My hands gripped the car seat tightly. I tried to hold on and not fall. The jolting made my stomach ache again. He only stopped when he saw that I had turned completely pale. I was nearly losing blood and control.
We arrived at the luxurious building that had once been my greatest goal in life.
"Take her away."
Bryan didn’t let me look for too long; he ordered his men to drag me away.
They took me to a damp, filthy place beneath the building.
The walls were damp. The floor was cold. Light came only from a single large screen glowing in front of us.
I was shoved until I fell to my knees.
“Sit. Look ahead.”
One of the men pressed down on my shoulder to keep me still.
On that screen… the magnificent stage that should have been mine was clearly displayed. Spotlights, world-class judges, and the best contestants—everything was going perfectly.
And there.
Livia.
Standing gracefully on the stage that should have been mine.
My breath caught in my throat.
“Listen carefully,” said Bryan’s henchman. “If Miss Livia hesitates, you speak up. If she makes a mistake, you correct her. You’ll make sure she wins.”
My hands trembled as they fitted me with an earpiece and a mic. The same ones Livia was using covertly.
“Do it right. If not, Mr. Bryan will put your imprisoned father in danger.”
That night, my eyes were forced to stare at the screen. Every one of Livia’s movements stole my life away.
My heart went numb. Watching Livia officially declared the winner using a recipe that was actually mine. First place. The audience cheered for her. The media scrambled to take her picture.
And then, she spoke softly through the mic connected directly to my ear. Smiling. “Elena, actually, I haven’t forgotten a single thing about your recipe.”
Her laughter hurt my ears. “I just… wanted you to see this glamorous competition and your dream. Aren’t I so kind?”
My chest burned.
I pushed the door open roughly and ran out of that dark room. I could barely breathe. Livia’s words burned through my soul. All the reality that had hit me made me nearly lose my mind.
And with my erratic steps, I found myself in the middle of the crowd. They were startled; I looked a complete mess.
“Oh my God… isn’t Chef Elena injured?”
“Yeah, she looks frustrated. She must really want this competition.”
“What happened to her is so sad.”