an. The engagement between Isabella and Thomas had never truly been a part of the equation, but it had become a problem he hadn't expected. Thomas had to go. Roman wasn't one for viol

of himself, especially when it came to his place within the Ravenswood family. "Why?" she asked, her voice more fragile than she intended. "What changed?" Thomas ran a hand through his hair, looking conflicted. "It's just... there's a lot of pressure, Isabella. I'm not sure I'm the man you need right now. Maybe we rushed into this too soon." Isabella blinked, struggling to digest what he was saying. Was this doubt in Thomas' voice real? Or was it something else? She had always seen him as the perfect match-someone who had the right connections, the right background. But now, his uncertainty seemed to echo her own. *Is this a crack in the foundation?* Before she could respond, the phone on the table buzzed, pulling her attention away. It was a message, and as she read it, her heart skipped a beat. It was from an anonymous number, one she didn't recognize. *"You may want to look into Thomas' recent dealings. Things are not as they seem."* The message was short, cryptic, but enough to send a chill down her spine. "Thomas..." she began slowly, her mind racing. "I need to think about this. I'll see you later." **Roman's Play** Roman knew that he had to move quickly. Thomas was growing more and more unstable, and now was the time to exploit that. But Roman also knew that timing was crucial. He would have to create the right circumstances for Isabella to see Thomas for who he really was: a liability. Roman had done his homework. He knew that Thomas had been playing the game on both sides-appearing loyal to Ravenswood while also forging deals behind Jonathan's back, cutting corners, and working with competitors. Roman knew that this would be the perfect way to discredit Thomas, to make him appear like the kind of man who wasn't worthy of Isabella's trust. He would make sure that the right people found out at the right time. Roman's first step was setting up an "accidental" leak. He reached out to a journalist-a contact he'd cultivated over the years. The story would be about Thomas' shady business dealings with a rival construction company, something that would destroy his re