Vega Bio Corp hosted a grand welcome party for their new CEO. The event also served as the official introduction of Mila as the company’s new owner.

Mila arrived at the venue dressed in an elegant red wine-colored gown that hugged her figure perfectly. She looked breathtaking.

Several women immediately approached her with welcoming smiles.

"Miss Vega, welcome to the party," one of them said warmly as she handed Mila a bouquet.

"Thank you." Mila smiled gracefully before passing the bouquet to Valentina.

"This way, please. The board members and the CEO are waiting for you."

They guided Mila toward the other side of the banquet hall.

Valentina instinctively followed, but one of the staff members stopped her politely.

"Sorry, Miss.. You can’t enter that area."

Valentina shot her a cold glare. "Let me through. She needs my protection."

The woman laughed lightly. "There is no danger here. She is with the board members. No one would dare harm her."

Her tone remained polite but firm. "Please relax, have a drink, and enjoy the party."

With that, the woman walked away.

Valentina remained standing there for a moment, watching Mila mingle with the directors and executives.

Mila looked confident, composed, and radiant as she smiled and spoke comfortably with everyone around her.

Slowly, Valentina’s tension eased a little.

’She’s safe here,’ she thought.

She picked up a glass of wine from a passing waiter and sat down quietly in a corner, observing the people around her.

The atmosphere was lively and carefree. Everyone laughed, chatted, and enjoyed themselves without a trace of stress. For a brief moment, Valentina felt something close to jealousy.

’I wish I could smile like that too...’ she thought bitterly. ’Without constantly worrying about danger.’

But reality quickly pulled her back. Her world was nothing like theirs.

In her world, one moment of carelessness could destroy everything.

Her posture stiffened instinctively, and her fingers tightened around the wine glass. ’I can’t lower my guard,’ she reminded herself. ’Not even for a second.’

Yet despite her vigilance, she failed to notice the danger already closing in on Mila.

"Miss Mila, you have no idea how excited the shareholders are," one of the directors said enthusiastically. "The company’s stock price jumped the moment news about your research spread."

"People have high hopes for this medicine," another director added quickly. "Once it’s successfully developed, Vega Bio Corp will dominate the market."

"Yes," the young CEO chimed in confidently. "Nothing will stop us from becoming the number one pharmaceutical company in the country."

Mila’s face lit up with genuine happiness. "It was my mother’s dream," she said softly, emotion thickening her voice. "She always wanted to take Vega Bio Corp to the top."

A middle-aged director stepped forward with a nostalgic smile.

"I worked closely with Mrs. Vega," he said. "She was brilliant and incredibly hardworking. Under her leadership, the company grew rapidly. She sacrificed everything to make Vega Bio Corp public."

Mila’s eyes turned misty as memories of her mother flooded back.

"But..." The director sighed sadly. "She passed away before she could witness the company going public."

Mila lowered her gaze, her chest tightening painfully.

"Don’t be sad today," another director said quickly, trying to lighten the mood. "Tonight is for celebration."

He motioned toward a waitress nearby. Taking a glass of wine from the tray, he handed it to Mila.

"Come," he said with a smile. "Let’s make a toast."

Mila blinked away the tears and forced a smile onto her face again. "To success..." she said softly, lifting her glass. "And to the future."

"To success and to the future," everyone echoed cheerfully as they raised their glasses.

Mila pushed down the ache in her heart and took a sip of the wine.

A few moments later, she drifted toward the floor-to-ceiling window and stared quietly at the night sky outside.

’Mom... are you watching me?’ Her eyes glistened. ’I’ll work hard. I’ll fulfill your dream.’

Tears blurred her vision.

But suddenly, something felt wrong.

Mila frowned slightly. Her body was growing unusually warm.

At first, she thought her blurred vision came from tears, but the heat spreading through her veins felt unnatural.

Her breathing became uneven. ’What’s happening to me?’

She touched her burning neck, confusion flashing across her face. Her skin felt hot, too hot. A strange dizziness overwhelmed her.

’I need to get out of here.’

Without drawing attention, Mila quietly walked away from the group. Everyone else remained occupied with conversations and laughter. No one noticed her leaving.

Except for one person—Bianca.

Disguised as a waitress, Bianca had been secretly watching Mila the entire time. No one recognized her. No one suspected a thing.

The moment she saw Valentina glance toward Mila, Bianca immediately stepped forward with a tray of wine glasses and deliberately blocked her view.

Valentina didn’t notice Mila walking out of the hall.

"Thank you," she said absentmindedly as she picked up another glass of wine.

Bianca lowered her head politely before walking away. Once she reached a quiet corner, she pulled out her phone and made a call.

"She left the banquet hall," Bianca said in a low voice. "And yes... she drank the spiked wine. The drug should be taking effect by now."

"You did well." Ethan’s voice came from the other end. "You’ll get your reward."

The call disconnected.

Bianca lowered the phone slowly. Her expression twisted with resentment, jealousy, and hatred.

The thought of Ethan touching Mila burned painfully inside her chest.

But she endured it to reclaim everything she had lost.

"Mila," Bianca muttered bitterly under her breath, "this isn’t over yet."

Meanwhile, Valentina suddenly froze after taking a sip of wine.

"That waitress..." Her brows furrowed sharply. "She looked familiar."

Her mind raced rapidly. Then suddenly, realization struck her like lightning.

"Yes, I saw her at Vega Bio Corp that day." A chill crawled down her spine. "It’s Bianca."

Her eyes widened instantly. "She was supposed to be working at Blue Lagoon. Why is she here?"

Adrenaline surged through her body. She slammed the wine glass onto the nearby table and quickly searched the hall with sharp eyes.

Spotting one of the directors, she hurried over.

"Where is Mila?"

The man looked confused. "She was standing right there earlier." He pointed toward the window area. "Maybe she went to speak with someone else."

But Mila was nowhere in sight.

Valentina’s heart skipped violently. She immediately dialed Mila’s number.

The phone rang, but Mila didn’t pick up the call.

"Come on, Mila..." she muttered anxiously. "Pick up the damn phone."

She called again.

Still nothing.

With every unanswered call, panic tightened around her chest. She scanned the crowded hall frantically, fear becoming visible on her face.

’If anything happens to her, Dominic will kill me.’ The thought echoed mercilessly in her head.

Valentina’s expression hardened with determination. "Bianca," she muttered darkly. "She definitely knows something."

She called someone, her voice dropping to a cold murmur. "Mila is missing. She is in danger. Find her."