---- Chapter 5 Athena POV: | woke up on the sofa, the ghost of pain still sizzling on my arm. | went to my room, treated the new, angry red welt, and began packing a suitcase. My mind was clear. | was leaving. As | was zipping the bag, a horrifying realization hit me. My sketchbook, the one containing all the concept art and foundational code for my revolutionary game engine, the 'Phoenix Engine,' was gone from my desk. | tore the room apart, my panic mounting with every empty drawer and closet shelf. It wasn't there. My phone buzzed. It was a message from Eliot. "Athena, I'm so sorry. | just saw the launch announcement for Morrison Dynamics' new game. The 'Phoenix Engine'... it looks exactly like your work." A wave of nausea washed over me. My heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vise. It was one thing to have my love betrayed, but my work... my work was my soul. | grabbed my keys and drove to Hardin' s office, my fury a roaring inferno. | didn't bother with the secretary; | stormed straight into his office. ---- "You stole my engine," | said, my voice shaking with rage. Hardin looked up from his desk, his expression calm, almost bored. "Athena, don't be so dramatic. Carina was under a lot of pressure. She needed a breakthrough project. Your work was just sitting there, gathering dust. | thought you'd be happy to help." He stood and walked around the desk, his movements smooth and predatory. "Don't worry," he said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Once this all blows over, I'll find a small project for you. Something you can handle." My last ounce of hope shriveled and died. He wasn't just doing this for her career. He was doing this because he truly believed she was the genius, and | was just... a stepping stone. He loved her. | clenched my fists. "l won't let you. That engine is mine." My phone buzzed again. Eliot. "Check your old college alumni forum. Someone just posted something about Carina Sparks." My fingers trembled as | navigated to the website. A post from an old classmate. It was a detailed account, complete with date-stamped screenshots of old emails, proving that Carina had stolen my senior project all those years ago. The truth was finally out. | looked up at Hardin, my eyes burning. "She's a fraud. She stole my work in college, and she's doing it again now. And ---- you knew. You knew all along." He didn't even flinch. His face was a mask of cold indifference. "Carina is brilliant. You're just jealous and vindictive." "You asked me about it," | whispered, a horrifying memory surfacing. "A few months ago. You asked me what happened with my senior project. You were gathering information. You were planning this from the start." He sighed, a sound of pure exasperation. "Athena, you're becoming hysterical." A wild, broken laugh escaped my lips. "Hysterical? You engineered an accident to get close to me. You faked amnesia for three years. You isolated me, sabotaged my career, let your lover torture me, and stole my life's work. All to make her famous." My mind raced, connecting the dots. "You're not just trying to make her famous," | realized, the words catching in my throat. "You're trying to destroy me. You want to erase 'PixelVixen' so that Carina can take her place." The truth of it hit me with the force of a physical blow. | stumbled back, my legs giving out, and collapsed into one of the chairs opposite his desk. Tears streamed down my face, hot and silent. Hardin walked over and knelt in front of me, his expression softening into a mask of concern. "Poor Athena," he murmured, his voice dripping with false sympathy. "You're not well. You're ---- not strong enough to handle the pressures of this industry. The interviews, the conferences... it's all too much for you." He reached out and stroked my hair, his touch making my skin crawl. "It's better this way. Carina can be the face of the project. She's good with people. You can just stay home, where it's safe. You can create, and she can present. We'll be the perfect team." His voice was a demonic whisper, painting a picture of a gilded cage where | would be his secret, creative slave for the test of my life. | jerked my head away from his touch. "No," | spat. "The Phoenix Engine is mine. | will never let her take credit for it." His eyes hardened. He grabbed my wrist-my right wrist-his fingers wrapping around the delicate scars. He squeezed. Pain, sharp and blinding, exploded behind my eyes. | cried out, my body arching in agony. He leaned in close, his face inches from mine, his eyes black with menace. "You will not ruin this for her," he hissed, his voice a venomous threat. "Remember how easily this can break. One wrong move, and you will never hold a pen again, let alone a stylus. Do you understand me?" Tears streamed down my face, a silent testament to my pain and utter despair. He was using the very injury I'd sustained saving him as a weapon against me. He was threatening to permanently cripple me. ---- The cold, hard truth settled in my soul. There was no love here. There never was. There was only ambition and a terrifying, possessive cruelty. | had to get out. But | couldn't fight him now. Not like this. | had to be smart. | took a shuddering breath, forcing the pain and rage down. | let my shoulders slump in defeat. | met his gaze, my own eyes carefully blank. "| understand," | whispered, the words tasting like poison. He smiled, a slow, triumphant curve of his lips. He released my wrist and gently patted my head, as if | were a dog he had just trained. "Good girl." | stared at the floor, my heart a frozen, dead weight in my chest. The disappointment was gone, replaced by something far colder, far harder. It was the calm before a devastating storm. Title: A Princess? No! I'm the Female General! In "A Princess? No! I'm the Female General!" by CrushReel, Adela Taylor, a noble family's daughter, disguises herself as her brother to secure their Duke title by joining the army. Despite facing obstacles, she achieves remarkable success. However, upon her triumphant return, her brother betrays her, setting off a chain of events that will test her resolve and reveal hidden truths. This captivating novel delves into themes of secrets, reincarnation, revenge, murder, and drama. Adela's journey from deception to betrayal is filled with intrigue and suspense as she navigates through a world where power dynamics and family loyalties collide. What sets this story apart is its strong female lead who defies expectations and challenges societal norms in a quest for justice and redemption. Experience the riveting tale of Adela Taylor online at CrushReel and witness the transformation of a princess into a formidable female general.