the stained and torn nightgown beneath.

00:08:27A quick glance confirms Elias is still safe behind the divider.

00:08:29Then, I walk out with my head held high and Lee scurries to press the elevator button for me.

00:08:34In the back of the town car, I catch my reflection in the dark window.

00:08:37The weak, frightened girl they tried to break is gone forever.

00:08:40Staring back at me are the eyes of a predator, cold and sharp as steel.

00:08:43When the car pulls up to the sprawling, gothic mansion, I don't wait for the driver.

00:08:47I march straight through the massive double doors and into the drawing room.

00:08:50My father Fulton and his wife Connie are there, having tea.

00:08:52You disgrace.

00:08:53How dare you show your face?

00:08:54Oh, the poor dear.

00:08:56Are you having another one of your episodes?

00:08:58They always try to frame me as insane.

00:08:59It's their standard procedure.

00:09:01But I'm not here to play their games.

00:09:02I ignore them completely, walk to the head of the long dining table, and sit in my father's chair.

00:09:06I calmly pour myself a cup of tea from their expensive silver service.

00:09:10This tea is cold.

00:09:11With a flick of my wrist, I tip the cup over, dumping the dark liquid onto their priceless Persian rug.

00:09:16And I'm a human being, not a broodmare you can sell off.

00:09:18You go back to Hardin now.

00:09:20He is threatening to pull the merger.

00:09:21Let him.

00:09:22I'm not here about your merger.

00:09:23I'm here for my mother's trust fund.

00:09:25The room falls into a suffocating silence, broken only by my father's heavy breathing.

00:09:29My father Fulton's face turns beet red as I stand before him.

00:09:32That money is managed by the family.

00:09:34Managed?

00:09:35Or embezzled?

00:09:36I want full access.

00:09:37Today, my stepmother Connie just sneers.

00:09:40Or what?

00:09:41You have no power.

00:09:42I pull a folded paper from my pocket.

00:09:44It's a bank routing number I memorized.

00:09:46This routes to the Caymans, doesn't it, father?

00:09:47His eyes bulge in shock.

00:09:49How did you...

00:09:50I cut him off with a perfectly crafted lie.

00:09:52I have the ledger.

00:09:53I know all about the tax evasion.

00:09:55Connie's hand flies to her pearls.

00:09:56Her composure shattered.

00:09:57I lean in close.

00:09:58My voice a low threat.

00:10:00You wouldn't dare.

00:10:01He starts pacing.

00:10:02His hands shaking with rage.

00:10:03Ungrateful.

00:10:04We raised you.

00:10:05Try me.

00:10:05I have nothing left to lose.

00:10:07You isolated me and sold me.

00:10:09I add one final, devastating blow.

00:10:11Panic flashes in her eyes.

00:10:12She grabs Fulton's arm.

00:10:14Give it to her.

00:10:14We can't afford an audit.

00:10:15Fulton glares at me with pure hatred.

00:10:17Fine.

00:10:18But you are disowned.

00:10:19No inheritance.

00:10:20No name.

00:10:21Draft the transfer.

00:10:22He calls his banker, his voice trembling with rage as I dictate my account number.

00:10:26I watch the confirmation on his iPad.

00:10:28Ten million dollars transferred.

00:10:29It's done.

00:10:30Now get out.

00:10:30But I don't move.

00:10:31Not yet.

00:10:33I also need the patent deeds.

00:10:34My mother's inventions.

00:10:36Those belong to Foley Corp.

00:10:37Fulton storms over to a painting on the wall, revealing a hidden safe.

00:10:40He yanks out a leather folder and throws it across the table at me.

00:10:43They belong to the creator.

00:10:44Give me the physical deeds.

00:10:46I catch it smoothly and open it.

00:10:48The schematics are all there, just as I planned.

00:10:50At that exact moment, my phone pings.

00:10:52A new notification confirms the money has been transferred.

00:10:54Pleasure doing business.

00:10:56I stand up, clutching the folder.

00:10:58My mission is complete.

00:10:59You are dead to us.

00:11:00I turn to leave, but stop at the door for one final twist of the knife.

00:11:03I was dead the moment you married him.

00:11:05Tell Carissa I said happy honeymoon.

00:11:07I walk out of the manor, the heavy doors slamming shut behind me.

00:11:10But Fulton follows me onto the porch, his face twisted with rage.

00:11:13If you leak that info, I will kill you.

00:11:15I stop on the gravel driveway and turn to face him.

00:11:18I let the silence hang in the air before I speak.

00:11:20Ina Contreras.

00:11:21I know where you keep her.

00:11:22And I know about the child.

00:11:24The name hits him like a physical blow.

00:11:26All the color drains from his face.

00:11:27He freezes in pure terror.

00:11:29If anything happens to me, that information goes straight to Connie.

00:11:32And to the press.

00:11:33He stumbles backward, gripping the porch railing to keep from collapsing.

00:11:36You, you monster.

00:11:38This is my real insurance policy.

00:11:39My nuclear option.

00:11:41I learned from the best.

00:11:42I turn my back on him and walk toward the main gate as the guards watch.

00:11:45Confused.

00:11:46Open it.

00:11:46They look back at the porch, and Fulton gives a weak, defeated nod.

00:11:50The iron gates swing open for me.

00:11:51I step onto the road, soaked but finally clean.

00:11:54And a cab miraculously pulls over.

00:11:55Where to miss?

00:11:56The loft?

00:11:57No.

00:11:58I stop myself.

00:11:59I can't go there yet.

00:12:00My laptop is still inside the Harrison Estate.

00:12:02It holds my life's work.

00:12:04And more importantly, the encryption keys I need.

00:12:06The keys to my ultimate revenge.

00:12:08Change of plans.

00:12:09Harrison Estate.

00:12:10The service entrance.

00:12:11I lean back and close my eyes.

00:12:13Phase 1 is complete.

00:12:14Guardstone blocks my path.

00:12:15A sneer on his face.

00:12:16The corrupt one.

00:12:17Lost little girl.

00:12:18We don't allow beggars on this property.

00:12:20He's enjoying my fall from grace.

00:12:22Open the gate, Stone.

00:12:23I'm here for any things.

00:12:25Not happening.

00:12:26Duke's orders.

00:12:26You're barred.

00:12:28He rests a hand on his baton.

00:12:29A clear threat.

00:12:30I calmly calculate the angle.

00:12:32It would take less than three pounds of pressure to shatter his knee.

00:12:34But before I move, a loud buzz cuts through the rain.

00:12:37The gate swings open.

00:12:39Guardmiller, the good one, steps out.

00:12:41Let her in, Stone.

00:12:42She has rights until the papers are signed.

00:12:43Stone glares, spitting on the ground near my feet in disgust.

00:12:46I ignore him and give Miller a grateful nod.

00:12:48As I walk toward the staff quarters, a figure runs out with an umbrella.

00:12:51It's Skye.

00:12:52My mother's old assistant.

00:12:53A friend.

00:12:54Miss Blake.

00:12:55Oh my god.

00:12:56I heard everything.

00:12:57She throws her arms around me, trembling with rage for my sake.

00:13:00Carissa is a monster for what she did to you.

00:13:02I stiffen at the name.

00:13:03I can't afford comfort now.

00:13:04My fight is just beginning.

00:13:06I hand my maid, Skye, a set of dummy server drives.

00:13:08The drives?

00:13:09But your husband, Harden, he'll kill me.

00:13:11I need my laptop.

00:13:13And the server drives from the study.

00:13:14Swap them with ease.

00:13:16He won't know.

00:13:17Meet me at the corner in ten minutes.

00:13:19She runs back inside the Harrison estate.

00:13:21I wait in the shadows.

00:13:22Minutes later, I face Guard Miller at the main gate.

00:13:25He refuses to let me leave.

00:13:26Ma'am, the Duke left explicit instructions.

00:13:29He thinks my husband can keep me locked away.

00:13:31He is wrong.

00:13:32And I'm leaving instructions for my lawyer.

00:13:34Illegally confining your wife is a lawsuit this family can't afford.

00:13:37It's a total bluff.

00:13:38But it works.

00:13:39At that exact moment, Skye triggers a power surge in the east wing.

00:13:42The massive iron gates groan open.

00:13:44The internal security guards are drawn away from the study.

00:13:47It gives us a seven-minute window.

00:13:48I slip through a hidden servant's passage and meet her by the garden exit.

00:13:52The real drives are in her hands, safe inside a waterproof satchel.

00:13:55We don't speak.

00:13:56We just run.

00:13:56Across the rain-slicked lawn to the getaway car, I arranged.

00:13:59I have just committed grand larceny against my own husband.

00:14:02Now, I stand outside a suite at the Pierre Hotel.

00:14:04My hand is terrifyingly steady as I swipe the key card.

00:14:07I push the door open.

00:14:08A maid's cart is parked just inside.

00:14:10Mia?

00:14:11A young maid appears from the bedroom.

00:14:13Her eyes are wide with panic.

00:14:14Miss Blake?

00:14:15Duchess Connie sent me to help you settle in.

00:14:17My mother-in-law, Connie, doesn't help.

00:14:19She sends handlers.

00:14:20I drop my wet coat on the floor and scan the room.

00:14:23Something is wrong.

00:14:24This room has been searched.

00:14:26The lampshade on the desk is tilted.

00:14:28A vase of lilies has been rotated.

00:14:29Did you just tidy up, Mia?

00:14:31Yes, miss.

00:14:31Just dusting.

00:14:32I walk to the bedside table, pick up the landline phone, and look straight at her.

00:14:36She flinches, her breath catching in her throat.

00:14:38She knows she's been caught.

00:14:39I twist the mouthpiece of the hotel phone.

00:14:41It comes off far too easily.

00:14:42A small black disc, no bigger than a button, falls onto the glass table.

00:14:46I raise my eyes from the listening device and lock them on her.

00:14:49I take a slow step toward her.

00:14:51A standard RF transmitter.

00:14:52Low range.

00:14:53The receiver is close.

00:14:54Probably the room next door.

00:14:55Who is listening, Mia?

00:14:57Is it the Duchess?

00:14:58Or did Hardin pay you extra?

00:14:59I...

00:15:00I don't know what that is.

00:15:01I swear.

00:15:02She scrambles backward until her back hits the wall.

00:15:04I don't need to shout.

00:15:06The facts are my weapon.

00:15:07And recording me without consent?

00:15:09That's a class E felony.

00:15:10Corporate espionage carries a 10-year sentence in this state.

00:15:13Mia.

00:15:14Her face crumples.

00:15:15The dutiful servant facade dissolves into tears.

00:15:17I lift my boot.

00:15:19Please.

00:15:19The Duchess made me.

00:15:20She said you were sick.

00:15:22That we needed to make sure you didn't hurt yourself.

00:15:24I glance down.

00:15:25A faint red light blinks on the bug.

00:15:26It's still recording.

00:15:27And I bring my heel down hard on the device.

00:15:30Plastic shatters.

00:15:30The blinking light dies.

00:15:32Stop crying.

00:15:33It's annoying.

00:15:34I point to the armchair in the corner.

00:15:36Sit.

00:15:36We need to discuss your severance package.

00:15:38I walk to the suite door and hold it open.

00:15:40While she trembles, I pull a burner phone from my pocket.

00:15:42I type a quick coded message to my operative.

00:15:45Sky.

00:15:46Is less than target secured.

00:15:47Perimeter compromised.

00:15:48Sweep and bring the package.

00:15:50Is greater than...

00:15:51I turn back to the maid.

00:15:52Pack your things.

00:15:53You are going back to the Foley estate immediately.

00:15:55But the Duchess will fire me.

00:15:57She said I couldn't come back without intel.

00:15:59Tell her I found the bug.

00:16:00And tell her I am disappointed in her choice of technology.

00:16:03It was amateur work.

00:16:04Out.

00:16:04Now.

00:16:05The terrified maid scrambles out of my hotel suite.

00:16:07I slam the door shut and throw every lock.

00:16:09I pull a signal jammer from my pocket and press it against the lock.

00:16:12A green light blinks.

00:16:14No one is getting in or out electronically.

00:16:15I drag a heavy chair and wedge it under the handle.

00:16:18A few minutes later, I hear our secret knock at the service entrance.

00:16:21I check the peephole.

00:16:22It's my accomplice.

00:16:24Sky.

00:16:24She nods, breathless, and pulls two heavy hard drives from her backpack.

00:16:28She practically falls inside, looking over her shoulder in terror.

00:16:31Did you get them?

00:16:32Hardin was screaming at the staff.

00:16:34He knows someone was in his study.

00:16:35He's tearing the house apart.

00:16:37I take the drives.

00:16:38They hold every secret my monstrous husband is hiding.

00:16:40But I have a new problem.

00:16:41I point to the shattered listening device on the floor.

00:16:43The maid was planting transmitters.

00:16:45I'm exposed.

00:16:46I need professional security now.

00:16:48Sky pulls up a list of private security firms on her tablet.

00:16:51I scroll past the big names.

00:16:53Too connected.

00:16:54Too conventional.

00:16:55My finger stops on a name at the bottom of the list.

00:16:57Jen Xing Security Solutions.

00:16:59Tell me about them.

00:17:00High-end mercenaries.

00:17:01X Special Forces.

00:17:03They're rumored to be the best and the most expensive.

00:17:05Their logo is a simple unadorned shield.

00:17:07Perfect.

00:17:08Set up a meeting for tomorrow.

00:17:09Tell them money is no object.

00:17:11But Miss Blake.

00:17:12Our funds haven't cleared yet.

00:17:13We don't have that kind of cash.

00:17:15I let a cold smirk cross my face as I pat the hard drives on the desk.

00:17:19We have leverage, Sky.

00:17:20And in this city, leverage is more liquid than cash.

00:17:23I plug one of the drives into my laptop and my fingers fly across the keyboard.

00:17:26I enter a secret backdoor I planted in his system months ago.

00:17:29It's a complete picture of his criminal empire.

00:17:31The screen explodes with a waterfall of data spreadsheets, offshore accounts, illegal transfers.

00:17:36Jackpot.

00:17:36My friend Sky leans over my shoulder, her eyes wide as she looks at my laptop screen.

00:17:40What is it?

00:17:41I point to a column of numbers, all glowing a deep bloody red.

00:17:44The Harrison Trust.

00:17:45It isn't just empty.

00:17:47It's negative.

00:17:48I explain the sickening truth.

00:17:49My brother, Hardin, has been leveraging our family trust to cover massive gambling debts in Macau.

00:17:54But as I scroll down, the financial theft becomes something far more personal.

00:17:58And here.

00:17:58He stole my mother's drone patents.

00:18:00The stabilizing algorithms I wrote when I was 16.

00:18:02He transferred my entire legacy, my life's work, into a shell company under his name.

00:18:07That's illegal.

00:18:08It's a smoking gun.

00:18:09And it's on this laptop.

00:18:11Suddenly, a violent fist pounds on the main suite door, making the wood groan.

00:18:15Blake!

00:18:15Open this damn door.

00:18:17It's Hardin.

00:18:18He knows we have the proof.

00:18:19He found us.

00:18:20While Sky freezes in terror, I calmly close the laptop lid with a final click.

00:18:23Put this in the safe.

00:18:24Do not open it for anyone.

00:18:26I walk to the door and open it, planting my body in the center of the frame to block the

00:18:29entrance.

00:18:30Hardin is there.

00:18:31His face flushed with rage.

00:18:33Behind him, his mistress Carissa stands with a smug look on her face.

00:18:36He shoves me aside and storms into the living room, his eyes scanning for the evidence.

00:18:40You stole my property.

00:18:41Where are they?

00:18:42My property has been returned to me.

00:18:43There is a difference.

00:18:45Carissa steps in, wrinkling her nose as she looks around the $5,000 night suite.

00:18:48This place is...

00:18:49Quaint.

00:18:50A bit dusty.

00:18:51Better than a mistress's apartment in Queens.

00:18:53Carissa flinches as if I'd slapped her.

00:18:55A direct hit.

00:18:56Hardin ignores her and marches toward me, his fists clenched at his sides.

00:18:59Give me the drives, Blake.

00:19:00Now.

00:19:01Or what?

00:19:02You'll hit me?

00:19:02I gesture toward the hallway ceiling, to the single blinking red light of a security camera,

00:19:07in front of witnesses, on camera.

00:19:09He follows my gaze.

00:19:10He sees the camera.

00:19:11His jaw grinds in fury as he realizes he's trapped.

00:19:14He takes a deep breath, forcing his hands to unclench, the violence simmering just beneath his skin.

00:19:19We need to talk.

00:19:20About the Jubilee.

00:19:21I walk to the sofa and sit down, crossing my legs.

00:19:24I look him in the eye, feeling my heart hammer against my ribs, but showing him nothing but ice.

00:19:28He stops and glares at me, his voice tight with demand.

00:19:30The Royal Jubilee Gala is in three days.

00:19:33The Duke and Duchess will attend, together.

00:19:35I examine my chipped fingernails, refusing to give him my attention.

00:19:38And I want Carissa to attend.

00:19:40As my press secretary, I let out a loud, genuine laugh at the absurdity.

00:19:44My sister, Carissa, preens at the mention of the title, press secretary.

00:19:48Hardin, she can barely spell press.

00:19:50I have a degree in communications.

00:19:52A degree your father paid for doesn't count.

00:19:54She is coming.

00:19:55You will sign her in as your plus one.

00:19:56I finally look up, my voice dropping to a dangerous low.

00:19:59She is the woman sleeping with my husband.

00:20:01If she steps one foot in that gala, I leak the photos.

00:20:04What photos?

00:20:05The ones from the security feed in your study?

00:20:07It's a bluff, but they don't know that.

00:20:09You wouldn't.

00:20:10It would ruin you, too.

00:20:11The cuckolded Duchess.

00:20:12I stand up, closing the distance between us.

00:20:15The man in front of me no longer holds any power over me.

00:20:17I have no reputation, Hardin.

00:20:19I'm the crazy Duchess, remember?

00:20:20I have nothing to lose.

00:20:21He searches my face for the fear he used to control.

00:20:24He finds only cold, hard resolve.

00:20:26It's called mutually assured destruction.

00:20:27Look it up.

00:20:28Fine, no title, but she comes.

00:20:30Or, I freeze your accounts.

00:20:32He thinks he's found his leverage.

00:20:34He's wrong.

00:20:34Freeze them.

00:20:35I already moved what I needed.

00:20:36A scream of pure frustration rips from his throat.

00:20:39He kicks the heavy coffee table, and a vase of lilies shatters across the glass.

00:20:43Be at the car at 6 p.m. Friday.

00:20:45Do not be late.

00:20:46As they storm out, Carissa clings to his arm and throws one last insult over her shoulder.

00:20:50Wear something that covers your ugliness.

00:20:52They leave me in the ruined room, thinking they've won.

00:20:54But all they've done is give me a deadline for my revenge.

00:20:56I just threw my husband, Hardin, and his mistress, Carissa, out of my hotel suite.

00:20:59My hand is shaking with a surge of pure adrenaline, not from fear.

00:21:02Blake, are you okay?

00:21:04I look at the spilled water on the table.

00:21:06A small sign of the chaos.

00:21:07I'm fine.

00:21:08But we just declared war.

00:21:10Ten minutes later, a timid knock echoes through the silent room.

00:21:12I check the security camera feed on my laptop.

00:21:14It's Carissa, standing there all alone.

00:21:17I walk to the door and open it just a few inches, leaving the security chain firmly in place.

00:21:21What did you forget?

00:21:22Your dignity?

00:21:23Please, can I talk to you?

00:21:24Just for a minute.

00:21:25Sister to sister, I know it's a performance, but my curiosity gets the better of me.

00:21:29I want to see her angle.

00:21:30I unhook the chain and open the door.

00:21:32As soon as she's inside, she slumps her shoulders and starts her act, wringing her hands.

00:21:37Hardin makes me do these things.

00:21:38I'm a victim too, Blake.

00:21:39You know how he is.

00:21:40She tries to grab my hand, but I pull away like she's poison.

00:21:43He promised me marriage, but he says he can't divorce you because of the merger.

00:21:46He won't let me go.

00:21:47Then she leans in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, making her twist it off her.

00:21:51Help me destroy Connie.

00:21:53If we take down the Foley control, I swear I'll leave Hardin.

00:21:55I stare at her, my mind analyzing every micro-expression on her face.

00:21:59I see the lie in her dilated pupils, the nervous tick in her jaw.

00:22:02I see the way her hand keeps instinctively brushing her stomach.

00:22:05She is lying about everything.

00:22:07She doesn't want to leave him.

00:22:08She wants to replace me.

00:22:09You want me to take out Connie so you can be the duchess?

00:22:11You want the obstacle gone so you can marry him?

00:22:14You think I'm stupid, Carissa?

00:22:15Her mask of innocence evaporates, replaced by a sneer so ugly it distorts her face.

00:22:19I think you're desperate.

00:22:20You're a barren, unloved placeholder.

00:22:22Hardin only married you for the stock.

00:22:24He hates touching you.

00:22:25Her vicious words are meant to shatter me, but I simply smile.

00:22:28It's a terrifying expression, completely without warmth.

00:22:31And you are a side dish trying to convince herself she's the main course.

00:22:34Go back to Connie.

00:22:35Destroy each other.

00:22:36I'll watch.

00:22:36I open the door wide, delivering one final blow as she leaves.

00:22:40And Carissa?

00:22:40Fix your mascara.

00:22:42You look manic.

00:22:43The moment the door closes on Carissa's screaming fit, I slam the deadbolt home.

00:22:46I turn to my friend Skye.

00:22:48My hands clenched into fists.

00:22:49I walk straight to the closet.

00:22:51My mind set on one thing.

00:22:52War.

00:22:53That wasn't a peace offering.

00:22:54She was gathering intelligence.

00:22:56They're going to escalate.

00:22:57We need that security team.

00:22:58Now.

00:22:59She's right.

00:23:00The clock is ticking.

00:23:01We have an appointment at 2 p.m.

00:23:03I shove aside the racks of floral dresses Hardin always liked.

00:23:05The uniform of the woman I used to be.

00:23:07In their place, I pull out a sharp black blazer I bought just this morning.

00:23:11I lace up a pair of heavy black combat boots.

00:23:13This is my new armor.

00:23:14Time to go shopping for mercenaries.

00:23:16Instead, we slip out through a service exit and melt into the rainy city streets.

00:23:20We don't take the main elevator, avoiding Hardin's spies.

00:23:23But we are not the only ones making plans in the shadows.

00:23:25Across town, Carissa storms into Foley Manor, throwing her designer purse in a rage.

00:23:29She finds her stepmother, Duchess Connie, calmly pruning a bonsai tree with surgical precision.

00:23:34Blake has changed.

00:23:34She is unpredictable now.

00:23:36Dangerous.

00:23:37Connie turns away from her tree, her eyes cold and calculating.

00:23:40She knows about the trust fund embezzlement.

00:23:42If she talks, we all go to jail.

00:23:43You spent the money, darling.

00:23:45You're complicit.

00:23:46The color drains from Carissa's face.

00:23:48For the first time, she looks truly afraid.

00:23:50So, we must neutralize her.

00:23:51We will hit her reputation.

00:23:53We will make her look utterly insane.

00:23:54Her plan is monstrous.

00:23:56She has a doctor on her payroll, ready to lie.

00:23:58He will testify to her instability.

00:24:00We'll get her committed.

00:24:01A conservatorship to control her and her fortune.

00:24:04She refused.

00:24:05She mocked me.

00:24:06She saw right through the entire act.

00:24:08Like Brittany, I can do that.

00:24:10Exactly.

00:24:10We just need to provoke a public outburst.

00:24:13Push her at the gala until she snaps on camera for the world to see.

00:24:15While they seal their disgusting pact, our taxi pulls up to a nondescript warehouse in the industrial district.

00:24:20The rain has turned the grime of the street into a slick, black paste.

00:24:23The place looks dangerous.

00:24:25It's perfect.

00:24:25This is where I find the weapons I need to burn their world to the ground.

00:24:28I need to hire an army.

00:24:29And this is the place to do it.

00:24:31Gen Ching Logistics and Security.

00:24:32My assistant Sky is nervous.

00:24:34But I know true professionals don't need flashy signs.

00:24:36We walk into a massive warehouse converted into a training facility.

00:24:39And of course, my number one rival is already here.

00:24:42She's shopping for bodyguards like their shoes.

00:24:44Lady Arabella Sterling, the general's daughter, stands below in a pristine pink suit.

00:24:48I want the biggest ones.

00:24:49That one.

00:24:49She points a perfectly manicured finger at a man built like a refrigerator.

00:24:53But as I watch him move, I see it immediately.

00:24:55A fatal flaw.

00:24:56He favors his right leg, trying to hide an old injury in his left knee.

00:25:00At that moment, Arabella spots me on the observation deck.

00:25:02Her face twists in disgust.

00:25:04Well, if it isn't the runaway duchess.

00:25:06Looking for a handout?

00:25:07The company's CEO, Rob Vance, looks up.

00:25:10His boredom replaced with sudden interest.

00:25:12I descend the metal stairs, my heels clanging loudly in the silent hall.

00:25:15Lady Arabella, shopping for accessories?

00:25:17I'm hiring professionals.

00:25:19You're hiring bouncers.

00:25:20I'm hiring protection, something you clearly lack, given your recent domestic troubles.

00:25:25Her words are meant to sting, but I don't even flinch.

00:25:27This man is an elite soldier.

00:25:29I ignore her and step onto the training mat, facing her giant.

00:25:32Attack me.

00:25:32The massive guard scoffs and laughs in my face.

00:25:35I don't hit, ladies.

00:25:36Good.

00:25:37Then you won't mind if I hit you.

00:25:38I move in a blur.

00:25:39I feint a punch high, drawing his huge hands up to protect his face.

00:25:43In that split second, I spin low.

00:25:45My foot slams into the side of his weak left knee.

00:25:47A sickening crack echoes through the warehouse.

00:25:49The giant howls in agony, collapsing to the mat like a felled tree.

00:25:53Arabella's jaw is on the floor.

00:25:54The CEO stares, utterly stunned.

00:25:56My point is made.

00:25:57The moment we are alone, my husband's new fiancée, Arabella, turns on me, her face a mask of fury.

00:26:02You embarrassed me in front of everyone.

00:26:04I ignore her anger, calmly pouring a glass of water from the pitcher on the table.

00:26:07I saved you money.

00:26:08That guard was a liability who would have folded in a real fight.

00:26:11Her anger falters, replaced by a sharp, suspicious curiosity about my motives.

00:26:15Why are you really here, Blake?

00:26:17Harden told me you're having a complete nervous breakdown.

00:26:19I give a small, cold smile.

00:26:21My husband, Harden, says many things to many different women.

00:26:24Does he also tell you he's leaving me?

00:26:26That he's going to make you his new wife?

00:26:28She stiffens, her jaw tightening.

00:26:29Her silence is a confession, confirming the web of lies he's spinning.

00:26:33It's the perfect moment to tear that web apart.

00:26:35I pull out my phone.

00:26:36Is your airdrop on?

00:26:37I have something you need to hear.

00:26:39She looks confused, but accepts the file transfer, her eyes glued to her screen.

00:26:42What is this supposed to be?

00:26:44Just listen to it.

00:26:45I press play, and the sound of my husband's voice fills the tense silence of the room.

00:26:49She's my press secretary.

00:26:50She's the woman I love.

00:26:51I watch as understanding dawns on Arabella's face, followed by a wave of utter disbelief.

00:26:55Her skin goes from deathly pale to a splotchy, furious red as the truth sinks in.

00:27:00He wasn't talking about me, his wife.

00:27:02And he certainly wasn't talking about her, his fiancée.

00:27:04He's playing you, Arabella.

00:27:06He's sleeping with Carissa.

00:27:07The woman he calls his sister.

00:27:09A raw, guttural shriek escapes her lips as she hurls her expensive phone onto the leather couch.

00:27:14That bastard!

00:27:14He told me Carissa was just some poor, pathetic charity case he had to support.

00:27:18Her rage is exactly what I need.

00:27:19Now I can turn her from a rival into a weapon.

00:27:22He's using you as a ladder to get to your father's power, and he's using me as a doormat.

00:27:25I lean forward, locking my eyes onto hers, letting her feel the full weight of my next words.

00:27:29I'm setting the doormat on fire.

00:27:31What are you going to do with the ladder?

00:27:32The animosity between us evaporates, replaced by a single, shared target for our burning rage.

00:27:37I'm going to chop it down into a million pieces.

00:27:39I extend my hand, offering a truce, an alliance born from our mutual betrayal.

00:27:44She looks at my hand for a long moment, then grasps it firmly, sealing our new pact.

00:27:47I won't help you, Blake, but I will destroy him.

00:27:50A tight, satisfied feeling settles deep in my chest.

00:27:52The enemy of my enemy is now my ally.

00:27:54But a slow, deliberate clap suddenly breaks the silence from the darkest corner of the VIP booth.

00:27:58I spin around, my hand instinctively flying to the tactical pen hidden inside my blazer pocket.

00:28:03A tall man steps out of the shadows, wearing a bespoke suit that costs more than my entire former life.

00:28:08I recognize him instantly.

00:28:10It is Crown Prince Elias Bentley, Your Highness.

00:28:13I make a point not to bow.

00:28:14He hasn't earned it.

00:28:15Miss White.

00:28:16Or should I say, Agent.

00:28:18But on the outside, my face remains a perfect mask of unfeeling stone.

00:28:22I don't know what you mean.

00:28:23I'm just a scorned wife.

00:28:25He walks closer, deliberately invading my personal space.

00:28:27He smells of sandalwood and the faint, clean scent of antiseptic.

00:28:30A scorned wife who knows close quarters combat?

00:28:32Who expertly clears bugs from telephones?

00:28:34Who stitches up critical gunshot wounds in a loft using only vodka and a basic sewing kit?

00:28:39Every single word is a hammer blow, shattering my carefully constructed cover story.

00:28:43He knows everything.

00:28:44The entire game is up.

00:28:45You were conscious that night.

00:28:46In and out.

00:28:48I saw enough.

00:28:49Your hands.

00:28:50They didn't shake.

00:28:51Not for a second.

00:28:52I dropped the pretense.

00:28:54I dropped the useless royal titles.

00:28:55Why are you here, Elias?

00:28:57His eyes glitter with a dangerous light.

00:28:59He seems to enjoy my boldness.

00:29:00Rob Vance works for me.

00:29:02This entire firm is my personal operation.

00:29:04My shadow cabinet.

00:29:05The shocking truth hits me like a physical blow.

00:29:07The prince isn't just a public figurehead.

00:29:09He is building a secret, private army.

00:29:11I need someone with your unique and very specific talents.

00:29:14I'm not for hire.

00:29:15I'm busy getting a divorce.

00:29:17Hardin is a pest.

00:29:18A nuisance.

00:29:19I can crush him for you with a single phone call.

00:29:21But his offer is an insult.

00:29:23This revenge is mine and mine alone.

00:29:24No, he's mine.

00:29:26I always clean up my own messes.

00:29:27A low, magnetic chuckle rumbles in his chest as he places a black card on the table.

00:29:31It has no bank logo.

00:29:33No numbers.

00:29:34Just a single embossed gold crest on its matte surface.

00:29:36Consider this a retainer.

00:29:38A down payment for saving my life.

00:29:39Elias slides a black card across the cold metal table.

00:29:42What do you want in return for this?

00:29:44Gift?

00:29:44It's a centurion card.

00:29:46No limit.

00:29:46It represents absolute freedom and easy way out.

00:29:49He thinks he can buy my loyalty, that I can be purchased like one of his assets.

00:29:52For now, just survive the gala.

00:29:54Consider it an investment in my entertainment.

00:29:56My jaw tightens.

00:29:57I'm not some stock he can trade for his amusement.

00:29:59With one firm finger, I slide the card right back across the table to him.

00:30:03I don't take charity.

00:30:04I take payment for services rendered.

00:30:06I lean forward, meeting his dark gaze without a hint of fear.

00:30:09You saved my life.

00:30:11For that, I owe you one favor, not money.

00:30:13A slow, dangerous smile spreads across his face.

00:30:15He looks genuinely impressed.

00:30:17A favor, an interesting proposition.

00:30:19The price of a favor is often much higher than money.

00:30:21He picks up his card, pocketing it without another glance.

00:30:24One favor.

00:30:25Anytime, anywhere, I accept your terms.

00:30:27He reaches into his pocket again, but this time he pulls out something different.

00:30:30It's a heavy titanium coin, cool to the touch and engraved with a complex geometric pattern.

00:30:35This isn't money, it's access.

00:30:37Show this to Rob and you get the A-team.

00:30:38On the house.

00:30:39I take the coin.

00:30:40In my palm, it feels like a key and a weapon all at once.

00:30:43Deal.

00:30:44I stand and turn to leave.

00:30:45The deal sealed.

00:30:46But his voice stops me just as I reach the door.

00:30:49Blake, don't let them break you.

00:30:51I'm enjoying the show.

00:30:52Then you'd better watch me.

00:30:53I walk out, leaving him in the shadows.

00:30:55Sky and Rob Vance are waiting by the reception desk.

00:30:58I don't say a single word.

00:30:59I just place the titanium coin on the counter with a soft click.

00:31:02Rob Vance freezes.

00:31:03His professional mask shatters as his eyes widen in pure disbelief.

00:31:07He picks it up with a reverence I didn't think him capable of,

00:31:09then looks at me with newfound awe and fear.

00:31:12Understood, ma'am.

00:31:12Team Alpha is yours to command.

00:31:14From the shadows, two massive guards emerge.

00:31:16They are Jet and Harry, my new protection.

00:31:18We get into a reinforced black SUV, the heavy door thudding shut, sealing us in a cocoon of safety.

00:31:23As we drive away, I know Elias is watching from his monitors.

00:31:26And I know this is just the beginning of his game.

00:31:28A game I fully intend to win.

00:31:30Prince Elias Bentley stands before me in the secure viewing room, a faint scar visible on his neck.

00:31:34He holds a small black titanium disc between his thumb and forefinger.

00:31:38This isn't charity.

00:31:39He places the object in my open palm.

00:31:41Why give a civilian access to state secrets?

00:31:43It's smooth and cool, with a complex geometric pattern etched on one side.

00:31:46It's a level 5 clearance token for the Watchtower Network.

00:31:49My heart hammers against my ribs.

00:31:51The Watchtower is a ghost story in the intelligence community.

00:31:54A private spy network, more powerful than the CIA.

00:31:57And he just handed me a key.

00:31:58You stopped being a civilian when you stitched an artery with dental floss?

00:32:01Civilians panic.

00:32:03You calculate.

00:32:04He suddenly plucks the coin from my hand and flicks it into the air.

00:32:06The black metal spins, a blur against the shadows.

00:32:09My hand moves on pure instinct.

00:32:10I snatch the spinning disc from the air with a sharp smack, just inches from his face.

00:32:15Reflexes intact.

00:32:16I slide the coin into my blazer pocket, the cold metal a new weight against my side.

00:32:20What are the conditions?

00:32:21Disrupt the board.

00:32:22Make Harden and Joette sweat.

00:32:24I enjoy the chaos.

00:32:25And if I get caught, then you're just a crazy ex-wife with a souvenir.

00:32:28I will deny we ever met.

00:32:30I turn to leave.

00:32:31My hand gripping the handle of the heavy soundproof door.

00:32:34One more thing, coagent.

00:32:35I pause, but I don't look back at him.

00:32:37But he tells me this coin is more than just a key.

00:32:39The palace walls have ears.

00:32:41Joette has microphones hidden in the flower arrangements.

00:32:43It doesn't jam signals.

00:32:44It generates a 10-foot bubble of targeted white noise.

00:32:47Press the center for digital silence.

00:32:49I turn back to face him, genuinely impressed for the first time.

00:32:52You're full of surprises, your highness.

00:32:53I try not to be boring.

00:32:55I walk out of that room with a new mission and a powerful new weapon.

00:32:58The adrenaline humming in my veins like a live wire.

00:33:00My best friend, Skye, stares at me in horror as I walk toward the waiting armored SUV.

00:33:04What did you do, Blake?

00:33:05Did you actually sign a deal with the devil?

00:33:07I can feel the cold, heavy coin in my pocket.

00:33:09A constant reminder of the pact I just made with Elias.

00:33:12No.

00:33:12I just became the devil's personal consultant.

00:33:15His imposing guard, Jet, opens the rear door without a word.

00:33:18The inside smells of expensive leather and gun oil.

00:33:20Skye's face turns white as she scrambles into the seat next to me.

00:33:23The heavy door thuds shut.

00:33:25Back to that dungeon?

00:33:26Blake, have you lost your mind?

00:33:27They'll kill you there.

00:33:28I stare out the tinted window as the SUV pulls into traffic.

00:33:31The city lights smearing into streaks of gold and red.

00:33:34She doesn't understand the new rules.

00:33:36It's not a dungeon anymore, Skye.

00:33:37It's a hunting ground.

00:33:38And this time, I'm the hunter.

00:33:40Miles away, in a secret command center,

00:33:42my new employer, Elias, watches a red dot representing my car move across a digital map.

00:33:46His top analyst, a nervous man named Yuval,

00:33:48paces frantically while pointing at my digital file on the main screen.

00:33:51Your Highness, she's a wild card.

00:33:53Her medical records from the last three years are a complete disaster.

00:33:56Anxiety, panic attacks, social withdrawal.

00:33:59We are handing a loaded weapon to a mental patient.

00:34:01But Elias doesn't even look at him.

00:34:03He just taps a key, bringing up a new graph.

00:34:05She's not unstable, Yuval.

00:34:06She's calibrated.

00:34:07Look at this.

00:34:08The graph shows a biometric reading.

00:34:10It is my heart rate, recorded during the firefight where I saved his life.

00:34:13My watch was recording ambient biometrics in the loft while she was stitching my wound.

00:34:17These are the time stamps for the incision and the suturing.

00:34:19The line on the graph is shockingly steady.

00:34:21It is almost completely flat, even during the most intense moments.

00:34:25A normal person's heart rate would be 140, maybe higher.

00:34:27Hers was 58.

00:34:28That isn't anxiety, Yuval.

00:34:30That is extreme compartmentalization.

00:34:32Yuval stops pacing, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead as he stares at the impossible data.

00:34:37So, what is she then?

00:34:38CIA?

00:34:39My six?

00:34:39Some kind of government assassin?

00:34:41Something else entirely.

00:34:42Something that was dormant.

00:34:44And now, thanks to her husband's family, it's finally awake.

00:34:47Back in the SUV, I lean forward, ready to take command of my new life and my new security team.

00:34:52I forward a document to the dashboard screen.

00:34:54These are the new rules of engagement.

00:34:56Read them carefully.

00:34:57My head of security, Jet, glances at the screen.

00:35:00His professional comm cracks for just a second.

00:35:02Ma'am, this order neutralize any unauthorized entry.

00:35:05Non-lethal methods are primary, but incapacitation is authorized.

00:35:08This is a significant escalation for a domestic security detail.

00:35:12My husband has a key.

00:35:13Anyone else sent by his family is an intruder.

00:35:15If they are not on the guest list, they do not enter.

00:35:17If they try to force their way in, you neutralize them.

00:35:20Is that clear?

00:35:20Before Jet can answer, the second guard, Harry, touches his earpiece, his eyes fixed on the side mirror.

00:35:26We have a tail.

00:35:26Black sedan, three car lengths back.

00:35:28They just matched our lane change.

00:35:30The hunt has already begun.

00:35:31We are being followed.

00:35:32A black sedan is glued to our tail.

00:35:34My driver, Jet, doesn't hesitate.

00:35:36Lose them.

00:35:37He yanks the wheel, cutting across two lanes of traffic as horns blare.

00:35:40He slams the brakes and spins the SUV into a perfect J-turn.

00:35:43Tires screaming.

00:35:44The sedan chasing us flies right past the intersection.

00:35:47We're clear.

00:35:48Good driving.

00:35:48You're hired permanently.

00:35:49I pull out a burner phone and transfer $50,000 to the team's account.

00:35:53Ma'am?

00:35:54$50,000?

00:35:55That's your equipment budget.

00:35:56Get Kevlar suits.

00:35:57We have a gala to attend.

00:35:59We're going to a Royal Jubilee, not a war zone.

00:36:01In this family, Sky, there's no difference.

00:36:03I reach under my blazer.

00:36:05My hand resting on the taser holstered there.

00:36:07Soon, we arrive at the massive iron gates of the Harrison Estate.

00:36:10My home.

00:36:11Duke Harrison gave orders.

00:36:13No visitors.

00:36:15Especially not his wife.

00:36:16I am the Duchess of this estate, Frank.

00:36:18Open the gate.

00:36:19Or I'll have you charged with unlawful detainment.

00:36:22A new guard stops us.

00:36:23He hesitates for a second, then buzzes the gate open.

00:36:25As we pull up to the house, I see him.

00:36:27My husband, Harden, is standing on the porch, swaying with a glass of whiskey in his hand.

00:36:32I step out of the car, and my security team flanks me instantly.

00:36:35Who the hell are these gorillas?

00:36:36I brush past him, heading for the front door without a second glance.

00:36:39But he storms after me and grabs my arm.

00:36:42You disappear for three days and come back with bodyguards?

00:36:44Who do you think is paying for this?

00:36:45I walk into my own home, and my husband, Harden, immediately grabs my arm.

00:36:49His grip is bruising.

00:36:51Where are the drives?

00:36:51And where's the money?

00:36:52The accounts are frozen.

00:36:54My bodyguard, Jet, steps forward, but I hold up a hand to stop him.

00:36:57I can handle this myself.

00:36:59I have the drives.

00:37:00As for the money, I filed an emergency injunction with the bank.

00:37:03I explain that I cited potential embezzlement based on evidence I now possess.

00:37:07It's not stolen, Harden.

00:37:09It's under review.

00:37:10If you want it, you'll have to sue me.

00:37:12His face turns a violent shade of purple.

00:37:14He knows he's trapped.

00:37:15I can't sue you before the election.

00:37:17It would be a scandal.

00:37:17Exactly.

00:37:18Now be a good boy and go to bed.

00:37:20I start to walk away, but then I smell it.

00:37:22Cheap, cloying vanilla perfume.

00:37:24His mistress is here.

00:37:26Carissa is here.

00:37:26She's helping me prep for the gala.

00:37:28In our bedroom.

00:37:29He yells that I'll be sleeping in the guest wing.

00:37:31I wouldn't dream of it.

00:37:32I don't like dirty sheets.

00:37:33The next morning, the house is buzzing with preparations for the gala.

00:37:36I walk out of my room and see Carissa standing on a podium in the hallway.

00:37:39She is wearing a gown of stark bridal white.

00:37:42Oh, Blake, look.

00:37:43Harden bought me this.

00:37:44Isn't it breathtaking?

00:37:45She spins around, showing it off.

00:37:46I take a slow sip of my black coffee, leaning against the doorframe.

00:37:50White?

00:37:51A bit optimistic for someone with your history, isn't it?

00:37:54The stylist's helping her stifle their giggles.

00:37:56Harden storms out of the master bedroom, his eyes bloodshot.

00:37:59It's ice ivory, Blake.

00:38:00It's elegant.

00:38:01He walks over and kisses Carissa on the cheek, a pathetic attempt to save face.

00:38:04It's a wedding dress, Harden.

00:38:06I look him dead in the eye, letting my final question hang in the air.

00:38:09Are you taking a bride to the gala?

00:38:10My husband, Duke Harden, points to a dusty garment bag shoved unceremoniously behind a potted plant.

00:38:15Mother selected your dress for the palace gala.

00:38:17She thinks you've been too loud lately and need to show some humility.

00:38:20His mistress, Carissa, stands beside him, preening in a pristine white gown that he ridiculously claims symbolizes purity.

00:38:27His mistress, Carissa, stands beside him, preening in a pristine white gown that he ridiculously claims symbolizes purity.

00:38:33I walk over to the forgotten bag and rip the zipper down.

00:38:35Inside is a somber, dark blue gown made of a heavy, suffocating fabric.

00:38:39I walk over to the forgotten bag and rip the zipper down.

00:38:42Inside is a somber, dark blue gown made of a heavy, suffocating fabric.

00:38:46It has a high, choking neckline and long, punishing sleeves, like something a governess would wear to a 19th century

00:38:51funeral.

00:38:52Humility is so last season.

00:38:54This needs some adjustments.

00:38:55My eyes land on a stylus tray, and my fingers close around a pair of cold, heavy fabric shears.

00:39:00Blake, what are you doing?

00:39:01That is a vintage designer piece.

00:39:03Stop this at once.

00:39:04I ignore his pathetic protest.

00:39:06My movements born not of anger, but of cold, calculated precision.

00:39:09With a single, satisfying rip, I slash the high neckline open, creating a deep, plunging V that exposes my collarbones.

00:39:15With a single, satisfying rip, I slash the high neckline open, creating a deep, plunging V that exposes my collarbones.

00:39:21The sound of tearing fabric is sharp and final in the tense hallway.

00:39:25Next, I move to the hem, slicing the heavy skirt from the thigh all the way down to the floor

00:39:28in one fluid motion.

00:39:29A dangerously high slit now reveals my entire left leg with every potential step.

00:39:33I've just turned their insult into a weapon.

00:39:35A dangerously high slit now reveals my entire left leg with every potential step.

00:39:39I've just turned their insult into a weapon.

00:39:41There!

00:39:42Now it breathes.

00:39:43I toss the scissors back onto the tray with a loud, dismissive clatter.

00:39:46You completely ruined a priceless designer piece.

00:39:48You're insane!

00:39:49I improved it.

00:39:50Unlike your face, which no amount of foundation seems to be able to fix,

00:39:54Hardin's face is a mask of cold fury as he checks his expensive watch, ignoring the jab.

00:39:58The limo is here.

00:40:00Carissa, you will ride with me.

00:40:01And you will follow behind in the security car.

00:40:03I don't want you making a scene before we even arrive.

00:40:06He then points a commanding finger directly at my face, as if I am a disobedient dog.

00:40:09It's a blatant breach of protocol, a public slap in the face.

00:40:12The Duke and Duchess are required to arrive together at all official functions.

00:40:16Fine by me, I prefer the company of trained professionals anyway.

00:40:19As our convoy approaches the palace,

00:40:20the night explodes with the flashing lights of hundreds of paparazzi cameras.

00:40:24The lead limo, carrying Hardin and his mistress, stops right at the edge of the red carpet.

00:40:28Hardin steps out first, waving to the roaring crowd like a conquering hero,

00:40:31before turning to offer his hand to Carissa, helping her out as if she were his true duchess.

00:40:35Hardin steps out first, waving to the roaring crowd like a conquering hero,

00:40:39before turning to offer his hand to Carissa, helping her out as if she were his true duchess.

00:40:43The press erupts into a frenzy of confusion, their questions cutting through the noise.

00:40:46Who is that woman with the Duke?

00:40:48Is that the new duchess?

00:40:48Where is Duchess Blake?

00:40:50Has she been replaced?

00:40:51From the tinted window of my security SUV, I watch the whole pathetic scene unfold,

00:40:55a slow smile spreading across my face.

00:40:57From the tinted window of my security SUV, I watch the whole pathetic scene unfold,

00:41:01a slow smile spreading across my face.

00:41:04They think they've humiliated me, but they have no idea that my war is just beginning.

00:41:07I count to 10 in the back of the car.

00:41:09Then I give the signal.

00:41:10Now!

00:41:11My driver opens the door.

00:41:12I step out onto the red carpet, and every camera turns.

00:41:15His smile vanishes when he sees me.

00:41:17My slashed blue dress flows around my legs as the shutters click like machine gun fire.

00:41:21I see my husband, Hardin, standing with his mistress, Carissa.

00:41:24Smile, darling.

00:41:25We're a happy family.

00:41:26I walk directly to him and forcefully link my arm in his.

00:41:29I lean past him, my eyes locking on Carissa.

00:41:31Walk three steps behind.

00:41:33Staff protocol.

00:41:34Her face freezes in shock.

00:41:36She looks to Hardin for help.

00:41:37Hardin?

00:41:38But millions are watching on live television.

00:41:40He can't risk a scene.

00:41:41He forces a plastic smile through the cameras.

00:41:43Do it, Carissa.

00:41:44Humiliation washes over her face as she falls back,

00:41:46trailing behind us in her ridiculous white dress.

00:41:48We walk the carpet together.

00:41:49The perfect Duke and Duchess.

00:41:51You look like a whore.

00:41:52I turn and give a dazzling smile to a reporter.

00:41:55And you look like a man losing his voter base.

00:41:57Wave, honey.

00:41:58The polls are watching.

00:41:59At the top of the palace steps,

00:42:00the major domo bangs his staff on the floor.

00:42:02The Duke and Duchess of Harrison.

00:42:04He pauses, his gaze flicking to Carissa for a single moment.

00:42:07Then he pointedly ignores her,

00:42:08striking his staff again to end the announcement.

00:42:10The silence where her name should have been is the most brutal insult of all.

00:42:13Carissa flinches as if she's been slapped in front of the entire world.

00:42:17The moment we are inside the Grand Hall, I drop Hardin's arm.

00:42:19He immediately abandons me, spotting a senator he needs to impress.

00:42:23He thinks the public performance is over.

00:42:24He has no idea my real show is just getting started.

00:42:26As Hardin walks away, his new pet Carissa trails behind him.

00:42:30She casts a hateful glare at me over her shoulder.

00:42:32I am now completely alone in a room full of enemies.

00:42:34I approach the cloakroom to check my wrap.

00:42:36The attendant, a stern-faced woman, looks right through me as if I'm invisible.

00:42:40Coat check, please.

00:42:40She ignores my outstretched hand, reaching past me to take a mink coat from another woman.

00:42:44I see her glance toward Lady Joette, the host.

00:42:47The message is clear.

00:42:48I am not welcome here.

00:42:49They think a little petty humiliation will make me run.

00:42:52They are wrong.

00:42:53I lean over the counter, my voice dropping to a low whisper.

00:42:55The color drains from her face.

00:42:57Without a word, she snatches the wrap from my hands.

00:42:59If you don't take my coat, I'll leave it on the queen's statue in the lobby.

00:43:03Then I'll tell the press you refused service to a duchess.

00:43:05I turn just in time to see a waiter approaching with a tray of champagne.

00:43:08As he gets closer, he swerves.

00:43:10It's deliberate.

00:43:11He's going to ignore me, too.

00:43:12I subtly extend my foot.

00:43:14He stumbles.

00:43:14And the entire tray of glasses goes flying.

00:43:17But my hand shoots out, catching a crystal flute perfectly in midair.

00:43:20I raise my voice so everyone nearby can hear.

00:43:22Careful.

00:43:23You almost spilled on the duchess.

00:43:24The entire room turns to stare.

00:43:26The waiter is terrified.

00:43:27I'm so sorry, Your Grace.

00:43:29I tripped.

00:43:30I take a slow, deliberate sip of the champagne I just saved.

00:43:32It happens.

00:43:33Excellent vintage.

00:43:35Just then, Carissa returns, a smug look on her face.

00:43:38Hardin is busy.

00:43:38You look so lonely over here.

00:43:40I'm not lonely.

00:43:41I'm selective.

00:43:42Everyone knows you're on the way out, Blake.

00:43:44You're yesterday's news.

00:43:45I let my fingers brush against the massive diamond necklace at my throat.

00:43:48And yet, I'm wearing the family jewels.

00:43:50And you're wearing...

00:43:51Costume?

00:43:52Jewels you'll have to return.

00:43:53We'll see.

00:43:54Now, why don't you go fetch Hardin a drink?

00:43:56That's what staff does.

00:43:57She fumes, her face bright red, before stomping away in defeat.

00:44:01My public performance is over.

00:44:02Now, for the real reason I'm here.

00:44:04I reach into my pocket, my fingers closing around a cool titanium coin.

00:44:08I press the center.

00:44:09A tiny vibration confirms it's active.

00:44:11My safe zone is established.

00:44:13No microphones can hear me now.

00:44:14I walk into the VIP room, and there she is.

00:44:16She sees my reflection and puts on a fake sugary smile.

00:44:19My husband's mistress, Carissa, fixing her makeup in a gilded mirror.

00:44:22We should present a united front.

00:44:24It's true love.

00:44:25We're soulmates.

00:44:26She raises her voice, trying to win over the room.

00:44:28I laugh, but there's no humor in it.

00:44:30I step closer, my voice dropping to a whisper only she can hear.

00:44:33United?

00:44:34You're sleeping with my husband.

00:44:36Soulmates?

00:44:37You met him drunk at a party I threw.

00:44:38He was trapped in a loveless marriage.

00:44:40She drops her lipstick.

00:44:42It clatters across the marble floor.

00:44:43He was trapped in debt.

00:44:45My dowry bailed him out.

00:44:46That's not love, Carissa.

00:44:47It's a transaction.

00:44:48I lean in, delivering the final blow.

00:44:50And you?

00:44:51You're just the distraction he uses while he spends my money.

00:44:54That's not true.

00:44:55He respects me.

00:44:55Her hand starts to shake.

00:44:57Carissa crumbles.

00:44:58Retreating to a sofa to hide her face.

00:45:00Does he?

00:45:01Then why are you the guest?

00:45:02Well, I'm the duchess.

00:45:03You're a placeholder, Carissa.

00:45:05A rental.

00:45:06The other duchesses in the room don't even try to hide their smirks.

00:45:08I check my own reflection.

00:45:10Perfect.

00:45:10But then, the air in the room turns ice cold.

00:45:13The double doors swing open with a bang.

00:45:15Lady Joette.

00:45:16My mother-in-law.

00:45:17She stalks toward me, flanked by guards, her eyes like a shark's.

00:45:20The crowd parts before her, like the Red Sea.

00:45:22My husband Harden abandons his drink and rushes to her side.

00:45:25Mother, you look lovely.

00:45:26He doesn't even look at me.

00:45:27The real fight has just begun.

00:45:29My husband's mother, Joette, looks right past him.

00:45:31Her eyes narrow into tiny slits.

00:45:33Her cold eyes scan my body, tracing the slit on my dress all the way up my thigh.

00:45:37I lift my chin and hold her gaze, refusing to be intimidated.

00:45:40It's modern.

00:45:41Vulgar.

00:45:41You have one job in this family, Blake.

00:45:43To support my son and produce an heir.

00:45:45You have failed at both.

00:45:46I feel a flash of anger, but I keep my voice steady.

00:45:49Harden's poll numbers are down.

00:45:50And his bed is cold.

00:45:52From the sofa, my husband's little mistress, Carissa, sees her chance to please the queen.

00:45:56I keep him warm.

00:45:57Joette turns her head slowly, her expression turning lethal.

00:46:00Did I speak to you, staff?

00:46:01Carissa flinches as if struck, shrinking back into the cushions in silence.

00:46:05Tonight, you will announce that you are seeking fertility treatments.

00:46:08She wants to parade my private struggles in public for sympathy votes.

00:46:11With the help dealt with, Joette turns her attention back to me.

00:46:14People love a tragic, barren wife trying her best.

00:46:16I will do no such thing.

00:46:18I am not a broodmare for your political campaign.

00:46:20She steps right into my personal space, her voice a low threat.

00:46:24You are what I say you are.

00:46:25Or the trust disappears.

00:46:27She thinks she has me trapped with her money.

00:46:29But she has no idea what I've found.

00:46:30I lean in closer, my voice a whisper only she can hear.

00:46:33The trust is already empty, Joette.

00:46:35For the first time, a flicker of shock crosses her face.

00:46:37What did you say?

00:46:38My son isn't that foolish.

00:46:40A cold smile plays on my lips.

00:46:41This is the moment I've been waiting for.

00:46:43Oh, he didn't spend it.

00:46:44He transferred it.

00:46:45Ask him about Vance Corp.

00:46:47Her head whips around to face my husband, Harden.

00:46:49He's sweating, his face pale with panic.

00:46:51Mother, she's lying.

00:46:53She's crazy.

00:46:54But Joette is a predator.

00:46:55She can smell the reek of fear and deceit coming off her own son.

00:46:58She grabs his arm in a vice grip, her voice dangerously low.

00:47:01She drags him away like a disobedient child.

00:47:03We will discuss this later.

00:47:04Fix your face.

00:47:06The queen is coming.

00:47:07I let out a slow breath.

00:47:08The seed of their downfall has been planted.

00:47:10Just then, I feel a single, short buzz from my pocket.

00:47:13The titanium coin.

00:47:15My ally is here.

00:47:16The real game is about to begin.

00:47:17As we walk toward the queen's salon, my mother-in-law, Joette, grabs my arm.

00:47:20Her grip is like steel.

00:47:21Her face a mask of fury.

00:47:23You think you're clever?

00:47:24Exposing my son to me?

00:47:25If he falls, you fall.

00:47:27You are nothing without the Harrison name.

00:47:29She digs her nails deep into my skin.

00:47:31I think I'm practical.

00:47:32A direct threat on my life.

00:47:34But she has no idea who she's dealing with.

00:47:35You will not divorce him.

00:47:37We need the evangelical vote.

00:47:38Her eyes go cold and flat.

00:47:40Joette, then accidents happen.

00:47:41Cars crash.

00:47:42Pills get mixed up.

00:47:44People fall downstairs.

00:47:45And if I refuse, I stop walking and look down at her hand on my arm.

00:47:48Then I grab her wrist.

00:47:50I twist it.

00:47:51Hard, pressing a single nerve point.

00:47:53Joette gasps.

00:47:54Her knees buckling from the sharp, sudden pain.

00:47:56Careful, Lady Joette.

00:47:57Bones are fragile at your age.

00:47:59I lean in close.

00:48:00My voice a vicious whisper.

00:48:01If I die, a file goes straight to the Department of Justice.

00:48:03And to the king?

00:48:04It contains everything.

00:48:06Every offshore account.

00:48:07Dash, every bribe, every single laundered dollar.

00:48:10Her eyes widen in pure shock.

00:48:12I release her.

00:48:13She stumbles back, cradling her wrist.

00:48:15Who?

00:48:15Who are you?

00:48:16I'm the woman who cleaned up your family's mess.

00:48:18I smooth my dress, my pulse perfectly steady.

00:48:21She practically runs away, looking back at me with pure terror in her eyes.

00:48:24After you, mother-in-law.

00:48:26I walk into the queen's salon with my head held high.

00:48:28And there, holding court in the center of the room, is my next problem, Lady Victoria Vance.

00:48:33I step into the queen's salon, and all eyes are on me, especially those of Princess Victoria Vance.

00:48:38The runaway returns.

00:48:39We thought you joined a nunnery, Blake.

00:48:41Or a mental ward?

00:48:42Polite, vicious laughter ripples through the room.

00:48:44She wants to humiliate me in front of everyone.

00:48:46And miss your lovely company, Victoria?

00:48:48Never.

00:48:49But I came here prepared for this exact fight.

00:48:51Her smile tightens.

00:48:52She moves in for another attack, this time targeting my career.

00:48:55I heard Harden needs a new press secretary.

00:48:57Since you have so much free time, perhaps you're qualified?

00:49:00She's calling me a jobless nobody in front of the entire royal court.

00:49:02I calmly take a glass of water from a passing servant, letting her wait.

00:49:06Oh, I've been keeping busy.

00:49:08Researching patent law.

00:49:09How dreadfully dry.

00:49:10Not at all.

00:49:11It's fascinating how IP transfers work, especially between family trusts and certain shell companies.

00:49:16I let the words hang in the air.

00:49:17A perfectly baited hook.

00:49:18Like Vance Corp, for instance.

00:49:20A family business, it seems.

00:49:22The name hits the room like a physical blow.

00:49:24Absolute, deafening silence.

00:49:26Even the harpist freezes mid-strum, her fingers hovering over the strings.

00:49:29Vance Corp is the secret slush fund for her husband, Prince Henry.

00:49:31A fact only a handful of people are supposed to know.

00:49:34Victoria's hand trembles, her glass rattling against its saucer.

00:49:37Her perfect mask is gone.

00:49:39I...

00:49:39I don't know what you're talking about.

00:49:41I lower my voice, making the final blow personal and cruel.

00:49:45Really?

00:49:45You should ask your husband.

00:49:46Or just check the funding for his new yacht.

00:49:48He's been very...

00:49:49Active lately.

00:49:50In business.

00:49:51And in other things.

00:49:52A direct hit.

00:49:53The entire court knows about his mistress in Paris.

00:49:56Victoria's face flushes a deep, furious red as she realizes she's trapped.

00:49:59You are insolent, but a trumpet sounds.

00:50:01Announcing the Queen's grand arrival.

00:50:03Victoria is saved by the bell.

00:50:05She shoots me a look of pure, murderous hatred.

00:50:07Then she spins on her heel and storms towards the terrace, desperate for an escape.

00:50:11I watch her go as I curtsy perfectly for the Queen.

00:50:13Round one is mine.

00:50:14But this war has only just begun.

00:50:16Victoria is gone, but I don't waste a second watching her leave.

00:50:19My mission here is far from over.

00:50:21I slip into a secluded alcove and pull out my encrypted phone,

00:50:24the screen glowing with my next target's dossier.

00:50:25Lady Lillian Grace, wife of Prince Liam.

00:50:28Elias' intel is perfect.

00:50:30Her key vulnerability is her husband's stalled shipping legislation.

00:50:33And a rival, Lady Joette, is plotting to use it against them.

00:50:36I memorize the details, hiding my phone as I signal a passing waiter

00:50:39and take two glasses of ice-cold sparkling water from his tray.

00:50:42I find Lillian standing alone,

00:50:44her sharp eyes watching the party with a bored expression.

00:50:46She seems...

00:50:47spirited tonight.

00:50:48I gesture vaguely toward the terrace where Victoria just had her public meltdown.

00:50:52spirited is one word.

00:50:53Publicly humiliated is another.

00:50:55Everyone knows her husband has a new dancer from the West End.

00:50:58I feign a gasp of shock,

00:50:59pressing a hand to my chest to make my diamond necklace glitter in the light.

00:51:02Oh my!

00:51:03And they post so many happy photos online.

00:51:05I offer her one of the glasses of water,

00:51:07a simple gesture of peace.

00:51:09Hydration is key when you're watching a train wreck unfold in real time.

00:51:12A genuine laugh escapes her lips,

00:51:13a rare sound in this stuffy political ballroom.

00:51:16She takes the glass.

00:51:17You're not what they say you are, Duchess Harrison.

00:51:18They say you're a mouse,

00:51:20a shadow that just fades into the wallpaper.

00:51:22This is the opening I was waiting for.

00:51:24I lean in, my voice a low whisper.

00:51:26Shadows have their uses, you know.

00:51:27They hear things that people say in the dark.

00:51:29Is that so?

00:51:30Like what, for example?

00:51:31I swirl the water in my glass,

00:51:33letting the anticipation build for a perfect,

00:51:35agonizing second before I strike.

00:51:36Like how Lady Joette is using her own niece

00:51:38to gain leverage over your husband, Prince Liam.

00:51:40Lillian chokes on her drink.

00:51:42The amusement in her eyes instantly vanishes,

00:51:44replaced by the cold, hard fury of a protective wife.

00:51:47Excuse me?

00:51:48What did you just say?

00:51:49I deliver the killing blow,

00:51:50my voice dripping with false concern.

00:51:52I saw the seating chart draft.

00:51:54Joette specifically placed her niece next to your husband.

00:51:56I overheard her telling the girl

00:51:57to bring up his stalled shipping legislation

00:51:59to offer the Foley family's support for a price.

00:52:02That manipulative witch.

00:52:03She's trying to compromise him

00:52:04to make him look weak and indebted.

00:52:06I put a comforting hand on her arm,

00:52:07sealing our new, unspoken pact.

00:52:09I just thought you should know.

00:52:10In this court, we wives need to stick together.

00:52:13She gives me a slow, deliberate nod.

00:52:14This isn't friendship.

00:52:16It's a strategic alliance born from a common enemy.

00:52:18If you ever need a favor, Blake,

00:52:20you just have to ask.

00:52:21Alliance secured.

00:52:22I check another name off my mental list

00:52:24and turn my attention across the room

00:52:26to my husband, Hardin,

00:52:27laughing obnoxiously beside his mistress,

00:52:29Carissa.

00:52:30On my way toward them,

00:52:31I pause at a gilded mirror.

00:52:32I spot a single loose thread

00:52:33on the hem of my own dress

00:52:34and, with a sharp pinch,

00:52:36I snip it clean.

00:52:37It reminds me of the weakness

00:52:38I spotted earlier in Carissa's cheap bodice.

00:52:40A single, poorly stitched seam,

00:52:42straining under pressure.

00:52:43Tonight, I plan to make her unravel.

00:52:45I scan the lavish ballroom

00:52:46and find my target instantly.

00:52:47Then I see the shark circling.

00:52:49Carissa, my husband's little mistress,

00:52:51is stuffing her face at the buffet.

00:52:52Susan Stone, the prime minister's niece,

00:52:54loves to tear newcomers apart for sport.

00:52:56I hang back in the shadows.

00:52:58I want to watch the first blow land.

00:52:59Excuse me.

00:53:00The staff buffet is in the kitchen.

00:53:02Carissa freezes,

00:53:03her face turning a blotchy red.

00:53:05I...

00:53:05I'm with the Duke.

00:53:06Oh?

00:53:07As what?

00:53:08His coat rack?

00:53:09The crowd around them chuckles.

00:53:10It's time to make my entrance.

00:53:12Susan, be nice.

00:53:13I step out from the shadows,

00:53:15placing a hand on Carissa's shoulder.

00:53:16My fingers dig into her skin.

00:53:18I raise my voice just enough

00:53:19for everyone to hear.

00:53:20Carissa is essential to the Duke.

00:53:22She assists him with his most...

00:53:23sensitive matters.

00:53:25She's so dedicated,

00:53:26she rarely leaves his side before midnight.

00:53:28The implication hits the room like a gunshot.

00:53:30Of course, dear.

00:53:31You press his shirts,

00:53:32you press his.

00:53:34Statements.

00:53:34All very vital.

00:53:36Just then,

00:53:37Lady Arabella drifts over,

00:53:38smelling blood in the water.

00:53:39I am his press secretary.

00:53:41Is this the famous Carissa,

00:53:42the one wearing the wedding dress?

00:53:43My husband, Hardin,

00:53:45finally returns from the bar.

00:53:46He walks right past me

00:53:47and hands a drink to his mistress.

00:53:48It's ice ivory.

00:53:50It's designer.

00:53:50Her dress looks tight.

00:53:52Can you even breathe in that?

00:53:53Is everything all right?

00:53:54I'm fine.

00:53:55I'm a perfect size too.

00:53:56She takes a huge gulp of scotch.

00:53:58Careful!

00:53:59Alcohol causes bloating.

00:54:00You wouldn't want to pop a seam.

00:54:02Carissa glares at me,

00:54:03her eyes filled with hate and humiliation.

00:54:04I glance at the side of her dress.

00:54:06Under the bright lights,

00:54:07I can see the threads straining.

00:54:09He leaves his precious Carissa

00:54:10stranded at the edge of the ballroom.

00:54:12She looks completely lost.

00:54:13From my spot,

00:54:14by a marble pillar,

00:54:15I watch her scan the room.

00:54:17Desperation is written all over her face.

00:54:18Her eyes land on the most powerful group here,

00:54:21Lady Arabella and her heiresses.

00:54:22Carissa takes a deep breath

00:54:24and marches over with a confidence she doesn't have.

00:54:26Lady Arabella,

00:54:27I love your charity work.

00:54:28Arabella doesn't even turn her head.

00:54:30The silence is painful.

00:54:31I have ideas for the winter gala.

00:54:34She steps right into Arabella's line of sight.

00:54:36Arabella finally looks up,

00:54:38her face a mask of confusion.

00:54:39Did the wind just speak?

00:54:40The other women giggle into their hands.

00:54:42I'm speaking to you.

00:54:43Oh, I'm sorry.

00:54:45I thought you were the help.

00:54:46Here to take a drink order.

00:54:47That's my cue.

00:54:48I push off the pillar

00:54:49and slide onto the arm of Arabella's chair.

00:54:51Be gentle, Arabella.

00:54:52She's new to civilization.

00:54:54She's wearing polyester, Blake.

00:54:55I'm allergic.

00:54:56It's a silk blend.

00:54:57A blend.

00:54:58Exactly.

00:54:59Carissa stomps her foot like a spoiled child.

00:55:01Hardin will hear about this.

00:55:02Oh, go run to daddy.

00:55:04And just like that,

00:55:05she flees toward the bathroom,

00:55:06tears streaming down her face.

00:55:08How do you stand her?

00:55:09I endure for the crown.

00:55:10I lean in,

00:55:11a small smile on my face.

00:55:12But you should stick around.

00:55:14She's performing later.

00:55:15Performing like a circus act?

00:55:17Piano.

00:55:18Hardin thinks she's a prodigy.

00:55:19Oh, we must watch.

00:55:20This is going to be a comedy.

00:55:21I stand at the bar,

00:55:22swirling a martini.

00:55:23My supposed friend, Arabella,

00:55:25leans in, hungry for gossip.

00:55:26Why did Hardin even bring her?

00:55:28It's social suicide.

00:55:29I take a slow, deliberate sip.

00:55:31He thinks he's in love.

00:55:32Or possessed.

00:55:33You should ask the royal jeweler

00:55:35about my husband's latest commission.

00:55:36It's time to light the fuse.

00:55:37I lean closer.

00:55:39Feeding her a perfectly constructed lie,

00:55:41I tell her I found emails

00:55:42on Hardin's private server.

00:55:43Rubies are meant for the duchess, Arabella.

00:55:46For me.

00:55:46They were design proofs for a ruby pendant,

00:55:48engraved with the Harrison family crest.

00:55:50She gasps,

00:55:51her hand flying to her expensive pearls.

00:55:53I look down,

00:55:54letting my shoulders slump in defeat.

00:55:56He wouldn't dare.

00:55:56That's not just an affair.

00:55:58That's a declaration.

00:55:59You are the duchess.

00:56:00I know,

00:56:01but I'm powerless to stop it.

00:56:02He doesn't listen to me anymore.

00:56:04Her eyes flash with fury on my behalf.

00:56:06I'll stop it.

00:56:06I will tell my father.

00:56:08He has the king's ear.

00:56:09I put a hand on her arm,

00:56:10feigning compassion.

00:56:11Just then,

00:56:12the ballroom lights dim.

00:56:13A hush falls over the crowd.

00:56:15No, wait.

00:56:15Wait until after her performance.

00:56:17It would be cruel to intervene now.

00:56:18She thinks my kindness is a weakness.

00:56:20She has no idea

00:56:21she's just another piece in my game.

00:56:23It's showtime.

00:56:24I watch Carissa walk onto the stage,

00:56:26her cheap white dress

00:56:26sparkling under the lone spotlight.

00:56:28My husband Harden stands near the front,

00:56:29clapping like a proud, pathetic fool.

00:56:31Break a leg.

00:56:33Or a strap.

00:56:34Either works.

00:56:35I move to my strategic position

00:56:36near the emergency exit.

00:56:38A perfect vantage point.

00:56:39Carissa sits at the grand piano,

00:56:41tugging at the fabric around her hips.

00:56:42The dress is painfully tight.

00:56:44I glance up at the mezzanine balcony

00:56:45and see my man,

00:56:47Elias.

00:56:47He gives a subtle signal.

00:56:49The cameras are live and recording.

00:56:50I watch Carissa take her place at the piano.

00:56:52She takes a deep breath to begin.

00:56:53In the front row,

00:56:55her sugar daddy Harden gives her a goofy thumbs up.

00:56:57There it is.

00:56:57I hear it.

00:56:58A tiny cream.

00:56:59The sound of a single thread

00:57:00popping on her custom-made dress.

00:57:02She begins to play a flashy, aggressive piece.

00:57:04And damn it, she's not terrible.

00:57:06She has passion,

00:57:07hitting the keys with a force that shows her anger.

00:57:09She's actually decent.

00:57:11Harden beams.

00:57:13Mouthing,

00:57:13that's my girl to a donor.

00:57:14My plan to humiliate her will be for nothing.

00:57:16This is dangerous.

00:57:18If she finishes this piece,

00:57:19she'll gain their respect.

00:57:20But as the music intensifies,

00:57:22her movements become more violent.

00:57:23I watch the seam on her back,

00:57:25straining against the zipper.

00:57:26The white fabric pulls taut,

00:57:27turning sheer under the stress.

00:57:29Up on the balcony,

00:57:30my ally Elias zooms in with his phone.

00:57:32Come on, gravity.

00:57:33Do your thing.

00:57:34He's getting the perfect shot of the impending disaster.

00:57:36More threads pop.

00:57:37Visible now to the front row.

00:57:39Carissa is lost in the performance,

00:57:41sweat beating on her forehead.

00:57:42She is preparing for the finale.

00:57:44She stretches for a high note,

00:57:45her arm crossing her body.

00:57:46The music builds to a massive crescendo.

00:57:49She throws her head back,

00:57:50her chest heaving against the tight bodice.

00:57:52She raises both hands for the final,

00:57:53thunderous chord.

00:57:54Here we go.

00:57:55She slams them down.

00:57:56A loud, sharp tearing sound

00:57:58cuts through the entire hall.

00:57:59It is louder than the piano.

00:58:01R-E-I-I-P.

00:58:02The king gives a sharp command to his guards.

00:58:04He wants my husband,

00:58:05Harden,

00:58:05and the woman in his arms out of sight.

00:58:07But every camera,

00:58:08every pair of eyes,

00:58:09turns to me.

00:58:10I am the wife.

00:58:11This is my stage.

00:58:12I step forward into the blinding lights.

00:58:14I make my face pale,

00:58:15my body fragile.

00:58:16With a hand over my heart,

00:58:17I let my voice tremble.

00:58:19Harden?

00:58:19He doesn't even turn around.

00:58:21He's too busy wiping tears from Carissa's face.

00:58:23Don't cry, honey.

00:58:24That word,

00:58:25honey,

00:58:25is the signal.

00:58:26I flinch as if he just struck me.

00:58:28A single,

00:58:28perfect tear tracks down my cheek for the cameras.

00:58:30The crowd gasps.

00:58:32My plan is working.

00:58:33He didn't even look at her.

00:58:34How shameful.

00:58:35In front of his own wife.

00:58:36I pretend to stumble,

00:58:37letting a guard catch my arm.

00:58:38I lean in close to the reporter's microphones.

00:58:41I...

00:58:41I don't understand.

00:58:43Why did he call her baby?

00:58:44I give them the image they crave.

00:58:45The naive,

00:58:46heartbroken wife.

00:58:47Harden finally looks back at me.

00:58:49He sees my performance.

00:58:50He sees the hatred in the crowd's eyes.

00:58:52He realizes he walked right into my trap.

00:58:54But it is far too late.

00:58:56Minutes later,

00:58:57guards escort us to a private room.

00:58:58Harden is seething,

00:58:59pacing the floor.

00:59:00Someone rigged that dress.

00:59:01I know it.

00:59:02I sit silently on a velvet chair,

00:59:04watching his pathetic rage.

00:59:05I watch from the shadows

00:59:06as Carissa plays the final,

00:59:08perfect note.

00:59:09Then a sound rips through the hall.

00:59:10She's not wearing a bra.

00:59:12She is completely exposed

00:59:13to the entire royal court.

00:59:15A collective gasp

00:59:16sucks the air from the room.

00:59:17Ah.

00:59:17She tries to cover herself,

00:59:19but it's a losing battle.

00:59:20A storm of flashbulbs erupts,

00:59:22capturing her humiliation for the world.

00:59:24But in the front row,

00:59:25my target,

00:59:25Harden,

00:59:26doesn't even think.

00:59:27He rips off his tuxedo jacket.

00:59:28He stumbles forward,

00:59:29shoving people aside

00:59:30as he scrambles onto the stage.

00:59:32He wraps it around her,

00:59:33pulling her into his chest

00:59:34to shield her.

00:59:34I've got you.

00:59:35I've got you, baby.

00:59:36It's okay.

00:59:37But in his rush,

00:59:38he knocked over the master

00:59:39of ceremony's lectern.

00:59:40A sweet whisper,

00:59:41meant only for her ears.

00:59:43His next word echoes

00:59:44through every speaker

00:59:44in the ballroom.

00:59:45Baby!

00:59:46The room goes dead silent.

00:59:47The king stands up,

00:59:48his face a dangerous shade of purple.

00:59:50Queen Helena turns away,

00:59:51her face a mask of disgust.

00:59:53The livestream chat

00:59:54on the lobby screens

00:59:55explodes into chaos.

00:59:56I watch him shield her,

00:59:57not like a boss,

00:59:58but like a lover

00:59:59protecting his entire world.

01:00:00The visual confirms everything.

01:00:02The intimacy,

01:00:03the instinct.

01:00:04It proves their affair

01:00:05beyond any doubt.

01:00:06Check.

01:00:06As he glares at the photographers,

01:00:08leading a weeping Carissa offstage,

01:00:09I know my plan

01:00:10is working perfectly.

01:00:11We stand before the king

01:00:12in his study,

01:00:13the air thick

01:00:14with unspoken accusations.

01:00:15My husband Harden,

01:00:16his mistress Carissa,

01:00:17and her father Fulton

01:00:18all refuse to look at me.

01:00:20King Edward sits behind

01:00:21his massive desk,

01:00:22his face a thundercloud,

01:00:23his fury barely contained.

01:00:25Explain.

01:00:25The single word cracks

01:00:26through the silence

01:00:27like a whip.

01:00:28Fulton lurches forward,

01:00:29bowing low as sweat drips

01:00:30from his forehead.

01:00:31A wardrobe malfunction,

01:00:32your majesty?

01:00:33A terrible,

01:00:33unfortunate accident.

01:00:34And calling her baby

01:00:35on live television,

01:00:36was that an accident too?

01:00:38Harden's voice cracks

01:00:39as he rushes

01:00:39to support the lie.

01:00:40The king ignores

01:00:41their pathetic,

01:00:42scrambling excuses.

01:00:43She is my press secretary.

01:00:44I was just comforting

01:00:45a distressed employee.

01:00:46It is my duty.

01:00:48His icy gaze

01:00:48turns directly to me,

01:00:49pinning me in place.

01:00:50And you, duchess?

01:00:52Do you believe this?

01:00:53Explanation?

01:00:54I feel Harden's

01:00:55desperate glare

01:00:55from the side,

01:00:56a silent command

01:00:57to lie for him.

01:00:58Blake, don't.

01:00:59I take a slow breath,

01:01:00standing tall.

01:01:01My time for silence

01:01:02is over.

01:01:03No, your majesty?

01:01:04Harden flinches

01:01:05as if struck,

01:01:06his face twisting

01:01:07in a mask of pure horror.

01:01:08I will not lie to my king.

01:01:09This affair began

01:01:10on our wedding night.

01:01:11Liar!

01:01:12The king slams

01:01:12his massive fist

01:01:13on the desk,

01:01:14the sound echoing

01:01:15like a gunshot.

01:01:16Silence!

01:01:16All eyes are on me now.

01:01:17I have the floor

01:01:18and I will not waste it.

01:01:20I have proof of everything.

01:01:21But first,

01:01:22I have a request.

01:01:23I want an annulment!

01:01:24Effective immediately.

01:01:25What is it?

01:01:26Annulment?

01:01:27Blake, don't be so dramatic.

01:01:28We can issue a statement.

01:01:29I cut him off

01:01:30with a look

01:01:30that could freeze fire.

01:01:32Annulment.

01:01:32On the grounds

01:01:33of non-consummation,

01:01:34the world stops.

01:01:35The room goes so quiet

01:01:36you can hear the blood

01:01:37pounding in my ears.

01:01:38Harden turns ghost white,

01:01:39his jaw hanging open

01:01:40in utter disbelief

01:01:41and humiliation.

01:01:42The king leans forward

01:01:43across his desk,

01:01:44his eyes glinting

01:01:45with a dangerous,

01:01:46newfound curiosity.

01:01:47Non-consummation?

01:01:48Your vows are barely cold,

01:01:50Duchess.

01:01:50I stand before the king,

01:01:51my voice echoing

01:01:52in the silent study

01:01:53where my husband's fate

01:01:54is being decided.

01:01:55In all the time

01:01:56we have been married,

01:01:56he has never once touched me.

01:01:58I let the accusation

01:01:59hang in the air,

01:02:00watching the color drain

01:02:01from Duke Harden's face.

01:02:02He spends his nights

01:02:03with his mistress,

01:02:03Carissa,

01:02:04a woman he installed

01:02:05in my own home.

01:02:06I don't need a physician

01:02:07to prove my claim,

01:02:08your majesty.

01:02:08The proof is digital

01:02:10and it is absolute.

01:02:11I explain that my family's company

01:02:12holds the patent

01:02:13on smart textiles

01:02:14and the mattress

01:02:15in our master suite

01:02:16has been logging

01:02:16occupant data

01:02:17every single night.

01:02:18The data shows

01:02:18only one heat signature

01:02:19in our bed,

01:02:20his.

01:02:20It also matches

01:02:21the signature

01:02:22from the guest wing

01:02:22where she has been staying.

01:02:24This is the ultimate

01:02:25humiliation for a duke,

01:02:26failing his duty

01:02:27to produce an heir.

01:02:28The king's gaze

01:02:28turns to my husband,

01:02:29his voice dangerously low.

01:02:30Is this true,

01:02:31Harrison?

01:02:32She,

01:02:32the data,

01:02:33it's,

01:02:34she refused me.

01:02:35She's frigid.

01:02:36I don't even raise my voice

01:02:37to counter his pathetic,

01:02:38desperate lie.

01:02:39Lies.

01:02:40On our wedding night,

01:02:41you told me I was too plain

01:02:42compared to Carissa

01:02:43and sent me to sleep

01:02:44in the guest room.

01:02:45We're in love.

01:02:46It's real love.

01:02:47The king wastes no more time

01:02:48turning to his scribe

01:02:49to issue his final judgment.

01:02:51Love?

01:02:51You are an adulterer

01:02:52and a fool.

01:02:53You have embarrassed

01:02:54the peerage on live television.

01:02:55I am initiating

01:02:56an annulment

01:02:57by royal decree.

01:02:58Consider it done.

01:02:58The merger is dead.

01:02:59He isn't finished.

01:03:00The king strips Hardin

01:03:01of all his committee seats,

01:03:03effectively ending his career.

01:03:04Hardin collapses,

01:03:05falling to his knees

01:03:06on the expensive rug,

01:03:07his entire world

01:03:08crumbling around him.

01:03:09Your majesty, please,

01:03:10my career.

01:03:11I offer a deep,

01:03:12respectful curtsy

01:03:13to the king

01:03:13before turning

01:03:13to leave the room.

01:03:14But as I walk away,

01:03:15Hardin lunges,

01:03:16his hand clamping

01:03:17around my ankle

01:03:18like a shackle.

01:03:18You planned this?

01:03:19You bitch.

01:03:20I look down

01:03:21at the pathetic man

01:03:22clinging to me,

01:03:23feeling nothing but contempt.

01:03:24I just wanted

01:03:24a divorce,

01:03:25Hardin.

01:03:25You did the rest yourself.

01:03:27I gently kick

01:03:27his desperate hand away

01:03:28and walk out of the study

01:03:29without a backward glance.

01:03:30The heavy doors

01:03:31thud shut behind me,

01:03:32muffling the sounds

01:03:33of his ruin.

01:03:33I am no longer

01:03:34a duchess.

01:03:35I am Blake White.

01:03:36As I reach

01:03:37the private exit,

01:03:38a figure steps out

01:03:38from the shadows,

01:03:39blocking my path.

01:03:40It's Elias,

01:03:41leaning against a statue,

01:03:42looking impossibly handsome

01:03:44in a tuxedo

01:03:44that seems more like

01:03:45armor on him.

01:03:46Impressive performance.

01:03:47Prince Elias

01:03:48falls into step beside me

01:03:49as we leave the chaos

01:03:50of the gala behind.

01:03:51The smart mattress data

01:03:52instead of a medical claim,

01:03:53bold,

01:03:54effective.

01:03:54It cut through

01:03:55their arguments

01:03:56in six seconds,

01:03:57not six months.

01:03:58I am finally free.

01:03:59I'm leaving that

01:04:00gilded cage for good.

01:04:01I stop walking

01:04:01and turn to face him,

01:04:02my eyes narrowing.

01:04:04You'll need a secure

01:04:04base of operations.

01:04:06My estate has a guest house.

01:04:07It's off-grid,

01:04:08has a direct fiber line,

01:04:09and better security

01:04:10than this palace.

01:04:11Is that a proposition,

01:04:12your highness?

01:04:13It's a recruitment pitch.

01:04:14I need that brain of yours.

01:04:16You dismantled a dynasty

01:04:17in an hour,

01:04:17using a dress and a rumor.

01:04:18He sees me for exactly

01:04:20what I am,

01:04:20and he still wants me close.

01:04:22I have terms.

01:04:23Name them.

01:04:24Done.

01:04:25I hate galas.

01:04:26His grip is warm and firm.

01:04:27It feels like an anchor.

01:04:29Full autonomy,

01:04:29a lab,

01:04:30and no more charity galas.

01:04:31He extends a hand.

01:04:32I look at it,

01:04:33then take it.

01:04:34Welcome to the dark side,

01:04:35Miss White.

01:04:36The duchess is dead.

01:04:37The valkyrie is awake.

01:04:38I think I'll like it here.

01:04:40But just as we reach the door,

01:04:41the king's silent ushers

01:04:42block our path.

01:04:43We have been summoned.

01:04:45Immediately.

01:04:45Now,

01:04:46we stand before King Edward

01:04:47in his private study.

01:04:48Elias simply raises an eyebrow

01:04:50and changes our course,

01:04:51his hand resting

01:04:52on the small of my back

01:04:53in a show of support.

01:04:54The only sound

01:04:55is the dry scratching

01:04:55of his quill on heavy parchment.

01:04:57It sounds like a guillotine

01:04:58blade dropping,

01:04:59slow and final.

01:05:00He finishes his signature

01:05:01with an aggressive flourish

01:05:02and sprinkles sand

01:05:03over the wet ink.

01:05:04Done.

01:05:05He pushes the document

01:05:05across the expansive

01:05:06mahogany desk.

01:05:07It slides over the polished wood,

01:05:09coming to a rest

01:05:10right at the edge,

01:05:11directly in front of me.

01:05:12I take the document

01:05:12from the king's desk.

01:05:13It's not a divorce filing.

01:05:14It's an annulment,

01:05:15erasing my marriage completely.

01:05:17Your majesty,

01:05:18I beg you to reconsider.

01:05:19An annulment suggests fraud.

01:05:21My father,

01:05:21Duke Fulton Foley,

01:05:22lunges from the shadows,

01:05:23his face slick with sweat.

01:05:24The press already knows

01:05:25your daughter

01:05:26is a homewrecker Fulton.

01:05:27They have 4K video footage.

01:05:29The king's cold eyes

01:05:30pin my father to the spot.

01:05:31You assured me

01:05:32this union was stable.

01:05:33You lied to the crown.

01:05:34It was just a hiccup.

01:05:35We can fix the optics.

01:05:36The king gives a silent nod

01:05:38to his aide

01:05:38standing by the door.

01:05:39Revoke the Foley

01:05:40shipping tax exemption,

01:05:41effective immediately.

01:05:42My father's face goes gray.

01:05:44That single exemption

01:05:45is the cornerstone

01:05:46of our family fortune

01:05:46worth tens of millions a year.

01:05:48Your majesty,

01:05:49that will bankrupt

01:05:50the West Coast branch.

01:05:51You cannot be serious.

01:05:53The king doesn't even bother

01:05:54to look up from his desk.

01:05:55Then perhaps you should have

01:05:56taught your daughter

01:05:56to keep her clothes on.

01:05:57I bite the inside of my cheek

01:05:58to keep from smiling.

01:05:59Karma is hitting them

01:06:00like a bomb.

01:06:01Am I free to go,

01:06:02your majesty?

01:06:02He waves a dismissive hand.

01:06:04But as I turn to leave,

01:06:05my ex-husband Hardin

01:06:06blocks my path.

01:06:07Blake, wait.

01:06:08We need to discuss

01:06:09the settlement.

01:06:10My lawyers say

01:06:10we need to agree on a number

01:06:11before this goes public.

01:06:12He tries to be quiet,

01:06:14but I raise my voice

01:06:15so the entire room

01:06:15can hear my answer.

01:06:16There are no terms,

01:06:17Hardin.

01:06:18This was an annulment.

01:06:19The marriage never existed.

01:06:20Nothing.

01:06:21But the estate,

01:06:22the jewelry,

01:06:23the prenup guarantees you.

01:06:24Keep it.

01:06:25It's all tainted anyway.

01:06:26I shoulder past him,

01:06:28my body checking his chest

01:06:29hard enough

01:06:29to make him stumble back.

01:06:30I walk toward

01:06:31the massive oak doors,

01:06:32not looking back at my father,

01:06:33who is now weeping silently

01:06:34into his hands.

01:06:35I don't look back at the man

01:06:36who was never my husband.

01:06:37The doors boom shut behind me,

01:06:39a final,

01:06:40vibrating sound of freedom.

01:06:41I step out of the palace

01:06:42side entrance

01:06:43and into the cool night air.

01:06:44The moment my heel

01:06:45hits the pavement,

01:06:46the world explodes

01:06:47in a wall of light.

01:06:48Flashbulbs detonate

01:06:48like bombs in my face.

01:06:50The paparazzi are swarming

01:06:51the gate.

01:06:51Someone tipped them off.

01:06:53And I've just walked

01:06:53right into their trap.

01:06:54The press swarms me

01:06:55like sharks

01:06:55the second I step outside.

01:06:57Duchess!

01:06:58Is it true?

01:06:58Are you leaving him, Blake?

01:07:00I clutch the divorce decree

01:07:01to my chest.

01:07:02My husband's driver

01:07:03has abandoned me

01:07:03on his orders.

01:07:04I'm trapped.

01:07:05A black armored SUV

01:07:06mounts the curb,

01:07:07slamming to a halt

01:07:08right in front of me.

01:07:09Suddenly,

01:07:10a screech of tires

01:07:10cuts through the chaos.

01:07:12It blocks the cameras.

01:07:13The back door swings open.

01:07:14A man's hand reaches out

01:07:15from the shadows.

01:07:16Get in.

01:07:17I know that voice instantly.

01:07:18It's crowned Prince Elias.

01:07:20I don't hesitate.

01:07:21I dive into the back seat.

01:07:22The heavy door thumps shut

01:07:23and the world goes silent.

01:07:25Go.

01:07:25The SUV launches forward,

01:07:27leaving the reporters

01:07:28in our dust.

01:07:28I look over at my rescuer.

01:07:30Prince Elias is calmly

01:07:31reading a tablet,

01:07:32his face lit by its

01:07:33cold blue light.

01:07:34You have excellent timing.

01:07:35I have excellent surveillance.

01:07:37He pulls a bottle of water

01:07:38from a cooler

01:07:38and hands it to me.

01:07:39Hydrate.

01:07:40The adrenaline crash is coming.

01:07:42He finally looks up,

01:07:43his eyes sharp

01:07:43and uncomfortably perceptive.

01:07:45I don't crash.

01:07:46What did you just call me?

01:07:47I change the subject,

01:07:48gesturing to the reinforced glass

01:07:49and tactical screens.

01:07:51Everyone crashes, Blake.

01:07:52Even Valkyries.

01:07:53He gives me an innocent smile

01:07:54that doesn't reach his eyes.

01:07:56An armored tank

01:07:56for the sickly prince?

01:07:57Safety first.

01:07:58I can't risk catching a cold.

01:08:00Or a bullet.

01:08:01In the back of the SUV,

01:08:02Prince Elias raises

01:08:03a thick privacy partition,

01:08:05sealing us inside

01:08:05a soundproof capsule.

01:08:07I'm offering you

01:08:07the keys to a kingdom.

01:08:08I just escaped

01:08:09the prison of my marriage.

01:08:10I have no intention

01:08:11of bowing to another

01:08:12powerful man.

01:08:13I'm not looking

01:08:13for another master,

01:08:14your highness.

01:08:15I just got rid of one.

01:08:16Not a master.

01:08:17A silent partner.

01:08:18He opens a sleek

01:08:19black briefcase on his lap,

01:08:20turning it to face me.

01:08:21Inside,

01:08:22a matte black keycard

01:08:23and a thick file

01:08:24rest in dark foam.

01:08:25What is this?

01:08:26Access to a secure,

01:08:27off-the-grid workshop

01:08:28in the industrial district.

01:08:29It's yours.

01:08:30And the dossier?

01:08:30My blood runs cold.

01:08:32My spine goes rigid

01:08:33against the leather seat.

01:08:34A list of buyers

01:08:35for your hobby drones.

01:08:36He knows.

01:08:37My most dangerous secret is out.

01:08:38The Watchtower Network

01:08:39flagged your encrypted query

01:08:40against Foley Defense

01:08:41at the gala.

01:08:42The algorithm you used

01:08:43was elegant.

01:08:44He caught me.

01:08:45This man isn't just

01:08:46a sick invalid.

01:08:47He's a master strategist.

01:08:48You want weapons.

01:08:49I want security.

01:08:51Your father's company

01:08:51sells cheap,

01:08:52compromised tech

01:08:53at premium prices.

01:08:54His jaw tightens.

01:08:55His voice filled

01:08:55with a cold fury.

01:08:56Our soldiers are paying

01:08:57for his profit margins

01:08:58with their lives.

01:08:59I need something

01:09:00that actually works.

01:09:01He isn't just offering

01:09:02a business deal.

01:09:02He's offering me a weapon

01:09:04to use against my enemies.

01:09:05So you want me to put

01:09:06my ex-father-in-law

01:09:06out of business?

01:09:08Revenge is a powerful motivator.

01:09:09Is it not?

01:09:10He's right.

01:09:11But I will do this

01:09:11on my terms.

01:09:12And my terms alone.

01:09:13I need an unlimited budget.

01:09:15No questions asked

01:09:16about my process.

01:09:17Done.

01:09:17You'll have a black card

01:09:18by morning.

01:09:19And protection.

01:09:20The Foley's and my ex-husband

01:09:21will come for me.

01:09:21You are under my personal

01:09:23protection starting now.

01:09:24The Royal Guard

01:09:25watches your door.

01:09:25This is a deal

01:09:26with the devil.

01:09:27But he's a devil

01:09:28who is offering me

01:09:28the one thing I crave.

01:09:29The power to fight back.

01:09:31One more condition.

01:09:32Yes?

01:09:33I get to slap Carissa.

01:09:34Legally.

01:09:35For the first time,

01:09:36a low, genuine chuckle

01:09:37escapes the prince's lips.

01:09:38A rare sound

01:09:39that briefly warms

01:09:40his cold, calculating eyes.

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