The night before the wedding. Brilliant attorney and trillionaire CEO of Page and Associates Law Firm stood in front of the magnificent penthouse window over a city that Kc Page ruled over, all that gleaming in promises from that very skyline which was made under precise and thoughtful plans of the one. He will be married the next day and will become a father the soonest after that. Life unfolds precisely to plans.And his phone rang.And his phone rang.One call. One silence, before the storm."Kc… "The voice on the other end was tight, trembling. His best friend, Ethan."It's Vanessa."A cold heart. "What about Vanessa?"A pause, of its own. The kind where something can't be said."There was. an accident."The world cracked. Kc clutched at the edge of his desk, his knuckles white."What kind of accident?" His voice was unnervingly calm, but something inside him was already breaking.Ethans breath shuddered. "She—she didn't make it, Kc."The words were a blade, twisting deep into hi
Valeria blinked rapidly, her hands trembling. She knew he meant every word. The realization settled like a stone in her chest."You want to know what I’m going to do to you, Valeria?" Kc’s voice dropped, menacing and low."I'm going to destroy you. Bit by bit. Until there's nothing left of the flawless, untouchable Valeria Jayne. I'm going to make you beg for mercy. And when you do, I'll make sure you remember me."His lips curled into a cruel, vicious smile. "You can't escape me."Valeria swallowed hard, a tear slipping down her cheek. She didn't speak. She couldn't. The words wouldn't come.Kc took one last, long look at her before he turned, his footsteps heavy as he strode toward the door.Before he left, he paused, his back to her."Oh, and Valeria," he called without turning around. "I want you to know one thing. You're going to wish you were never born."With that, he walked out, leaving Valeria shattered and broken, a woman who had never known true terror until now.Cold forma
A voice sliced through the silence.Kc didn't let go."You are hurting our model!" Manager Kim's voice was firm, protective. He stepped forward, placing himself between Kc and Valeria. "This is unacceptable!"For a long second, silence hung in the air.Then, without a word, Kc let go.Valeria fell back onto the bed, coughing violently, clutching her throat.Kc turned on his heel, his steps slow, controlled, deadly.Valeria sat there, unable to do anything as he left the room. The door shut behind him, clicking into place.Her body slumped in defeat, fingers pressing against bruises forming on her throat.Her heart pounded hard against her ribs.This was not over.It was just the beginning.When she was about to leave the hospital, she thought KC had just left after their confrontation. The fresh air felt foreign to Valeria as she stepped outside. She was free. She could leave. She had to—"Get in the car, now," Manager Kim ordered, guiding her toward the vehicle. "We’re leaving before
She could cry all she wanted.She could kneel and beg, she could throw herself at his mercy.It would never be enough.Because Vanessa was still dead.And so was their child.And until he made sure Valeria Jayne felt the same pain he felt.This was far from over.Not even close.Valeria wants to genuinely apologize to the mourning parents of Vanessa. Valeria knelt on the cold tile floor, shivering. The sterilized smell of antiseptic mixed with the unbearable scent of death, hugging her in a noose. She could not breathe. Her swollen eyes stared at the lifeless body of Vanessa covered in a white sheet except on her face. A face that would never smile again, never speak, and never wake up.And next to her. Vanessa's parents. Her mother, her eyes red-rimmed, overflowing with tears, sat without speaking, her fingers curled around the edge of the steel table on which lay Vanessa. Her father slumped into his chair, shoulders collapsing as if the air had been sucked out of him. Their daughter
It was a cold, harsh night.Valeria's legs crawled leadenly, her every step weighed with the burden of regret pressing against her chest. Her legs trembled under her, fighting to support her in the face of the suffocating pain inside her heart.When she came out of the morgue, her vision was downward-cast, the tears streaming out involuntarily veiling her sight. She had apologized but that was never enough. Never was anything going to be enough.With her, Manager Kim also came in silence. The usually composed and professional man appeared. shattered. He could see in Valeria the shreds of the woman he remembered—the woman who built an empire of beauty, elegance, and grace, now nothing but a hollow, shaking shell.The parking lot lay before her, lit by the cold glow of the streetlights. The finished, black cars, the polished, shiny cars, only made her think about what she had lost—and what she had gained. The life of an innocent woman. The life of an unborn child.But there was somethi
Manager Kim retreated, his distrustful eyes widening. His mind reeled trying to understand what she'd stated. "You're telling me someone did this intentionally Valeria?"Valeria nodded, went back to sobbing. "Yes. I did not know. I did not know it too late. Now I—I know what they've done. I could have been stopped, I swear to, Manager Kim. I tried to, I had to, but it wasn't enough. Now. now they are dead."Her crying tore across the still night, and her entire body tensed with the weight of the world."Valeria…" Manager Kim whispered, his voice weighed with sympathy. "Who would do this to you? Who would want to destroy you?"Valeria winced, her own face mirroring the desperation within. "I don't know what happen… but I didn't do it. I didn't do it Manager Kim," Valeria stuttered, her voice shaking.She again shuddered from him and screamed at the top of her voice.Valeria's sobs shook her body as her words became more hysterical, fractured, frantic. The weight of her shame, the crush
He took a deep breath, his eyes focusing slightly. "We have to go, Valeria. We have to get back to the hotel. There is nothing more that can be done here."Valeria's head shook. Her body racked in sobs. "I cannot go back. I cannot leave. I cannot see people. I don't deserve to exist after all I have done." She sounded a note of agony. "I killed them. I killed them, and I can never restore them back."Manager Kim didn't say anything for a second. He allowed her to cry, allowed her to have her words drowned out in tears. But he couldn't let her lose herself entirely."Listen to me," he told her, his tone firm but quiet. "You don't get to choose your destiny today. The world will judge you for what you've done, but you don't get to take your life, either. There's still more that you have to do, Valeria. You need to make things right. You need to face what's ahead, whether you want to or not."Valeria looked up at him, her expression twisted with anguish. "I don't know how to meet it," sh
Justice. He was close to laughing at the very word. What did justice mean anymore, really? What did it serve to punish Valeria when nothing ever would have restored Vanessa to the world? To think of sitting in front of her once again in court, watching her plead for mercy and crying, made him all the angrier.But sitting there, the chill of his thoughts bearing down on him, another voice called out in his mind. His friend Liam's voice."Kc, you need to let go. This rage. it'll consume you. You've got to think about what's remaining. Don't give her the satisfaction."It was so difficult to listen to Liam, to hear him speak of moving on when the future Kc had envisioned was now empty. His dreams, his aspirations—they were all lost. And no amount of Valeria's apologies, no amount of times she kneeling by him, was going to restore his family.How could you do this?" Kc muttered to himself, desperation in his voice.He needed to scream at the world. He needed to protest the injustice of it
Valeria was suffocating. The atmosphere around them was stifling, constricting—one heavy with unuttered words, feelings too tangled to untangle. She could not draw air into Kc's angry gaze, the dark vacuity of his eyes leaving her numb.Her fists were balled against the material of his shirt. "Why, Kc?" Valeria pleaded, her voice breaking with the urgency of it all. "Why are you doing this to me Kc? I've already shown I had nothing to do with the murder of Vanessa! I've endured enough! I lost everything—my career, my pride—due to your fanaticism!"Kc's teeth clenched together, his body rigid as if he held something malevolent, something deadly. "You think it's that easy?" His voice was a growl, the whisper gentle but it was the power of a storm about to unleash. "You think I can just release you? That I can just erase you?"Valeria's breasts trembled and dangled in her unbalanced respirations, the nails burying into his collar. "I don't want to be entombed inside this anymore, Kc! I d
Valeria's breath was stolen from her by Kc's words, held in suspended animation before her like an unacceptable burden. Blue eyes blazed into hers, recalcitrant and bold, as if challenging her to deny him."You don't get to do that," she spat, rage suppressed in shaking breath.He smiled, slowly and sensually, his lips curving into the shape. "Watch me I always reminded you."Valeria could feel the cold trickle down the base of her neck."This is not possible," Valeria struggled to say, trying to push him in the chest, but he was not moving. "You can't stand there and say you own me!""Can I?" he taunted, shifting to the side. "Who's going to stop me Valeria? You?"He laughed harshly, unamused, his hand running up her arm, searing as it traveled. "You have every opportunity to get away, Valeria. And you don't."Her own heart slamming against her chest walls. "Because you're always in my way!"Kc exhaled a rough breath, his own pleasure conquered by something nastier—something jealous.
He marched in uninvited, his mass overflowing the space."What in tarnation are you doin' here?" Valeria growled, stepping back instinctively.He shut the door, metal crashing loudly. He walked through the room with all the urgency of a sloth."Like a cat playing with a dead mouse.""You're supposed to be workin' on Sebastian, not bustin' into my bedroom.""I am workin' on him."His tone was flat, too flat. "But you and I have to have a word first."She folded her arms over her chest. "There's nothing to say.""Then why aren't you saying, 'get out'?"Her nails pressed into the palms of her hands. "Because I know you won't."Kc smiled, pleased with her answer. "Clever girl.""What do you want?""You."Her breath caught. "Excuse me?""You heard me."He moved closer, still staring at her. "You've been avoiding me since you found out the truth. You think I'm going to back down and let you pack your bags and leave? ""That's what I'm doing," she hissed. "Leave. Get away from you."He smile
Kc Page was no man of patience.Not where revenge was involved.Not when her name came into play.And certainly not when Sebastian Cruz's name did.The office was dark, the golden glow from the city skyline throwing long shadows on the floor. Kc leaned against the window frame, pockets in his hands, eyes narrowing as he observed the traffic below. The world continued moving, but his mind remained fixated in one spot—Sebastian.A name that felt like acid on his tongue.Behind him, Liam exhaled, shuffling through a thick file on the desk. "You wanted everything on Cruz? Here it is. Every transaction, every offshore account, every questionable business deal. The guy’s been untouchable for years, but if there’s a weakness, we’ll find it."Kc didn’t turn around. "And what about the night Vanessa was killed?" His voice was low, edged with barely restrained fury.Liam paused. "That's the issue. We know he staged it, but the son of a bitch cleaned up after himself. No straight connections. No
The promise, the warning, the absolute possession in his voice sent an icy shiver down her spine.This wasn’t a game.This wasn’t just revenge.Kc wasn’t letting go.And she hated how her body betrayed her, reacting to his nearness with something other than fear.She was furious at herself.Furious at him.Furious at how much control he still held over her without even touching her.Kim yanked her backward, his protective stance shielding her from Kc’s looming form. "Enough, Kc. This obsession of yours—it’s not justice anymore. It’s insanity."Kc chuckled darkly, shoving his hands into his pockets, but there was nothing casual about the way his piercing gaze burned into Valeria."Insanity?" he echoed, tilting his head. "Then why is she still here?"Kim exhaled sharply, his patience thinning. "Because you refuse to let her go."Kc’s smirk widened. "I already told her she could go." His voice was smooth, but there was a bite beneath it. "She won’t."Valeria forced herself to step forwar
Valeria gritted her jaw, bracing herself to stand upright even in the tempest within her. "You can't own me, Kc."Kc laughed, low and ominous, advancing, his presence crushing. "Funny. I don't recall asking your permission."Her fists were bunched. "Why are you still here? You already know the truth! I was not the one who killed Vanessa! I was not the one who destroyed your life!"His dagger-sharp eyes fixed on hers. "And yet, you're still in it."Valeria's heart tightened. He wasn't even in denial any longer—his possessiveness, his obsession. He had struggled so hard to ruin her, and despite the truth finally being out, he couldn't let up."You don't want justice," she breathed, realization falling. "You just want to continue to control me."Kc's lips curled, but his smile wasn't quite so content. "Control?" His voice grew into a growl. "If I was in control, you'd not be here, looking at me like you had a say in the matter."Her breath snagged.This was bad.She needed to back away f
The atmosphere was heavy with tension, oppressive.Valeria walked backstage after her exhausting, all-day photo shoot, her body tired, but her mind unsettled. She had tried to the point of frustration to keep him out of her mind throughout the shoot, but KC Page—was not to be forgotten.And now, turning a corner in the dark corridor of the fashion studio, he waited for her.His massive frame rested against the wall, arms folded, jaw set in irritation."You played all right out there," he said to her, deep voice but with no expression of love.Valeria's fingers tightened around the clutch in her hand. "What do you want, Kc?"He breathed slowly, slowly, then descended from the wall and traversed the gap between them. "Did you think I'd sit back and let you show off yourself before everyone?"She gaped at him in outrage. "Excuse me?""You heard me." His tone slices, with an undercurrent of darkness. "You think you're free now? That because I can see that you weren't the one to do it to V
The next day, blinding camera flashes and the sound of clicking heels on marble catwalk took over the studio.Valeria was in front of the mirror, breathing deeply as stylists and makeup artists buzzed around her. Her own face stared back at her—serene, lovely, but hidden under the surface, a tension emanated in her chest.She was home.Home where she was supposed to be.Home in charge of her life."Breathe, Valeria," she whispered in her ear. "We have a long day before us. First, the Luxe Fashion photo shoot, followed by the rehearsal for the gala runway. No distractions, no second-guessing. Ready?"Valeria nodded, fitting on a game face. "Ready."A flash of approval flashed in Kim's eyes. "Good. Because the world is watching."The background was opulent—floor-to-ceiling windows, soft golden glow, and escorts zipping everywhere with cameras and styling products. Valeria came out onto the stage, body covered in an exquisite satin robe that shimmered under the lighting."Alright, Valeri
Valeria strode away, her heart beating so hard she could feel it in her ears. Her hands shook at her sides, the argument with Kc making her tremble. But she wasn't going to let him see it.Not when he was still staring at her like an animal who did not want to let go of his prey. She took a deep breath as she reached the corridor where Manager Kim waited.Kim immediately stepped forward, sensing the tension radiating off her. “What happened?”“He’s not letting this go,” Valeria whispered, voice thick with emotion. “Even with the proof against Sebastian, Kc still thinks I’m guilty.”Kim cursed under his breath. “That bastard.”Valeria swallowed the bulge in her throat, her hands clenched into fists. "I thought… I thought that once he realized the truth, he'd stop Manager Kim."Kim shook his head. "Kc Page isn't a man who forgives, Valeria. He's the type of man who ravages. And at this point, he still thinks you're the one who destroyed his life."She clamped a hand over her temple. "I