Silence fell over the study like a suffocating blanket. The weight of Alice's ultimatum hung in the air, pressing down on everyone present. The only sound was the soft hum of the security monitors and the distant ticking of an antique clock on Mr. Anderson's mahogany desk.Mr. Anderson's jaw worked silently, his face cycling through shades of red and purple. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides as he stared at his youngest daughter, clearly struggling with the reality that she had just defied him in front of guests.Frank maintained his mask of calm concern, but his eyes darted between Harry and Alice with calculating precision. The slight tension in his shoulders betrayed his growing unease at how quickly the situation was spiraling beyond his control.Mona broke the silence first, her voice dripping with vindictive satisfaction."Oh, this is rich," she said, clapping her hands together slowly. "Look what your little charity case has done, Alice. He's turned you against you

Dawn crept slowly over the city, painting the sky in soft shades of pink and gold. Harry and Alice sat on a park bench overlooking the quiet streets, their conversation having stretched through the entire night. Empty coffee cups from a 24-hour diner sat beside them, testament to their long vigil.Alice pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders, the morning chill cutting through the thin fabric of her evening dress."You know what the strangest part is?" she said, staring at the sunrise. "I've lived under my father's shadow for seventeen years. Every decision I've ever made has been filtered through one question: will this please him?"Harry nodded, understanding the weight of family expectations all too well. "And last night was the first time you said no.""The first time I've ever truly defied him," Alice confirmed. "I've disagreed with him before, quietly, in my head. But I've never actually stood up and said 'this is wrong' to his face.""How does it feel?" Harry asked.Alic

The Anderson estate's main reception hall buzzed with tension as Mr. Anderson positioned himself behind his mahogany desk like a judge preparing to deliver sentence. Business associates, household staff, and prominent community members had been assembled for what was clearly intended as a public spectacle.Alice stood near the back, spine straight despite hostile stares. She had been summoned like a defendant, expected to submit to her father's authority before witnesses."Ladies and gentlemen," Mr. Anderson began, his voice carrying practiced authority, "I've called you here to address a matter affecting not only my family but our entire community."Frank stood beside him, the picture of concerned solidarity, while Mona positioned herself to observe every reaction with obvious satisfaction."My youngest daughter has fallen under the influence of a young man of questionable character," Mr. Anderson continued, his voice beginning to shake with barely restrained fury. "This individual h

The crowd grew quieter as they followed his logic."Moreover," Harry added, "I've never used terminal B-204. My student access card will show I've never even been in that building after hours."Professor Mitchell pulled out his phone. "I can check the access logs right now...""This is ridiculous," Derek protested. "He's obviously just making up excuses. Who cares about some stupid timestamp?""Anyone who cares about the truth," Harry replied, his voice carrying across the now-silent auditorium.After a few minutes, Professor Mitchell looked up from his phone, his face pale. "The access logs show that terminal B-204 was indeed accessed at 11:47 PM yesterday by... a graduate teaching assistant.""Which teaching assistant?" Harry asked, though he suspected he already knew."I... I can't reveal that information publicly," Professor Mitchell stammered. "But Mr. Adams, you're correct. Your access card shows no record of you being in that building yesterday."The auditorium fell into stunne

Harry sat in his dorm room, frantically trying to recall every detail from his previous life. He closed his eyes, searching through memories of Frank's patterns, his methods, his favorite locations for conducting business. But as the minutes ticked by, a horrible realization crept over him."Alice never made it this far before," he whispered to himself, his voice hollow with dawning horror. "She died in the car accident. She never met me, never defied her family, never got involved with Frank."His hands shook as the full implications hit him. Every advantage he'd possessed—his foreknowledge of Frank's moves, his understanding of the timeline, his ability to predict outcomes—all of it was useless now. He was flying blind in completely uncharted territory.Meanwhile, Alice found herself thrown roughly onto the concrete floor of a decrepit warehouse. The smell of rust and decay filled her nostrils as she struggled to focus through the lingering effects of the chloroform."Well, well," t