Chapter 1: Introduction
Helga's high heels clicked rhythmically as she strode through the gold-hued hallway of her mansion. Lustrous paintings, depicting the fjords and forests of Nordland, adorned the walls. Strategically placed halogens illuminated their grandeur. She gave them a furtive glance but didn't stop. Power was her calling, her driving force, her obsession.
A cunning smile unfurled on her lips as she entered her office.
Her angular blue eyes locked on the flat screen TV that dominated one wall, gesturing at the remote on her mahogany desk.
"Give me the news, Anna," she commanded, referring to her long-suffering, fifty-something personal assistant who was in charge of managing the house and matters of the mansion.
A fleeting pang of guilt knotted Anna's bleached hairline, but she expertly veiled it with an expressionless mask. Obediently, she stabbed the power button of the TV. Helga's expansive office was filled with an archived clip of her fierce competitor, Jonas Kristiansen, expounding on the Lyngen Alps' environmental crisis on a leading Nordland news channel.
"So, Jonas cares about the environment," Helga muttered, her crimson lips thinning as she scrutinized his earnest visage.
She'd battled him for years, vying for the political limelight. Although he disappointed her by not being an easy prey or a fool, she couldn't ignore his influence, a formidable thorn in her side.
Helga‘s eyes fixated on the beautiful 20 year old daughter of Jonas.
The young woman possessed long-blonde hair, striking big blue eyes, and a slender body reminiscent of a graceful gazelle.
"Who is that vision of bewitching beauty?" she queried, casting a sidelong glance at Anna.
"Jonas’s daughter, Solveig, Madame," she hesitantly replied, aware of Helga’s tendency to manipulate people.
An unsettling ambition ignited in Helga, concocting a deliciously sinister scheme.
"Summon Christopher to my office, Anna," she ordered, enjoying the control she wielded. Her appetite and plans for obtaining power never seemed to be sated.
Minutes later, Christopher, Helga's head of security, stepped into her office. A trusted aide with dark hair and a steely gaze, he bore an athletic physique beneath his bespoke suit.
"Christopher, I require something challenging," Helga smirked, her cold eyes twinkling.
Her security chief raised a brow, waiting for her to continue.
"Solveig, Jonas's daughter, she's young and innocent, the perfect ingredient, don't you think, Christopher?" Her lips curved wickedly, highlighting her intentions.
Christopher's air shifted ever so slightly, the corner of his lips twitched, partially acknowledging her slightly twisted command. Protecting people, especially those under his charge, came naturally.