Elena sat quietly on her bed, her mind restless as fragments of that night replayed over and over. The tone of Miss Anne’s voice during their last conversation echoed sharply in her head — too eager, too desperate, almost as if the success of the plan had meant everything to her. It wasn’t just about helping Elena or saving the bakery; there had been something else hidden beneath that honeyed concern.
Miss Anne sounded like the plan was a jackpot for her, Elena thought. And when I couldn’t make it happen, it felt like she had lost something too.
The thought unsettled her deeply. She needed to know what was really in those documents Miss Anne had insisted Mr. Andrei sign that night — the documents had been carried all the way to his hotel room without even reading. The realization hit her
