The call came at dawn.
Nadia barely opened her eyes when her phone vibrated against the nightstand, its sharp buzzing shattering the silence of her penthouse.
Her body was heavy with exhaustion—last night's storm had kept her awake, the rain drumming against the glass walls like an omen. She groggily reached for the device, blinking at the unknown number before answering.
"Nadia Al-Fayed speaking."
A cold, clipped voice responded. "Miss Al-Fayed, your presence is required at the board meeting. Immediately."
That woke her up.
Board meeting? At six in the morning?
Her pulse quickened as she sat up, already sensing something was wrong.
The call ended without further explanation, leaving her staring at the dark screen, unease curling in her stomach.
She moved on instinct. Within minutes, she was dressed in a navy pantsuit, her hair pulled back into a sharp ponytail. Confidence had to be worn like armor, and Nadia refused to step into any battle looking anything less than untouchable.
Yet, as she drove to Al-Fayed Enterprises in her black Lamborghini, unease weighed on her.
And when she stepped into the company's towering headquarters, she immediately knew—this wasn't a normal meeting.
The entire executive floor was eerily silent. The usual greetings from employees were absent. Conversations cut short as she walked past.
A bad sign.
Nadia squared her shoulders and headed for the boardroom. The double doors loomed ahead, and she braced herself before pushing them open.
Her father sat at the head of the long glass table, his expression unreadable. The board members—some of whom had known her since childhood—watched her with a mix of disappointment, curiosity, and barely concealed judgment.
Something inside her turned cold.
She had walked into a trial.
One of the senior board members slid a tablet toward her. "Read."
Nadia took it, her grip steady even as dread coiled in her chest.
Her gaze fell onto the screen.
And her breath caught.
The document in front of her was a confidential business proposal. One of hers. A blueprint for an expansion project that had never been made public.
And yet, here it was—published in the hands of their biggest competitor.
Her ears rang.
Her fingers tightened around the tablet as she forced herself to remain composed.
Her father's voice cut through the silence.
"I trust you have an explanation."
His tone wasn't cruel. Not accusing. But grave.
Nadia looked up, meeting his eyes. "I didn't leak this."
"Then who did?"
The answer lodged itself in her throat.
She knew. Sara it
had to be her.
Sara had access to these files. Sara had been acting strangely for weeks and she had already all but admitted she resented her.
And yet, despite knowing the answer, Nadia hesitated.
Because saying it aloud meant accepting the betrayal completely.
"I believe…" She inhaled sharply. "I believe someone close to me did this."
Her father's jaw tightened, but he nodded. "Then fix it, Nadia."
Her chest clenched.
"Because the media already knows."
Her breath left her in a rush.
The room spun slightly as the weight of those words settled.
"Wait, what—?"
The senior board member tapped his phone. Screens lit up around the room.
Headlines blared.
Al-Fayed Empire in Crisis? Business Heiress Exposed in Corporate Leak Scandal!
Nepotism at Its Finest: is Nadia Al-Fayed Truly Qualified to Lead?
Corporate Princess or Just Another Overhyped Socialite?
Nadia's world tilted.
This wasn't just a scandal. This was an assassination attempt.
Not on her life—on her credibility.
And she had walked straight into it.
__
By the time she reached her office, her phone was blowing up with calls.
She ignored them.
Instead, she stood by the massive glass windows, staring out at the city skyline.
She had worked too hard for this. Too many years proving herself. Too many battles fought to show she wasn't just "the chairman's daughter."
And now, with one move, Sara had nearly torn it all away.
A sharp knock on her door.
She didn't have to look up to know who it was.
Lina her best friend and her much needed support system stepped inside, her dark eyes burning with barely restrained fury, because truly, how dare a two-faced bitch hurt her bestie, her angel.
Lina didn't say anything at first—just tossed a stack of printed articles onto Nadia's desk.
"Tell me it wasn't her," Nadia whispered.
Lina exhaled, she didn't want to hurt her more than she was already hurting but she couldn't sugarcoat anything now, Nadia needed to stand up and quickly before she looses everything. "You already know the answer."
Nadia pressed her fingers to her temple. "I should have seen this coming."
"No," Lina corrected. "She should have never been close enough to do this.. and i really don't want to say this right now but i warned you about her"
Her voice was razor-sharp.
Nadia finally looked up. "you're right i wish i listened to you, to late to cry over spilt milk now. I want proof. I want a name, a paper trail, a confession. I want—"
"You want justice," Lina finished for her. "And you'll get it."
Her voice dropped lower.
"But first, we bury her."