LOGINFor five years of their contractual marriage, Serena couldn’t even catch a glimpse of her husband Alexander Vanderbilt who fled the country right after he signed the papers. She couldn’t even see him when his assistant came with divorce papers. Unbelievably, their first encounter unfolded as one night of intoxicated intimacy, with both failing to recognize one another. The next morning, she realized what had happened but when her husband still did not recognize her, she did not bother to inform him. Serena believed their paths would never cross again, only to discover that this was the commencement of their intertwined destinies. The next time Serena met with Xander, she used her middle name 'Ava' and her mother's maiden name 'Alvarez'. Recalling the virgin that had shared his bed the previous night, he almost mistook her as a prostitute until he saw her designs for his new house which, according to rumor, he bought for him and his soon-to-be bride and also his first love, Victoria. How ironic. Fate dictated otherwise and true love indeed saves the day as the more they interract, the more Xander started to feel something for Serena while Serena herself remain cool and composed, which only made him even more curious! If only he knows that she is still his wife...
View MoreMorning light poured through the sheer curtains, painting delicate shadows across the elegant hotel suite. A faint trace of last night’s champagne clung to the air, mingling with the expensive cologne lingering on silk sheets.
Alexander Vanderbilt stood rigidly by the window, the skyline reflecting in his cold, unreadable gaze. His broad shoulders cut a stark silhouette against the pale dawn.
On the edge of the bed sat Serena, her beauty impossible to ignore despite the stiffness in her posture. Her hair fell in soft, disheveled waves over her bare shoulders as she fastened the final buttons of her blouse with trembling fingers.
Alexander’s voice broke the silence, cool and biting.
“I’ll compensate you generously,” he said, each word clipped and precise. “But don’t expect anything beyond that. Last night changes nothing.”Serena’s hands froze mid-motion. His words were like a blade slicing through the fragile illusion of calm she’d tried to maintain.
He had always been in control — never careless, never reckless. Even when drinking, he held himself apart from others, refusing to yield to temptation. But last night had been different.
Serena, drawing a shaky breath, struggled to hold herself together.
She had known, since the moment their engagement had been arranged, that Alexander resented her. That he’d never asked for a wife, much less one chosen by the family.
After what happened last night, how could she convince him she hadn’t orchestrated it? That she hadn’t schemed to steal even a piece of his heart?
Guilt and frustration tangled in her chest.
She parted her lips to speak — “Actually, I—” — but before the words could form, a sudden vibration shattered the stillness.
Alexander’s phone buzzed against the nightstand. He turned to glance at it, his jaw tightening as he answered, switching to speakerphone with an air of bored disdain.
A breeze drifted in through the cracked balcony doors, carrying the faint perfume of rain-soaked city streets. Beyond the glass, the skyline shimmered in quiet shades of blue and gray, the river slicing a pale ribbon through the morning haze.
A crisp, clinical voice came through the speaker.
“Mr. Vanderbilt, we’ve arrived at Miss Morales’s apartment. She’s not there. Should we deliver the divorce papers to her family instead?”Alexander’s fingertips tapped rhythmically against the window frame, perfectly steady.
Three years. That was how long he’d been bound to Serena Morales — a wife he barely knew, a marriage born from family debt and legacy.Grandfather had insisted: She’s smart, polite, educated. She saved my life once.
But what did that matter? The Morales family had been saved, and the debt was paid.
His tone was devoid of any warmth as he answered,
“Keep trying. If she refuses, involve her family.”Serena flinched. Her hands clenched around her phone, her throat tightening. Divorce papers?
A chime of messages interrupted her thoughts.
---Alfonso: Serena, did you leave early last night? Araminta asked if Alexander drank the wine.
Serena: Dad, didn’t you prepare it?
Alfonso: No, Araminta did. If you have time, visit Valentina at the hospital. She misses you.
---Araminta.
A surge of anger lit up Serena’s eyes. So it was her.
She clenched her jaw, steadying her voice before replying.
Serena: I’ll visit Valentina later. Tell her I miss her too.Her gaze drifted back to Alexander. He stood by the window in a loosely tied white robe, towering and unapproachable, every inch the Vanderbilt heir — powerful, cold, unyielding.
It was as if last night had never happened, as if her presence meant nothing.
Serena took a slow, steadying breath. It’s over, she thought. They would divorce soon. No reason to stay and suffer further humiliation.
Quietly, she gathered her things. There was no point in prolonging this moment, no point in trying to talk to a man who’d already sealed his heart away.
By the time Alexander ended the call, the suite had fallen eerily silent.
He turned, expecting to see her. Instead, there were only rumpled sheets, the lingering scent of champagne, and the faint imprint of a woman who had already vanished.
His expression darkened, frustration simmering beneath the stoic surface.
He ran a hand across his face, recalling last night through a haze of disbelief. If not for the stain on the sheets, I’d think it was a bad dream.
A sharp knock on the door broke his thoughts.
Jonathan Potter, his trusted assistant, stepped inside, crisp and composed. He carried a freshly pressed suit draped over one arm, his eyes briefly scanning the disordered room before saying nothing.
Alexander wordlessly entered the bathroom, letting the cold water of the shower wash away the night, but something continued to gnaw at him.
Serena — the way she had left without so much as a glance backward — unsettled him in a way he couldn’t explain.
He emerged dressed and sharp once more, every inch the formidable Vanderbilt. As he reached the door, a thought struck him, freezing him mid-step.
His voice was clipped and dangerous.
“Jonathan. Who was the woman who left this morning?”Jonathan stiffened, quickly understanding. “I’ll investigate immediately.”
Alexander’s lips curved in a humorless smirk. She thinks I’ll chase after her? That I’ll fall into her games?
He dismissed Jonathan with a wave of his hand.
“Forget it. She’ll come back.”And in that moment, standing alone in the hushed, immaculate suite, Alexander made a silent vow:
If she thought she could slip away without consequences, she was gravely mistaken.
---Across the city, Serena stepped out of a steaming shower, water still clinging to her skin in delicate rivulets. Wrapping herself in a towel, she felt a faint sting across her shoulders, as if her skin itself was trying to scrub away the ghosts of last night. But no amount of heat or soap could cleanse what had been burned into her memory.
Exhaustion pressed against her bones as she collapsed onto the bed, her damp hair leaving dark stains on the crisp white sheets. She closed her eyes, desperate for rest, but the night refused to release its grip.
It came back to her in relentless flashes.
The feel of Alexander’s hands on her body, rough yet achingly familiar.
The intensity that burned in his eyes, as if trying to consume her entirely. The way her own resolve had crumbled, pleasure overwhelming the pain until she was left gasping, lost in the moment.Serena’s hand curled around a fistful of bedsheets, a bitterness rising hot in her throat. It wasn’t simply the loss of her virginity that made her ache.
It was his voice, low and ragged, carried on shallow breaths.
The name he had whispered, like a brand seared into her soul."Victoria."
Victoria Laurent.
The woman who owned Alexander’s heart.
The woman for whom he was willing to cast Serena aside.Serena turned onto her side, her chest tightening as if a heavy stone had been laid on it. She had been his wife for three long years, yet in all that time, she had been nothing more than a polite, beautiful placeholder.
Sleep was a cruel stranger. After minutes of futile tossing, she gave up, reaching over to the nightstand. Pulling open the drawer, she took out two pristine marriage certificates. Their crisp edges caught the lamplight, the embossed seals still proud and official, like a mocking reminder.
She traced a trembling finger over the bold print: Alexander Vanderbilt.
For three years, she thought, I have been Mrs. Vanderbilt in name alone.
But last night had changed everything.
She let out a sharp breath, slammed the drawer shut, and stared at the ceiling.
Everything had changed — and there was no going back.
The conference room was dimly lit, the heavy curtains drawn against the late afternoon light spilling in from the windows. The faint hum of the city outside was muted, replaced by the low murmur of men in tailored suits and the clinking of coffee cups against porcelain saucers.Alexander sat at the head of the long table, half-turned toward the window, his gaze distant. The sleek black phone in his hand spun slowly between his fingers—a quiet rhythm that betrayed the turmoil beneath his composed exterior.Colton was speaking with several members of the Adams family, their voices low but tense. They had flown in that morning, briefed and restless, ready to act. Yet despite all the resources and manpower at their disposal, the situation remained maddeningly opaque.Since Alexander’s last call with Serena, a storm had brewed behind his expression. Cornelius’s signal had appeared on their radar—faint, fleeting, and then gone. It was as if the
An hour later, Serena stirred awake. The first thing she saw was the soft cream-colored ceiling above her — familiar, safe. A faint breath escaped her lips, half in relief, half in disbelief. For a brief, blissful moment, she thought she was alone.Then came a voice. A voice she hadn’t heard in what felt like a lifetime.“Awake?”It was calm, deep — unmistakably Matheo’s.Serena’s body went rigid. Every nerve in her froze. Slowly, she turned her head toward the sound, and her heart nearly stopped.Matheo sat in the chair beside her bed, his expression unreadable under the dim light filtering through the curtains. The faint scent of rain still clung to his coat — and for an instant, the room felt suffocating.What is he doing here?Her instinct was to sit up, to demand answers, but before she could form a word, he reached forward and pressed his hand gently over her mouth.“D
Steam still lingered in the bathroom when Serena stepped out, a thin towel wrapped around her trembling frame. Her damp hair clung to her shoulders as she collapsed onto the bed, exhaustion pressing down on her chest like a weight.Just as her body touched the sheets, her phone began to ring.She turned her head toward the nightstand, blinking through the haze. The screen flashed a name she both longed for and dreaded—Alexander.Her stomach twisted. Then she noticed the time.She had been asleep—no, unconscious—for two days. From the moment she passed out until now, she had been with Matheo.The thought alone made her fingertips tremble violently.Still, she answered.“Serena,” Alexander’s voice came through, bright and teasing, tinged with the satisfaction of a man who believed everything was fine. “What are you up to? You’ve been… working out for two days straight. Aren’t
“Let go of me!” she gasped, thrashing against him.That familiar, suffocating floral scent filled her nose—sweet and cloying. Her stomach turned.“Serena,” Matheo whispered, “just sleep.”Her voice broke with fury and fear. “I don’t want to sleep! Don’t make me sleep again!”But her protest was already fading. The scent and the drug worked together, clouding her mind, pulling her under. The world blurred into darkness.As she went limp in his arms, Matheo’s lips curved into a faint smile. He carried her through a hidden passage into a secluded room at the back of the suite.A woman in a lab coat stood waiting.“Ease the effects of the drug in her system,” he ordered.The woman nodded, but before she could turn away, Matheo added, his tone smooth and chilling, “And make sure she believes she slept with me.”Her eyes widened in
Anita’s hands were slick with sweat by the time she received Chiara’s urgent message. Her heart pounded so loudly that it nearly drowned out the sound of traffic outside.The online scandal was still raging like wildfire—hashtags trending, gossip threads exploding, and vultures circling for the next bit of drama. Anita had already unleashed Beatrice the night before, giving her free rein to strike when the timing was right. Yet, to Anita’s irritation, Beatrice hadn’t made a single move.Now, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles blanched, Anita could barely contain her frustration. Her car hummed quietly in the shadows of a dimly lit parking garage as she scrolled through her phone, her pulse quickening when she found what she’d been looking for—Alexander had left town.Perfect.Taking a long, steady breath, Anita composed a message and fired it off to Beatrice. Now’s your chance. Go after
The morning light crept softly through the sheer curtains, brushing against the edges of the silk sheets tangled around Serena’s sleeping form. The air still carried traces of warmth and the faint scent of her perfume mingled with his cologne—a heady mix of tenderness and exhaustion.Alexander, already dressed in a crisp shirt and dark trousers, stood beside the bed for a moment, quietly studying her. The sunlight danced across her bare shoulder, the rhythm of her breathing calm and steady after the chaos of the night before.Leaning down, he brushed his fingertips over her cheek, his touch gentle yet possessive. “Serena,” he whispered, his voice low and velvety, “there’s a lead on Grandfather’s side. I need to head abroad.”She stirred faintly but didn’t wake. A small frown formed on her face, as though even in sleep she could sense his absence.Smiling faintly, Alexander reached out again and gave her a soft shake. Her lashes fluttered open, heavy with fatigue, revealing drowsy eyes












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