A Smile Concealing Pain
Inside one of Alca’s most luxurious cafés, elegance and sophistication flowed together as naturally as the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, their warm golden light reflecting off polished marble floors and glass tabletops. Soft classical music drifted through the air, blending with the gentle clinking of porcelain cups and the quiet murmur of conversations.
Well-dressed businessmen discussed million-dollar deals over espresso, while socialites laughed gracefully over afternoon tea.
Everything about the café spoke of wealth.
Mounted on one of the walls was a large television, quietly broadcasting the afternoon entertainment news. It had been little more than background noise until the anchor uttered a name everyone recognized.
“Today marks one year since the disappearance of Alca’s beloved actress, Belle Blackwood.”
Conversations throughout the café fell silent.
Every head turned toward the television.
Belle Blackwood’s radiant smile filled the screen.
The reporter continued.
“Known as Alca’s Sunshine, Belle Blackwood was admired as much for her kindness as for her acting.”
Footage showed her visiting orphanages, laughing with elderly residents, and greeting fans despite overwhelming crowds.
“Born into one of Alca’s wealthiest families, Belle is the eldest daughter of the prestigious Blackwood family, owners of Blackwood Entertainment, the nation’s second-largest entertainment company.”
Family photographs appeared next, showing Belle smiling beside her parents and younger sister.
“The eldest daughter of the Blackwood family, Belle helped elevate Blackwood Entertainment into one of Alca’s biggest entertainment companies.”
Clips from Belle’s career flashed by.
Awards, red carpets, and cheering fans flashed across the screen, each reminder of the actress the nation had lost.
Then the atmosphere shifted.
The reporter’s expression grew serious.
“However... exactly one year ago today, Belle Blackwood suddenly disappeared from the public eye.”
The lively montage was replaced by newspaper headlines.
BELLE BLACKWOOD HALTS ALL ACTIVITIES.
NATION’S SWEETHEART MISSING FROM PUBLIC VIEW.
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO BELLE BLACKWOOD?
“Rumors spread endlessly. Some believed she’d secretly married, others claimed she’d retired, while countless conspiracy theories filled the internet.”
The broadcast then displayed the Blackwood family’s official statement, released only days after Belle vanished.
“Belle is currently unwell and undergoing treatment. We kindly ask the public to respect her privacy and allow her the time she needs to recover.”
It was a brief statement. Simple. Polite.
Silence settled over the café.
Customers exchanged uneasy glances. Some sighed.
Others shook their heads with disappointment.
“I still don’t believe it,” an elderly woman murmured.
“A whole year...” another whispered.
Around them, quiet voices echoed the same sentiment.
“I hope she’s alright.”
“She was my favorite actress.”
Soft murmurs spread throughout the café, carrying a mixture of concern, sympathy, and longing.
In a secluded corner of the café, tucked away from the curious eyes of the other customers, two women occupied a quiet table beside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The first was Giselle Stars.
At twenty-five years old, she was one of Alca’s most celebrated singers. Her striking crimson hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, contrasting beautifully with her fair complexion. Her captivating beauty, coupled with her vibrant and mischievous personality, had made her a favorite among both fans and the media.
Confident, outspoken, and never one to hide her thoughts, Giselle rested her chin lazily on one hand as she watched the television.
A slow, amused smile spread across her lips.
Across from her sat the woman the entire nation had been desperately searching for.
Belle Blackwood.
The nation’s sweetheart.
The princess of Alca.
Long waves of deep chestnut hair framed her flawless face, while her calm, composed expression revealed nothing of the storm hidden beneath the surface. Gone was the bright, radiant smile that had once charmed millions.
Now there was only silence.
She sat with perfect elegance, casually flipping through the pages of a fashion magazine while taking slow sips of her coffee, as though the entire country wasn’t searching for her.
To anyone passing by, she looked like an ordinary woman enjoying a peaceful afternoon.
No one would have guessed that the missing actress everyone believed to be hiding somewhere in the world was sitting in plain sight.
A gentle voice suddenly broke the silence.
“Belle... do you realize that even after an entire year, your disappearance is still one of the biggest topics in Alca?”
The voice came from the phone resting on the table.
Emily Jones.
She was speaking through speakerphone, her usually calm voice carrying unmistakable concern.
“The reporters haven’t stopped looking for you. They’ve investigated every possible lead. Every rumor. Every sighting. They’re determined to find out where you disappeared to, and what really happened.”
Giselle glanced away from the television and looked at Belle.
Her amused smile widened.
“Our beloved princess really is something else,” she teased with a chuckle. “The whole country is desperately searching for you...”
She gestured toward the television, where Belle’s smiling face still filled the screen.
“...and you’re sitting here peacefully drinking coffee.”
Belle didn’t even look up.
She simply turned another page of her magazine.
Emily sighed from the other end of the call.
“Belle...”
There was a brief pause.
“What exactly is your plan?”
The question lingered between them.
“It’s been a year,” Emily continued quietly. “No matter what happened... you can’t hide forever.”
Belle’s fingers stopped moving.
The magazine remained open beneath her hand.
“Your father is still searching for you,” Emily said. “He’s hired countless private investigators. Somehow he’s managed to keep the truth away from the public...”
Her voice became even softer.
“But it’s only a matter of time before he finds you.”
Silence.
“And when he does...”
Emily hesitated.
“...he’ll drag you back into that life.”
The lively atmosphere of the café suddenly felt distant.
Even Giselle’s playful expression gradually disappeared.
“I still think you should leave Alca,” she said at last. “Go somewhere overseas. Somewhere Damien Blackwood can’t reach.”
Belle finally lifted her eyes. They were calm. Blank.
“No.”
“I’m not running away.”
Neither Emily nor Giselle spoke.
Belle gently closed the magazine and placed it neatly on the table.
Her gaze settled on the two women.
“I still haven’t destroyed my father...”
A brief pause followed.
“...and his precious family.”
The words fell like stones into still water.
Neither woman knew how to respond.
Giselle was the first to recover.
Her expression grew unusually serious.
“Belle...”
She leaned forward slightly.
“Damien Blackwood isn’t just some rich businessman.”
“He’s one of the most influential men in Alca.”
“He has money.”
“He has connections.”
“He has politicians, celebrities, and powerful businessmen standing behind him.”
She looked directly into Belle’s eyes.
“What can you possibly do against someone like him... in your current situation?”
Emily quickly joined in.
“Please...”
Her voice trembled with worry.
“Forget about revenge.”
“You’ve already suffered enough.”
“Just leave Alca and start over.”
“For once... live for yourself.”
Belle lowered her gaze.
For several long seconds, she remained silent.
Then...
She smiled.
It wasn’t the warm, sunshine smile that had once captivated an entire nation.
It was quiet.
Bitter.
A smile born from years of disappointment.
“All my life...”
Her fingers slowly traced the edge of the magazine.
“...I played the role everyone wanted.”
“The cheerful princess.”
“The perfect daughter.”
“The girl born with everything.”
A faint laugh escaped her lips.
How ironic.
“I smiled through every humiliation... every slap, every wound, every act of cruelty.”
Her voice remained remarkably calm.
Yet every word carried years of buried pain.
“I tolerated everything...”
She closed her eyes briefly.
“...because of my mother.”
The café seemed to fall into complete silence.
“She loved that man until the very end.”
Belle’s voice softened.
“She spent her entire life trying to earn the respect of a husband who never once respected her.”
“A man who despised her.”
“A man who despised his own daughter.”
Her fingers slowly curled into a fist.
“He used us.”
“Our hard work.”
“Our sacrifices.”
“My career.”
“Everything.”
“All so he could build an empire...”
Her eyes gradually turned cold.
“...and give everything to the daughter he truly loved.”
A long silence followed.
Then Belle spoke again.
“But now...”
Her voice was almost emotionless.
“He took my mother away from me.”
The air around the table seemed to freeze.
Belle slowly raised her head.
Her beautiful brown eyes no longer held warmth.
Only resolve.
“I have nothing left to protect.”
“I have no reason to endure.”
“No reason to forgive.”
Her gaze sharpened.
“I will destroy everything Damien Blackwood spent his life building.”
“I will strip away everything he treasures.”
“I will make him...”
She spoke each word deliberately.
“...and every member of his precious family...”
“...pay for every tear.”
“...every scar.”
“...every humiliation.”
“...and every moment of suffering they forced upon us.”
Her voice became icy.
“They will lose everything.”
Silence.
Even the sounds of the café seemed impossibly distant.
Belle leaned back in her chair.
Her expression remained perfectly composed.
“Even if it’s the last thing I ever do.”
Giselle let out a long, exhausted sigh.
“Belle...”
She rubbed her forehead.
“I understand how much you hate him.”
“I really do.”
“But hatred alone won’t bring him down.”
“You have no money, no influence, and no powerful allies.”
“So tell me...”
“How are you planning to defeat someone like Damien Blackwood?”
Belle slowly shifted her gaze toward the television mounted on the wall.
Her eyes settled on the newest headline appearing across the screen.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
“Then...”
She spoke quietly.
“I’ll acquire power.”
Emily frowned.
“What do you mean?”
Before Belle could answer, the entertainment broadcast changed.
The screen now displayed Eugene Laurent. Alca’s highest-paid actor.
CEO of Starlight Entertainment. One of the country’s most influential men.
As he stepped onto the stage beneath thunderous applause, even through the television, his commanding presence was impossible to ignore.
Belle’s gaze remained fixed on the television.
“I’ve found the perfect man.”
