Victoria’s eyes fixed on the check.

Longing and desperation swirled in her gaze.

Fifty thousand dollars was a fortune to her.

It could cover her mother’s medical bills.

No more begging.

No more borrowing.

But she knew better.

Generosity always came with strings.

Sophia wouldn’t offer this without wanting something.

“Miss Reed… what do you want?” she asked cautiously, suppressing the flicker of hope.

Sophia stepped out of her car.

She pressed the check into Victoria’s trembling hand.

Leaning close, she whispered softly into Victoria’s ear.

“It’s simple. I need a favor.”

Her voice was low, almost hypnotic.

“What is it?” Victoria’s pulse quickened.

A cold dread washed over her.

“I want you…” Sophia paused deliberately, enunciating each word with chilling clarity. “To get me Isabella’s design draft.”

Victoria’s face turned deathly pale.

She stumbled backward.

The check fluttered to the ground.

“No… I can’t!” she cried, shaking her head frantically. “I won’t do it!”

Isabella was the only one who believed in her.

How could she betray that trust?

Stealing the draft was not only wrong—it was illegal.

If caught, her career would be over.

Sophia smirked, her eyes cold and calculating.

“Think again. Your mother is still in the hospital, isn’t she? Her life… is in your hands.”

Victoria trembled violently.

Her heart was torn in two.

On one side stood Isabella—her mentor, her lifeline.

On the other, her mother, fighting for her life.

How could she choose?

Sophia watched her torment with satisfaction.

The deeper Victoria’s pain, the more she enjoyed it.

The night was pitch black.

But Isabella’s studio glowed brightly.

She rubbed her sore temples and looked away from her computer screen.

“Emily went to pick up Liam tonight,” she murmured, a soft smile touching her lips.

With Emily watching Liam, she could focus.

A quiet happiness settled over her.

A sudden knock shattered the silence.

Isabella frowned.

Probably her delivery.

She rose and opened the door.

“Come in,” she called out.

But it wasn’t the delivery person.

It was Victoria, standing there unexpectedly.

Her head was bowed.

Her body shook.

Her face was pale, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

She looked broken, nothing like her usual composed self.

Isabella froze.

She had never seen Victoria like this.

A sense of dread filled her.

Her heart sank.

“Victoria? What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice trembling as she stepped closer. “What happened?”

Victoria slowly lifted her head.

“Is… Isabella…” Her voice was hoarse, barely a whisper.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Isabella’s chest tightened.

Something was terribly wrong.

“Victoria, it’s okay. Tell me what’s going on.”

Tears finally broke free, streaming down Victoria’s cheeks.

She faced Isabella, her lips quivering, struggling to speak.