Chapter 2: The Secret Behind Sofia’s Disappearance The music stopped completely. Nobody touched their champagne anymore. The Christmas lights continued glowing above them, creating a strange contrast. The room looked beautiful. But the atmosphere felt like a courtroom. Everyone was waiting for a verdict. Sofia stood in the center of the salon, surrounded by people who had spent weeks ignoring her. The same people who had walked past her without a greeting. The same people who had laughed when she wore the old coat. The same people who never wondered why someone with such gentle hands could create perfect beauty from nothing. Now they were listening. Now they cared. And Sofia noticed the irony. For years, she had begged people to hear the truth. Tonight, she didn't need to ask. Elena slowly approached her. "Sofia... what happened three years ago?" Her voice was different. No longer the voice of an employer. It was the voice of someone who realized she had judged a book by its dusty cover. Sofia looked around. "Are you sure you want to know?" Nobody answered. Because everyone already knew. They did. Sofia took a deep breath. "Three years ago, I was considered one of the most successful makeup artists in Europe." A few employees exchanged glances. They had heard the rumors. Everyone in the industry had. Sofia Dragova wasn't just talented. She was considered a genius. She could look at a person's face and understand exactly what would make them shine. She understood colors, emotions, personality. She didn't create makeup. She created identities. But then everything changed. "I was hired for the biggest fashion event of my career." Sofia looked down. "The final show of the year. Hundreds of guests. International media. Famous designers." Her voice became quieter. "I was responsible for preparing the main model." Maxim listened carefully. He noticed Sofia's hands. They were shaking slightly. The same hands that never trembled while working. The same hands that could create art. But now... They carried pain. "The night before the show, I discovered something." "What?" Maxim asked. Sofia looked at him. "Someone had changed the products I was supposed to use." A silence fell. "Someone replaced my professional makeup with damaged materials." Several people frowned. "But why would someone do that?" Sofia smiled bitterly. "Because if the model's appearance failed, everyone would blame me." She continued. "And that's exactly what happened." The memory returned. The flashing cameras. The angry reporters. The model crying. The designer shouting. Everyone asking how Sofia could make such a terrible mistake. Nobody asking whether it was really her mistake. "The model's skin reacted badly." Sofia closed her eyes. "The entire event collapsed." She remembered every headline. Every accusation. Every cruel comment. "People called me careless." "They said I was arrogant." "They said my success had made me believe I was untouchable." Her voice cracked slightly. "But the worst part..." She paused. "The worst part was that my closest friend was the one who betrayed me." The room became colder. "Who?" Elena asked. Sofia looked toward the corner. Toward Lilia. The young stylist immediately stepped back. "No." Her voice was small. "No, don't look at me like that." Nobody spoke. Sofia continued. "Her name was Alina Petrova." Some people gasped. Because that name was familiar. Alina Petrova. A famous beauty entrepreneur. A rising star who had taken Sofia's place after her disappearance. Lilia suddenly looked uncomfortable. Maxim noticed. "Why does Lilia know that name?" Everyone turned. Lilia's face became pale. "I don't." Too fast. The answer came too quickly. Sofia looked at her. "You do." Lilia shook her head. "You don't know anything about me." Sofia slowly smiled. "Actually, I know more than you think." The room froze. Because Sofia wasn't speaking like a victim anymore. She was speaking like someone who had been waiting for this moment. "After the scandal destroyed me, Alina created her own beauty company." Sofia walked slowly. "She used my techniques." She stopped. "She used my training methods." Another step. "She even used my private notes." Her eyes became sharper. "And then she hired people who were loyal to her." Everyone understood. The betrayal was bigger than one person. It was planned. Maxim looked at Lilia. "So you worked for her?" Lilia said nothing. That silence was enough. Elena's expression changed. "Lilia..." The young stylist looked nervous. "I was only an assistant." Sofia stared at her. "An assistant who stole my designs." "I didn't steal anything!" Lilia suddenly shouted. Her confidence returned. "You think you're better than everyone because you were famous?" She laughed. "Maybe people abandoned you because they saw the truth." A few people looked shocked. But Sofia didn't react. And that scared Lilia. Because she expected anger. She expected an argument. Instead, Sofia simply said: "You still don't understand." Lilia frowned. "Understand what?" Sofia stepped closer. "That I didn't come back because I want my old life." The room became silent. "I came back because someone else is being destroyed the same way I was." Everyone looked confused. Maxim stepped forward. "Who?" Sofia looked at him. "You." His expression changed. "What?" Sofia reached into her handbag. She pulled out a folder. The same kind of folder Maxim had carried on his first day. She placed it on the table. Inside were documents. Photos. Emails. Contracts. Maxim opened it. His face slowly changed. "What is this?" Sofia answered quietly. "Proof that your résumé was intentionally leaked before you came here." He looked up. "Why?" "Because someone wanted you to fail." Maxim flipped through the documents. There were messages. Private conversations. Someone had tried to make Elena doubt him before he even arrived. Someone wanted him gone. "But why would anyone do this to me?" Sofia looked toward Lilia. Then toward the others. "Because this salon is not just a workplace." She lowered her voice. "It's a battlefield." The lights flickered. Outside, the snow became heavier. And for the first time, everyone realized something terrifying. Sofia had not been hiding because she was weak. She had been hiding because she knew the truth. Someone inside the salon had been controlling everything. The rumors. The careers. The failures. The successes. And now that Sofia had returned... That person was starting to lose control. Suddenly, Elena's phone rang. Everyone looked at her. She answered. Her expression changed immediately. "What?" A pause. Then: "No... that's impossible." She slowly lowered the phone. "What happened?" Maxim asked. Elena looked at Sofia. "The company's main account..." Her voice trembled. "Someone transferred all the money out." The room erupted. People shouted. Panic spread. But Sofia remained still. Because she already knew. This wasn't an attack. It was a message. A warning. A reminder from the person who had destroyed her life once before. The same person who was now coming for everyone in this room. Sofia looked at the falling snow outside. After three years of silence... The war had begun.

5 chapters