The adrenaline crash hit Eileen the moment she stepped out of the Aura Entertainment building.

She rubbed her throbbing temples as the bodyguards escorted her back into the black Range Rover. The heavy doors slammed shut, sealing her in the quiet, climate-controlled cabin.

The convoy sped through the midnight streets of Los Angeles. Neon lights bled across the tinted windows. Eileen leaned her head against the leather headrest and closed her eyes.

This body was weak. The original owner's extreme dieting and lack of exercise meant that a few hours of high-stress confrontation had completely drained her physical reserves. Her stomach twisted with a dull ache, and her muscles felt like lead.

The cars glided silently through the gates of the Vinson estate.

Eileen thanked the guard who opened her door. She slipped her stilettos off, holding them in one hand, and walked barefoot across the thick carpets of the mansion.

She moved quietly down the dim hallway. As she passed Carlisle's study, she noticed a thin sliver of warm light spilling from under the heavy oak door. She didn't stop.

She reached her bedroom at the end of the hall. She stepped inside and immediately threw the deadbolt, locking the door with a solid click.

She dropped her expensive handbag onto the floor. She walked straight to the massive floor-to-ceiling windows and yanked the heavy blackout curtains shut.

The room plunged into absolute darkness. The silence was absolute.

Eileen walked to the center of the room and sat down cross-legged on the Persian rug. She rested her hands on her knees, palms facing up. She took a deep breath, forcing her heart rate to slow.

She closed her eyes and focused all her mental energy on a single point right between her eyebrows.

This was the secret she had carried from her original world. She needed to know if it had crossed over with her soul.

As her concentration deepened, a tiny spark of heat ignited behind her forehead. The heat rapidly expanded, turning into a powerful, magnetic pull that enveloped her entire body.

A violent sensation of weightlessness hit her. It felt like falling backward off a cliff in the dark.

The sensation lasted for half a second. Then, her body hit solid ground.

Eileen snapped her eyes open.

She was no longer in the dark, stuffy bedroom. She was standing under a sky that had no sun, yet radiated a soft, perfect, ambient light. The air was incredibly pure, thick with the smell of rich, wet soil and growing things.

She looked down. She was standing on a patch of jet-black soil, about the size of half a football field. The edges of the dirt were swallowed by a dense, impenetrable wall of gray fog.

In the exact center of the black soil sat a circular well made of ancient, moss-covered stones.

Water bubbled up from the center of the well, the water level slowly rising as a single drop formed at the lip of the stone every few seconds with a crisp, musical trickling sound.

Eileen let out a breathless laugh. She sprinted toward the well, her bare feet sinking slightly into the soft earth.

She dropped to her knees beside the stones. The water inside was crystal clear, emitting a very faint, pulsing blue glow.

She cupped her hands and plunged them into the freezing water. She brought her hands to her mouth and drank greedily.

The water was icy and sweet. The moment it hit her stomach, it exploded into a wave of intense, soothing heat.

The heat rushed through her veins like liquid fire. The dull ache in her stomach vanished instantly. The heavy fatigue in her muscles dissolved. The lingering toxins from the original owner's hangover and poor diet were flushed out of her system in seconds.

Eileen looked down at her hands. The pale, sickly skin was rapidly taking on a healthy, vibrant pink flush. Her fingernails looked stronger.

She stood up, her body buzzing with limitless energy.

She paced around the well, her mind racing. This pocket dimension was tied to her soul. The spring water was a biological miracle. It repaired cellular damage at an impossible rate.

If this water could fix her ruined body in seconds, what could it do to Carlisle's legs?

The doctors had declared his spinal nerve damage permanent. But they didn't have magic water.

Curing the most powerful media mogul in the country wasn't just about paying him back for his protection. It was about creating an unbreakable bond. If she gave him his legs back, he would give her the world.

She knelt back down and studied the flow of the water. The well only produced a slow trickle. It would take a full day to gather a small glass. She would have to dose him slowly, secretly.

Her plan was set.

Eileen closed her eyes and focused on the heat between her brows.

The weightlessness returned. When she opened her eyes, she was sitting on the Persian rug in her dark bedroom.

She felt incredible. She stood up and walked into the master bathroom. She flipped on the harsh vanity lights and looked in the mirror.

Her skin was glowing. Her eyes were bright and sharp.

She smiled at her reflection. "Watch your back, Hollywood."

Morning sunlight flooded the master bedroom. Eileen woke up feeling completely refreshed, a stark contrast to the agony of the previous day.

She showered quickly and dressed in a crisp, white silk loungewear set. It was elegant but comfortable, projecting a relaxed authority.

She walked down the sweeping spiral staircase, holding a cup of black coffee. As she reached the foyer, she noticed the tense posture of the security guards stationed by the front door.

Mr. Ainsworth stepped forward, his face pinched in disapproval.

"Madam," the butler said, bowing slightly. "The former assistant, Mindy, is at the front gates. She is causing a scene. She refuses to leave until she speaks with you."

Eileen took a slow sip of her coffee. The bitter liquid washed over her tongue.

She lowered the cup and smiled coldly. "Let her in. Bring her to the front lawn."

The heavy iron gates groaned as they opened just enough to let a person through. Two massive security guards dragged Mindy onto the manicured grass.

Mindy looked terrible. Her hair was a tangled mess, her clothes were wrinkled, and her face was streaked with black mascara.

The moment she saw Eileen standing on the marble steps, Mindy broke free from the guards and threw herself onto the grass. Her knees hit the ground hard.

"Eileen! Please!" Mindy screamed, her voice cracking. "You can't fire me! I need this job! My mother is in the hospital, I need the insurance money!"

A few gardeners trimming the hedges nearby paused their work. They exchanged uncomfortable glances, pity softening their eyes.

Eileen stood on the top step, looking down at the sobbing girl. Her face was carved from marble. Not a single muscle twitched in sympathy.

She reached into the pocket of her silk trousers and pulled out her phone. She swiped the screen, opening an encrypted email sent by the Aura IT department at 3:00 AM.

Eileen didn't raise her voice, but the absolute coldness of her tone cut through Mindy's crying.

"Yesterday, at 3:15 PM, your personal bank account received an anonymous wire transfer of twenty thousand dollars."

Mindy's sobbing choked off instantly. Her eyes widened in sheer terror. She scrambled for an excuse. "That... that was a loan! From my uncle!"

Eileen let out a short, harsh laugh. She read the next line on the screen.

"At 3:20 PM, your phone connected to the public Wi-Fi network in the lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel."

Eileen walked down two steps, closing the distance. Her presence was suffocating.

"At 3:25 PM, you sent an encrypted message containing a photo of my room number to an unregistered burner phone."

Eileen flipped her phone around and shoved the screen toward Mindy's face. The bright display showed the exact IP logs and data transfer records.

The irrefutable proof hit Mindy like a physical blow. The color drained completely from her face. Her jaw slacked, and she slumped forward, her hands pressing into the grass as if she couldn't support her own weight.

"You tried to destroy my life for twenty thousand dollars," Eileen said, her voice dripping with venom. "And now you want to play the victim?"

Eileen turned her head, sweeping her gaze over the gardeners and the security staff. She raised her voice, making sure every word echoed across the lawn.

"In this house, betrayal is a terminal disease."

The staff members who had felt pity a moment ago immediately looked down at their feet. The new Madam was terrifying.

Eileen looked at the head of security. "Throw her out. Tell the press camped outside that if any agency in this town hires her, they are declaring war on Aura Entertainment."

It was a total industry blacklist.

Mindy let out a bloodcurdling shriek. She lunged forward, trying to grab Eileen's ankles, but the guards snatched her by the arms and dragged her backward across the grass.

The heavy iron gates slammed shut, cutting off Mindy's wails.

The lawn was silent again.

Eileen took a deep breath of the morning air, smelling the cut grass. She brushed her hands together, a physical gesture of discarding trash.

Suddenly, the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She felt the distinct weight of someone watching her.

She tilted her head back and looked up at the second-floor balcony.

Carlisle was sitting in his wheelchair, half-hidden in the shadows of the overhang. He held a porcelain teacup in his hand. He was looking down at her, having witnessed the entire execution.

Eileen didn't look away. She held his gaze across the distance. The morning sun hit her face, making her skin glow.

Carlisle's hand moved. Very slowly, he raised his teacup an inch in the air. It was a microscopic gesture of acknowledgment.

Eileen blinked in surprise. Then, a massive, genuine smile broke across her face. She raised her hand and gave him a cheeky, exaggerated wink.

Carlisle's Adam's apple bobbed hard. He gripped the wheels of his chair and violently spun it around, fleeing into the shadows of his bedroom.

Eileen laughed out loud, the sound ringing across the lawn as she turned to go back inside.