Hugo raised a brow, watching Alexander carefully. The fact that Alexander didn’t deny it told him everything he needed to know.“Did you get her?” Hugo asked, half-teasing, half-curious.Alexander barely lifted his gaze from his hand of cards. He flicked one onto the table with a casual flick of his fingers. “Just a kiss.”Hugo let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “Man… never thought I’d live to see the untouchable Alexander Vanderbilt fall for a married woman.”At that, Alexander’s hand hesitated for a beat, his brow tightening in the dim light. His voice was cold, but the edge of warning wasn’t sharp enough.“Don’t talk nonsense.”But Hugo wasn’t finished. He smirked, leaning back in his seat, swirling the liquor in his glass. “It’s the truth, though. Sure, she’s beautiful—but can you really stomach sharing her with another man? I mean… she kisses her husband, then turns around and kisses you. Doesn’t that turn your stomach a little?”The mental image made Alexander’s stomach kn
Serena made her way down to the underground garage, her heels clicking against the cool concrete. The dim lighting reflected off the sleek cars lined up in perfect rows, the soft hum of engines echoing in the still air.She was just about to unlock her car when she noticed something strange — the window of the car parked right next to hers was rolled down.Then, out of the shadows, Ryan Kuzmin’s pudgy, smug face appeared.His bloated features barely fit through the window, and without even the decency to veil his intentions, he shoved a glossy black card toward her.“One billion for a hundred times. If you’re game, get in.”His voice was thick with arrogance, a disgusting blend of money, power, and entitlement.Serena’s stomach turned. She felt physically ill.But Ryan, clearly full of himself, just grinned wider.“Kyrill used to talk about you,” he leered. “Said you were a real stunner. I saw your photo back then, but in person?” His beady eyes swept over her like she was something o
When Serena arrived back at the Morales family villa, she froze at the sight that greeted her.Alfonso was home.For a moment, she thought she was imagining it. But there he was — seated at the long dining table, a thick stack of documents spread out before him. His once-dark hair had turned almost entirely grey, his posture slouched, his face lined and weary. He looked like a man who had aged ten years in the span of a week.He must have discharged himself without a word. The hospital had clearly tried to keep him, but they’d also kept something else from him — his terminal liver cancer. They probably thought it would be cruel to tell a man in his state the truth.Serena’s heart ached at the sight of him.Alfonso now wore a pair of reading glasses, squinting down at the contract in front of him, coughing every few minutes as his frail body struggled to keep up. Each shallow breath, each racking cough, felt heavier in the silence of the room.She watched as he slowly turned page after
When Alexander ignored her call, Serena had no choice left. Gritting her teeth, she drove straight to Vanderbilt Headquarters.Though it was already past 7 p.m., the towering glass building gleamed against the night sky, every window lit up like a constellation. Power never slept here — and neither did those who served it.She made her way to the top floor, her heels clicking softly against polished marble. At the reception desk, Jonathan looked up, momentarily surprised to see her at such an hour.Serena forced a faint, polite smile.“I’m here to see Mr. Vanderbilt.”Jonathan hesitated.“President Vanderbilt has an overseas meeting tonight — he just entered the conference room. It’ll be about two hours.”Serena had waited before. She knew how long Alexander’s meetings could drag. Quietly, she took a seat nearby, feeling the sterile quietness of the office press in around her.B
When Ava woke, a dull, aching pain gripped every inch of her body. The unfamiliar ceiling above her slowly came into focus, and in a sudden burst of anxiety, she sat up — only to gasp as a sharp tug at her waist forced her back down.The clock on the wall showed it was already noon.The room was empty. Alexander, of course, was long gone.Her body still ached, a cruel reminder of what had happened — and worse, it hadn’t even been cleaned up. She felt like nothing more than a discarded toy, used and left behind.Ava curled her fingers into the sheets, biting down on the surge of bitterness rising in her throat. A hollow laugh escaped her lips, humorless and self-mocking. So this was what she’d allowed herself to become.She drew the blanket up, covering herself, her breath trembling.Pushing herself to the edge of the bed, she winced, gripping the mattress for support. Her calf muscles trembled weakly beneath her, and when her eyes fell on the crumpled, torn remnants of her clothes sc
By evening, after back-to-back meetings and an unrelenting day of negotiations, Alexander finally stepped out of the conference room. The moment he entered his office, his sharp gaze landed on Ava, quietly seated by the window.She looked pale, her skin almost translucent under the soft light, but her eyes held steady — calm, guarded, as though nothing from the night before had ever happened. Not a flicker of hesitation, not a single ripple.Alexander moved to his chair, sitting down with the unhurried grace of a man who always controlled the room. His eyes swept over her.She had a scarf wrapped snugly around her neck, a strange choice for this mild evening. It couldn’t hide everything though — a hint of bruising peeked from beneath the fabric. A turtleneck would’ve made more sense, but in this weather, it would have drawn too much attention.“Mr. Vanderbilt,” Ava said evenly, breaking the heavy silence.“I won’t back out from the remaining nine times. But can you give me Ryan’s info
The morning light filtered through the sheer curtains, casting long shadows across the pristine hotel suite. The scent of expensive cologne lingered in the air, mingling with the faint remnants of last night’s champagne.Alexander stood by the window, his posture rigid, his sharp gaze fixed on the woman sitting at the edge of the bed. Serena.She was undeniably beautiful, her tousled hair cascading over her bare shoulders, her delicate fingers working swiftly as she finished buttoning her blouse. But Alexander remained unmoved.“I’ll compensate you generously,” his voice was smooth but laced with ice. “But don’t expect anything beyond that. What happened last night changes nothing.”Serena paused, fingers tightening around the last button of her blouse. The weight of his words pressed against her, heavy and unforgiving.Meanwhile, Alexander’s mind reeled, replaying the events of the previous night in fragmented flashes.The Vanderbilt family had hosted a grand banquet in his honor—a sp
When Serena and Alexander married, he hadn’t even bothered to appear at city hall. The entire process had been orchestrated by Cornelius Vanderbilt’s influence, allowing Serena to obtain the marriage certificate without her groom’s presence.Now, for the first time, she truly faced the reality of that document. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she opened the drawer, pulled out the marriage certificate, and traced her fingers over the embossed seal.Alexander Vanderbilt.The name carried an almost suffocating weight.She barely glanced at the picture beside her own before tossing the certificate back into the drawer. Dwelling on it wouldn’t change anything. Their marriage was nothing more than a formality, and soon enough, it would be undone.Deciding she had wasted enough time, Serena grabbed her coat and left for the hospital to visit her younger sister, Valentina.By the time she arrived, it was past noon. The hospital hallways smelled faintly of antiseptic, the sterile scent mingling
By evening, after back-to-back meetings and an unrelenting day of negotiations, Alexander finally stepped out of the conference room. The moment he entered his office, his sharp gaze landed on Ava, quietly seated by the window.She looked pale, her skin almost translucent under the soft light, but her eyes held steady — calm, guarded, as though nothing from the night before had ever happened. Not a flicker of hesitation, not a single ripple.Alexander moved to his chair, sitting down with the unhurried grace of a man who always controlled the room. His eyes swept over her.She had a scarf wrapped snugly around her neck, a strange choice for this mild evening. It couldn’t hide everything though — a hint of bruising peeked from beneath the fabric. A turtleneck would’ve made more sense, but in this weather, it would have drawn too much attention.“Mr. Vanderbilt,” Ava said evenly, breaking the heavy silence.“I won’t back out from the remaining nine times. But can you give me Ryan’s info
When Ava woke, a dull, aching pain gripped every inch of her body. The unfamiliar ceiling above her slowly came into focus, and in a sudden burst of anxiety, she sat up — only to gasp as a sharp tug at her waist forced her back down.The clock on the wall showed it was already noon.The room was empty. Alexander, of course, was long gone.Her body still ached, a cruel reminder of what had happened — and worse, it hadn’t even been cleaned up. She felt like nothing more than a discarded toy, used and left behind.Ava curled her fingers into the sheets, biting down on the surge of bitterness rising in her throat. A hollow laugh escaped her lips, humorless and self-mocking. So this was what she’d allowed herself to become.She drew the blanket up, covering herself, her breath trembling.Pushing herself to the edge of the bed, she winced, gripping the mattress for support. Her calf muscles trembled weakly beneath her, and when her eyes fell on the crumpled, torn remnants of her clothes sc
When Alexander ignored her call, Serena had no choice left. Gritting her teeth, she drove straight to Vanderbilt Headquarters.Though it was already past 7 p.m., the towering glass building gleamed against the night sky, every window lit up like a constellation. Power never slept here — and neither did those who served it.She made her way to the top floor, her heels clicking softly against polished marble. At the reception desk, Jonathan looked up, momentarily surprised to see her at such an hour.Serena forced a faint, polite smile.“I’m here to see Mr. Vanderbilt.”Jonathan hesitated.“President Vanderbilt has an overseas meeting tonight — he just entered the conference room. It’ll be about two hours.”Serena had waited before. She knew how long Alexander’s meetings could drag. Quietly, she took a seat nearby, feeling the sterile quietness of the office press in around her.B
When Serena arrived back at the Morales family villa, she froze at the sight that greeted her.Alfonso was home.For a moment, she thought she was imagining it. But there he was — seated at the long dining table, a thick stack of documents spread out before him. His once-dark hair had turned almost entirely grey, his posture slouched, his face lined and weary. He looked like a man who had aged ten years in the span of a week.He must have discharged himself without a word. The hospital had clearly tried to keep him, but they’d also kept something else from him — his terminal liver cancer. They probably thought it would be cruel to tell a man in his state the truth.Serena’s heart ached at the sight of him.Alfonso now wore a pair of reading glasses, squinting down at the contract in front of him, coughing every few minutes as his frail body struggled to keep up. Each shallow breath, each racking cough, felt heavier in the silence of the room.She watched as he slowly turned page after
Serena made her way down to the underground garage, her heels clicking against the cool concrete. The dim lighting reflected off the sleek cars lined up in perfect rows, the soft hum of engines echoing in the still air.She was just about to unlock her car when she noticed something strange — the window of the car parked right next to hers was rolled down.Then, out of the shadows, Ryan Kuzmin’s pudgy, smug face appeared.His bloated features barely fit through the window, and without even the decency to veil his intentions, he shoved a glossy black card toward her.“One billion for a hundred times. If you’re game, get in.”His voice was thick with arrogance, a disgusting blend of money, power, and entitlement.Serena’s stomach turned. She felt physically ill.But Ryan, clearly full of himself, just grinned wider.“Kyrill used to talk about you,” he leered. “Said you were a real stunner. I saw your photo back then, but in person?” His beady eyes swept over her like she was something o
Hugo raised a brow, watching Alexander carefully. The fact that Alexander didn’t deny it told him everything he needed to know.“Did you get her?” Hugo asked, half-teasing, half-curious.Alexander barely lifted his gaze from his hand of cards. He flicked one onto the table with a casual flick of his fingers. “Just a kiss.”Hugo let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “Man… never thought I’d live to see the untouchable Alexander Vanderbilt fall for a married woman.”At that, Alexander’s hand hesitated for a beat, his brow tightening in the dim light. His voice was cold, but the edge of warning wasn’t sharp enough.“Don’t talk nonsense.”But Hugo wasn’t finished. He smirked, leaning back in his seat, swirling the liquor in his glass. “It’s the truth, though. Sure, she’s beautiful—but can you really stomach sharing her with another man? I mean… she kisses her husband, then turns around and kisses you. Doesn’t that turn your stomach a little?”The mental image made Alexander’s stomach kn
Alexei, sensing the atmosphere starting to thicken with tension, quickly tossed a few playful jabs Quinton’s way to ease the mood. The snark-laced banter between him and Alexander had started to turn razor-sharp—too sharp for Ava’s comfort.She felt the invisible rope tightening around her, pulling her into their unspoken power play. Not wanting to become collateral damage, she quietly slipped out of the room under the guise of needing the restroom.But instead of heading there, she veered into the hallway, drawing in a deep breath of cooler, quieter air.To her surprise, Liam was standing nearby, lingering with the nervous energy of someone who didn’t quite belong but was doing his best to stay invisible.When he saw her, he perked up and walked over, holding out a tall glass of lemon water.“Here,” he said with an awkward smile. “Might help clear your head a bit?”Ava hadn’t had much to drink—just a single glass of wine back in the private room—but the gesture was appreciated. She a
Serena arrived at exactly seven o’clock, dressed to stun.The restaurant’s entrance gleamed with crystal lights and golden accents, a favorite among New York’s elite. It was the kind of place where whispers of billion-dollar deals floated over champagne flutes and polished silverware.Alexei’s luxury sedan pulled up just moments after she arrived. The car hadn’t even come to a complete stop when his eyes locked on her—and widened.Serena, usually understated and fresh-faced, had taken a different approach tonight. Her makeup was light but refined, enhancing the elegant sharpness of her features. She wore a tailored, dark-toned women’s suit that hugged her frame with a sculpted precision—polished, powerful, and stunning.Alexei, no stranger to beautiful women, nearly forgot how to breathe. He jumped out of the car and strode toward her like a moth to flame.Serena offered a graceful smile as he approached. “Alexei.”He gave her a slow, appreciative once-over, then let out a dramatic sig
As soon as Serena stepped through the doors of her quiet penthouse on the Upper West Side, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Alfonso.Alfonso: Serena, I'm sorry. I was wrong.Alfonso: I’ve taken back the shares from Araminta. Tonight, I’ll review the contract with PW Group. I won’t let you suffer anymore.Her breath caught in her throat.Serena stared at the screen, the words blurring as her vision clouded. Back at the hospital, she hadn’t shed a single tear—not when she was insulted, not when she was hit, not even when the truth unraveled. But here, in the silence of her own space, with the city lights blinking outside her windows, her heart cracked.She sank onto the velvet sofa and let the tears fall. Alfonso… he had once been her hero. Her anchor. If he had always treated her coldly, maybe this wouldn’t hurt so much. But he hadn’t. He had once carried her on his shoulders, told her bedtime stories, made her feel like the most cherished girl in the world.And that version of h