Chapter 9: Diamonds and Daggers

"She's insane," Christopher paced the private study. "Completely insane!"

"What exactly did she demand?" Mrs. White clutched her champagne glass.

"That I publicly announce Penelope seduced me. That she manipulated everything." He slammed his fist against the mahogany desk. "She wants me to destroy Penelope's reputation to clear her name."

"Absolutely not! The Knights would never recover from such scandal."

"Exactly. She knows what she's asking is impossible."

Mrs. White's eyes narrowed. "Then we'll play a different game. Marry her first—"

"Mother—"

"Listen to me! Once she's legally bound to you, you can make amends with Penelope privately."

Christopher scoffed. "You think Ashlyn would agree?"

"Please. She'll be desperate to have you back. What other options does she have?"

The study door burst open. "The Knights have arrived!"

In the grand ballroom, whispers followed Penelope like perfume.

"Stunning!"

"Such grace!"

"Who cares about legitimacy with beauty like that?"

Penelope basked in the attention, her red dress catching the light. After years of being the shameful secret, she was finally—

The room fell silent.

Ashlyn stood in the entrance, wearing a black gown that seemed to absorb light itself. But it was the necklace that drew every eye – the auction diamonds, arranged in an intricate cascade that threw rainbow patterns across the walls.

"Is that—"

"Twenty million dollars—"

"More beautiful than ever—"

Penelope's smile froze. She marched across the room, champagne sloshing in her glass.

"Nice diamonds," she spat. "Enjoying Richard's money?"

Ashlyn touched the necklace. "Almost as much as you're enjoying Christopher's attention. Oh wait..." She smirked. "He wouldn't even bid for you, would he?"

"He loves me—"

"Enough to ruin his reputation? To fight for you publicly?" Ashlyn leaned closer. "Strange way of showing it."

"You think you've won?"

"Won?" Ashlyn laughed. "Oh, darling. This isn't about winning. It's about revenge."

"You're just jealous because Christopher chose me—"

"Chose you?" Ashlyn's voice dropped to a whisper. "He didn't choose you. He settled for you because I was gone. But now I'm back, and do you know what's fascinating?"

"What?" Penelope's voice trembled.

"I don't want him anymore. But he still wants me. How does that feel?"

"You're lying—"

"Am I? Ask him why he tried to make me his secret wife yesterday."

The color drained from Penelope's face. "What?"

Suddenly, Christopher's father appeared, clutching a manila envelope. "Ashlyn! There's something you need to know about the accident—"

"Not now," Christopher interrupted, reaching for the envelope.

"She needs to know the truth about that night—"

"What truth?" Ashlyn's voice sharpened.

"About your death," Mr. White said. "It wasn't an accident. It was—"

The lights went out.

In the darkness, chaos erupted:

Glass shattered.

Someone screamed.

A familiar voice called out, "Commander!"

And the unmistakable crackle of energy filled the air.

When the lights returned, three things had changed:

The diamond necklace was missing.

There was blood on the marble floor.

And Ashlyn... Ashlyn was gone.

Christopher's phone buzzed: "Want to know who really killed your fiancée that night? Check your father's study. The truth has been there all along."

Penelope's phone chimed: "You thought Christopher chose you? Ask him about the night Ashlyn died. Ask him what he did."

And somewhere between dimensions, a commander faced her troops, the stolen diamonds pulsing with otherworldly power, while in a mansion study, a hidden camera recorded Christopher White opening a very specific file.

The file's title?

"Project Phoenix: Interdimensional Travel and the Resurrection Protocol"

And at the bottom, in Christopher's handwriting:

"Subject A successfully eliminated. Replacement protocol initiated."

The question wasn't whether Ashlyn had died that night.

The question was: which Ashlyn had come back?

And more importantly – who else knew the truth about Project Phoenix?

In the study, Christopher stared at the final page of the file, his hands shaking:

"Warning: Subject shows signs of remembering original timeline. Termination may be necessary. Again."