Lilian stood in the center of a large boutique, surrounded by racks of expensive clothing that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction.
A woman with sharp expression, dressed in a sharp formal attire moved around her with the efficiency of a drill sergeant. This was Diana, the trainer Victor had assigned to "polish Lilian up" for her role.
"That one also... The navy blazer with the fitted pants. And bring out those heels- the black Louboutins." Diana snapped her fingers at the boutique attendants.
The attendants scattered immediately, pulling items from racks and shelves with practiced speed.
Lilian watched in amazement as they brought out one gorgeous formal outfit after another.
There were tailored blazers, silk blouses, pencil skirts, designer heels and bags, that would definitely be dragging price with Cassandra's outfits.
"Try this." Diana said curtly, shoving a deep red dress into Lilian's hands. The neckline plunged dangerously low.
Lilian held it up, her brows furrowing as she saw how dangerously low the neckline of the dress was.
"This is a bit... revealing, don't you think?" She pointed out.
Diana's eyes narrowed on her.
"We don't have time to waste on just shopping, so you need to make your selections fast." The woman said sharply, her tone formal but dripping with barely concealed rudeness.
"But I'm not comfortable with such..." Lilian was saying but Diana cut her off.
"You need to know that your comfortability doesn't matter. What matters is that you look the part."
"Cassandra Drayke responds to confidence and presentation. If you walk in there looking like a timid mouse, you will be thrown out before you can open your mouth." Diana added firmly, her nose scrunching up in disgust, as if she was irritated that she had to provide that explanation.
"I don't think..." Lilian was going to protest but bit back her retort as she remembered that how badly she needed to get into that company.
"Fine." She muttered, taking the dress along with the other items Diana had selected.
For the next hour, Diana directed the shopping like a military operation. Lilian barely got a say in what was chosen. Every time she reached for something modest or comfortable, Diana would shake her head and replace it with something more fitted, more expensive, more... strategic.
By the time they were done, Lilian had an entirely new wardrobe that felt nothing like her, not even like Rose Bennett's wardrobe.
~~~~~~~~~
The two women left the shopping mall to a private training room in one of Victor's properties.
The space was spread out: just a desk, chairs, a whiteboard covered in notes, and lighting that made everything feel formal and cold.
Lilian sat at the desk, her head pounding as Diana paced in front of her like a professor giving the world's most intense lecture.
"Public relations isn't just about managing image..." Diana was saying, her voice clipped and fast.
"It's about controlling narrative. When a crisis hits, you don't just respond, you redirect. You make them talk about what you want them to talk about."
Lilian tried to focus, but the words were starting to blur together, her ears ringing.
"Now, when you're around Cassandra Drayke specifically, you need to remember three things..." Diana continued, holding up three fingers.
"One: She values competence above everything. Show hesitation and you're done. Two: She reads people. Don't try to lie to her face, she will know. Instead, tell partial truths. Three: She is a predator. If she senses weakness, she willl exploit it."
Lilian nodded sharply. Those were traits she knew about the almighty Cassandra Drayke already, from her past life.
"And in the public relations office..." Diana went on.
"You will need to establish dominance early. The other employees will test you. They always do when someone new comes in, especially in a crisis. You need to know how to carry yourself so nobody..."
"Can we take a break?" Lilian interrupted, her voice strained.
Diana stopped pacing and turned to her with an expression of cold annoyance.
"A break?"
"Yes. I haven't eaten all morning and it's already evening. I can't concentrate..."
"No." Diana said flatly, cutting her off.
"What?" Lilian blinked.
"You heard what I said. The interview at Cassandra Drayke's company is tomorrow. You need to master everything necessary before then. We will be doing this training until dawn, until I'm certain you're ready." Diana informed her sharply.
Lilian's mouth fell open.
"Until dawn? You can't be serious." She scoffed in disbelief.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Diana deadpanned, her head cocking slightly, challenging Lilian to dare go against her command.
Lilian stared at her, shock giving way to anger as her eyes twitched. But before she could protest, Diana slammed a thick binder onto the desk in front of her.
"Read through this. These are sample crisis scenarios. I want you to tell me how you would handle each one, based on what I have taught you so far. We will start with page one." It was an order from Diana.
Lilian looked down at the binder. It had to be at least three hundred pages. She swallowed hard, her exhaustion warring with her determination.
When the unrelenting part of her mind reminded her that this what was revenge cost and what she had to endure to destroy Cassandra Drayke, her determination won.
And she opened the binder and began to read after heaving a deep sigh.
~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, in a completely different part of the city, Cassandra stood in an uncompleted building that reeked of blood and death.
It was evening.
"Fuck!" Cassandra muttered under her breath, her voice rough with frustration.
In front of her, a man hung limply in her grip. She had been torturing him for the better part of an hour, breaking his limbs one after the other with brutal precision.
Three other bodies lay on the ground around them, pools of blood spreading across the dusty concrete. All dead.
But this last one, this one was still breathing. Barely.
"You still won't talk, uh?" Cassandra growled, her eyes flashing red in the dim city light that was illuminating the building.
The man just groaned in pain, his mouth opening and closing uselessly.
Cassandra's patience snapped.
Her claws extended fully, sharp and deadly. With one swift motion, she dug them into his throat and ripped.
Blood splattered across her face and clothes as the man's body went limp but she didn't bat an eyelid.
She dropped him carelessly, letting the corpse crumple to the ground with the others.
For a moment, she just stood there, breathing heavily, blood dripping from her hands.
Then she turned and walked out of the building.
Outside, Lawrence was waiting by the car, in a tense posture. He straightened when he saw her emerge.
"How did it go?" He asked carefully, his eyes taking in the blood covering her.
Cassandra's jaw tightened. She hated admitting failure. Hated it more than almost anything.
But this was Lawrence. He needed to know.
"Even after I compelled them to tell the truth about who sent them to commit the arson, they still didn't comply." She divulged to the man.
"What?" Lawrence's eyes widened in shock.
"They resisted my compulsion. All four of them. It shouldn't be possible, but they did." Cassandra repeated, her hands clenching into fists.
Lawrence went very still.
He had worked for Cassandra long enough to know what that meant. Compulsion was an Alpha ability, one of the most powerful tools a werewolf of Cassandra's bloodline possessed. For someone to resist it...
There was only one explanation.
"There is a bigger force out there, someone more powerful working against Cassandra." Lawrence said quietly, his voice grave.
Cassandra didn't respond immediately. She just stared out at the dark cityscape, her mind racing:
Someone had orchestrated the arson. Someone had orchestrated the car crash that killed Billy.
And whoever it was had the power to shield their pawns from her compulsion.
That meant they weren't just dealing with a business rival.
They were dealing with someone who understood werewolf abilities. Someone who knew how to counter them.
For the first time in her perfect life, Cassandra Drayke actually felt threatened. Shaken!
"I will find them!" She gritted out sharply, refusing to be intimidated by this unknown force.