Reborn To Ruin Her Rivals - Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Arielle leaned in close, her voice a low whisper just for Vanna. "I know you don't buy it, but I'll prove it. Why would I jerk you around?"
Vanna's eyes narrowed, her mind flashing to that sickening video from the kidnappers. She'd seen her daughter stabbed, her body dumped in the ocean like garbage.
'No way I got that wrong.So what is this about?' she wondered.
A chill hit her, like some dark scheme was closing in. But deep down, a flicker of hope sparked—maybe her girl was still out there.
She grabbed Arielle's hand, gripping tight, her eyes burning. 'If my daughter's alive, name it. I'd give anything—my life, you name it.'
She stared into Arielle's eyes, too sharp for a kid her age. Her voice shook. "You know where she is. Tell me. Whatever you want, it's yours."
No doubts, just raw need. She didn't care what Arielle's "deal" was. All she saw was her daughter. She had to believe.
Her voice sped up, desperate. "Come on, just tell me. You find her, I'll toss in fifteen mil. Cash. Done."
Arielle eased her hand free, giving Vanna's a quick pat, her tone steady. "Easy, okay? We can't move yet. Timing's off. She's safe, I swear."
"What's that mean?" Vanna snapped, her fuse short. "You say my kid's alive, then tell me to wait? You playing me? Why should I trust you?"
Fury boiled up. Knowing her daughter might be out there made every second agony. She could still see the blood, the pain—her baby was hurting.
"Start talking," Vanna said, her voice ice-cold. "Or I'll make you."
"Oh, really?" Arielle's light tone only pissed Vanna off more.
Arielle sat there, cool as ever, like Vanna's threats were nothing.
"You know who I am," Vanna growled. "I'm no saint. For my kid, I'd burn everything down. Try me." She leaned in, trying to scare Arielle into spilling Eve's location.
Arielle didn't flinch. "Ever wonder why someone went all out to fake your daughter's death? This isn't just a snatch-and-grab. You think you can just kick in the door and save her?"
Vanna froze, the words hitting hard.
Arielle kept on, calm but firm."Whoever's behind this? They're way out of your league. One slip, and it's over—for her, for you. We gotta be smart."
Vanna's mind raced, piecing together Eve's kidnapping. Then it hit her like a lightning bolt. 'Her. It has to be her.'
No one else would want Vanna to suffer like this, trapped in pain forever.
For Eve, she'd do anything.
Arielle stared at Vanna, and it felt like a flashback to her old life.
Back then, she'd bumped into Eve a few times, roughly a year before the kidnapping went down.
Her connection with Vanna? Pure luck. They met through the Boone family and clicked instantly, like they'd known each other forever.
When Arielle got locked up, she heard Vanna tried sending her clothes and basics, but someone swiped it all before it got to her.
Vanna's messy past involved Gavin's uncle, William. She was just sixteen when she got tangled up with him, playing the part of his secret fling.
William was hooked on her charm, but his "love" was flimsy—more like a hookup than anything real. They went back and forth for years until he finally let her go.
Then Vanna found out she was pregnant. Call it fate, but two rounds of abortion pills didn't stop that baby.
Five years later, William somehow learned about Eve and wanted her for himself. Vanna shut that down fast.
Six months later, Eve was kidnapped. The ransom? 300 million dollars—way out of Vanna's league. Desperate, she turned to William, but by then, the kidnappers had supposedly "killed" Eve.
Except Arielle knew the truth: Eve was alive.
In her old life, in North Lugra, she'd run into Eve again. The girl was older, taller, and sharp enough to spot Arielle first, even when Arielle was a mess.
Eve spilled the beans: her "death" was staged—pig's blood, a fake knife, all for show. They'd drugged her to make it look like she was in agony.
The real twist? William orchestrated the kidnapping. He wanted Eve close, especially since he'd been married for years with no kids.
But his wife, Melinda, found out and sold Eve to the black market. From there, Eve got shuffled around, landing in Lugra.
Arielle saw her die—tortured, gutted right in front of her.
Vanna's end was brutal too. Rumor was she got hacked up on the streets. Eve had told Arielle all this in North Lugra.
Snapping back to now, Vanna eyed Arielle. The girl was young, but her gaze carried a lifetime of scars, and she didn't flinch under Vanna's stare.
"Who are you, kid?" Vanna asked, her voice steady but intense. Arielle was her only shot at finding Eve.
"Arielle Bradford," she replied, cool as ever.
Vanna exhaled, calming down. Arielle was right—the people hiding Eve were too slick to be caught easily.
"When can I see her? What's the deal?" Vanna knew she had to trust Arielle. She was out of her league against those creeps.
Arielle recalled Eve's words. The black market auction was in March, when the air still had a chill.
This March. Eve had been bought by some rich scumbag, trapped as a sex slave for two years.
"March 18th," Arielle said. "I'll take you. Get your money ready—it's gonna cost big. Think millions."
She couldn't tell Vanna everything yet. If Vanna knew the full story, she'd probably charge in and blow it, scaring off the kidnappers. Eve would be out of Theoria City in a heartbeat.
For now, Arielle had to prep—sharpen her old skills to make sure this went down smoothly.
"Got it," Vanna said. "I'll have the cash."
The tension in the private room eased. They swapped numbers, sealing a silent deal.