Against fate : rebirth of the stubborn heiress

Chapter 25 – Threads of Fire and Ice

As Summer entered the marble-clad halls of the Bellani estate later that evening, the air felt charged. The weight of that final Sham Sham notification still lingered in her chest. Her heels clicked softly against the polished floors, echoing like a quiet declaration of war.

Rosa trailed behind, her expression tight. "Should I prepare a full guest profile list for the auction based on Travis's tracking algorithm?"

Summer gave a small nod. "Yes. Also, flag any attendees with red-level threat tags. And make sure Rafael Costa doesn't reappear on campus without me knowing."

"Already assigned an AI loop to monitor his license plate, phone pings, and facial scan." Rosa handed her a tablet. "Also... this came in today. The official offer letter from Survive With the Stars."

Summer took it with a raised brow. She had half-forgotten about the show with everything happening.

Rosa continued, "They confirmed the dates. First episode starts filming in exactly a week. Location details are still confidential. Davis already signed his portion and forwarded a revised contract to their legal team."

"Good. At least someone is doing his job."

"Actually," Rosa added, a glint of mischief in her eyes, "He said you owe him dinner for roping you into this."

Summer smirked. "Then he'll be eating air."

Later that night, Summer sat cross-legged in the lounge of her private quarters, dressed in a Bellani-blue silk robe. Her tablet glowed with stock graphs, news tabs, and background data on high-level auction guests.

Travis's voice came through the secure line, low and clipped. "The hacking trail has gone cold. Someone covered their tracks mid-transmission. Whoever's behind this, they're good. Military-grade encryption."

Summer tapped her stylus against her chin. "Any signs of internal betrayal?"

"Not yet. But I'm cross-referencing employee behavior logs against remote activity logs. I have a hunch whoever breached us wasn't after our formulas."

"What, then?"

"You."

The word dropped like a pebble into a still pond.

Summer stilled. "Explain."

"Too many probes into your financial links. Your offshore portfolios, shell companies, and even your asset movements were scanned. They weren't looking for medical data. They were tracing your power trail."

Summer's eyes darkened. "That narrows it down."

"And it confirms the auction's real purpose. Someone wants to know who you've become."

The line went silent for a beat.

"I'll handle it, Travis," Summer said at last. "Keep your focus on protecting the core systems. I'll bait the fox out."

"If you get caught in the crossfire, I'll gut every last one of them."

"I know. That's why I'm not planning on getting caught."

The next morning at university, the tone had changed.

Eric Romano was no longer lounging like a prince reborn. He was clearly rattled. The news of the auction, the whispers surrounding Summer, and her cold rejection had unsettled his usual air of superiority.

As Summer entered the lecture hall, the room quieted instantly. Adriana and Enzo waved her over. Her eyes scanned the crowd—landing briefly on Eric.

He looked away first.

"He still thinks he's the star of your story," Adriana whispered.

"Let him keep dreaming," Summer replied.

The lecturer entered, droning on about global financial policy, but Summer's mind was elsewhere. Her screen displayed silent updates from Sham Sham in her peripheral view.

[Task Update: Rafael Costa surveillance ongoing. Auction infiltration preparations 38% complete. Estimated time to full guest dossier: 48 hours.]

Midway through class, her phone vibrated.

Davis: "After class, meet me at Starry. We're confirming the survival show shooting lineup. Also, bring snacks. I'm starving."

Summer: "Earn it. I'm not your assistant."

Davis: "Then bring Rosa. She likes me more."

Summer smiled slightly despite herself.

At Starry Entertainment, Davis waited in the penthouse conference room, wearing a grey hoodie and black jeans, feet propped casually on the table like a delinquent pop idol who couldn't care less about formality.

"You're late," he said without looking up.

"You're annoying," Summer replied, handing him a protein bar.

He grinned. "You're lucky I'm cute."

They reviewed the show materials together. The premise of Survive With the Stars was as dramatic as expected: castaways dumped on a remote island, limited supplies, required to complete survival challenges, while fans voted in real time.

"Do I look like someone who shares sleeping quarters with strangers?" Summer muttered.

"No, but you look like someone who'll win," Davis replied, smirking. "Besides, you need the media points. Helps with stock influence."

Summer sighed. "Fine. But if I get mosquito bites, I'm charging them."

Davis laughed. "Bellani blood must be protected."

They leaned over the table, finalizing contracts and sponsor lists. Just as Summer reached for her coffee, her phone buzzed again.

Sham Sham: Incoming Alert - One auction guest is linked to past Bellani estate surveillance breach. Details pending.

Her hand froze mid-air.

"What is it?" Davis asked.

Summer slowly exhaled. "Nothing I can't handle."

But inside, her mind raced.

Whoever was on that auction list wasn't simple .

And whatever their reason for targeting her is, one thing is certain .

They had ties to her past.

And this time, she would be the one pulling the strings.