The evening had ended with Celeste’s biting remarks and Antoine’s surprising encouragement, leaving Furina and Diluc to navigate the complexities of their newly declared relationship. The drive away from the mansion was filled with a heavy silence, each lost in their thoughts as the London cityscape streaked past the car windows. Diluc’s usual air of detached composure had returned, his expression unreadable as he focused on the road.Furina’s heart pounded as Celeste's words echoed in her mind. “Diluc isn’t in this for love. He’s using you to get back at me.” Her mother’s jealousy and veiled threats a stark contrast to Antoine’s surprising warmth. She knew Celeste was a master of manipulation, but hearing it all laid bare had shaken her resolve. No matter how hard she tried to shake off the doubts, she couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling of uncertainty. Diluc’s voice broke through her reverie. “You seemed rather troubled. Is everything alright?”Furina turned to him, taken aback by t
The evening was quiet as Furina settled onto the couch with a book in hand, trying to unwind after a long day. The townhouse was peaceful, with Tiffany and Lizzy busy in the kitchen, and Tommaso not far off with his usual humor to keep them entertained. For a brief moment, Furina allowed herself to relax, letting the warmth of the cozy room soothe her nerves.Her phone buzzed, breaking the silence. Glancing at the screen, she saw Diluc’s name flashing. A flutter of nervousness hit her, as it always did when he called. She took a deep breath and answered.“Hello, Diluc,” she said softly, trying to keep her tone neutral.“Furina,” Diluc’s voice was calm, yet there was an undercurrent of tension that she had become all too familiar with. “There’s a charity event tomorrow night that we need to attend together. It’s important for appearances.”Furina’s stomach twisted. Another public event meant more scrutiny, more eyes on her, and more opportunities for things to go wrong. But she knew it
The evening of the charity event arrived with an air of anticipation and tension. The London night was crisp, with a slight chill in the air as the city’s elite gathered at one of the most luxurious venues in the city. Photographers and reporters lined the entrance, eager to capture every moment of the high-profile event. Furina took a deep breath as she stepped out of the car, the cool evening air brushing against her skin. Her eyes scanned the crowd for Diluc. She had to remind herself to stay calm, and to keep her composure no matter what.And then she saw him—Diluc, standing at the entrance, his tall figure impeccably dressed in a tailored black tuxedo. His expression was as cold and impassive as ever, but when his eyes met hers, something flickered there, something she couldn’t quite place.Diluc approached her, his movements fluid and controlled. “You look beautiful,” he said quietly, his tone neutral but sincere.“Thank you,” Furina replied, her voice steady despite the butterf
The rest of the evening was a balancing act. Diluc and Furina made their way through the ballroom, speaking with various influential figures, while constantly being aware of Yvette’s presence lurking nearby. As if knowing how Furina felt, Diluc kept his interactions with Yvette to a bare minimum, responding to her advances with cool detachment. If she tried to catch his eye across the room, he would look away. If she attempted to join a conversation, he would excuse himself and Furina almost immediately. His actions made it clear that he was not interested in engaging with Yvette on any level. For Furina, it was a relief to see Diluc handle Yvette so decisively, but it also deepened her resolve to stand by his side and not let Yvette’s schemes drive a wedge between them. As the night wore on, they found themselves having to work together, presenting a united front to the public eye.At one point, they found themselves standing by a large window overlooking the city. The glittering l
Furina couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that settled in her chest after the charity event. Yvette’s words echoed in her mind, and she knew she had to talk to someone about it. The next morning, she called Tiffany, Lizzy, and Tommaso, asking them to meet her at their favorite café.As Furina entered the café, she spotted her friends already seated at a corner table. Tiffany, with her fiery red hair and fierce demeanor, waved her over, while Lizzy and Tommaso greeted her with warm smiles. Furina felt a wave of relief wash over her; she knew she could trust them.“Hey, Fee,” Lizzy said as she hugged her friend. “I miss you, you know. My flat so empty without you. I’m so jealous of Tiffany, having you in her place and all.” Lizzy pouted and faked annoyance. Tiffany, on the other hand, was grinning. “It’s my luck, Liz.”Lizzy rolled her eyes then turned to Furina again, her eyes searching her friend’s face. “You look like you’ve been through the wringer. What’s going on?”Furina sighed a
The night was quiet as Furina sat in the living room of Diluc’s penthouse, her mind racing with thoughts she could no longer suppress. The dinner had been exhausting, and the tension with Yvette had pushed her to the brink. But it wasn’t just Yvette that was gnawing at her—it was the uncertainty, the lingering doubts that had taken root in her mind ever since Yvette entered the scene and threatened to ruin their pretend marriage. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something unresolved between Diluc and Yvette, something that had never truly been put to rest. Some unfinished business as Yvette would like to call it. Their marriage had always been a transaction, a business arrangement to solve her immediate financial crisis. When Diluc had offered her the one-point-five million pounds she needed to pay off her father’s debt, she had agreed to his terms. But over time, the lines between duty and emotion had blurred, and Furina found herself struggling with feelings she hadn’t
The next morning, Furina woke up feeling a renewed sense of resolve. She wandered around Diluc’s penthouse and noticed that he’d left for office. It odd considering it was only six thirty but perhaps he wanted to avoid an awkward encounter with her. Furina packed her things and quickly left the building. She needed to talk to her friends again, to get their perspective on the latest developments. She arranged to meet them at the café once more, hoping they could help her navigate this complicated situation.As she walked into the café, she was greeted by Tiffany’s concerned expression, Lizzy’s calm demeanor, and Tommaso’s ever-present grin.“So how was last night?” Tiffany asked.Furina quickly filled them in on the dinner with Yvette and the message she had received afterward. As she spoke, she could see the worry in her friends’ eyes.“This is getting serious,” Lizzy said, her voice steady. “Yvette isn’t just trying to win Diluc back; she’s playing a dangerous game.” Tommaso nodded
The weight of the recent revelations was bearing down on Furina like a leaden cloud. Every time she tried to focus on something else, her thoughts inevitably drifted back to Yvette, to the ominous hints she had dropped, and to the gnawing feeling that something was terribly, terribly wrong. Despite their marriage being nothing more than a paper arrangement, Furina couldn’t deny the way her chest tightened every time Yvette was near. It wasn’t jealousy—it was something deeper, something darker. A feeling that Yvette was playing a game, and Furina was nothing but a pawn. Two days after her meeting with Marco, Furina had made discreet inquiries and discovered that Yvette had been seen meeting with Marco again. Furina knew she had to confront Yvette, to get to the bottom of whatever twisted game she was playing. She couldn’t let this continue without taking a stand. She arranged to meet Yvette at a café, choosing a public place to ensure her safety. “I must say that when my assistant in
The weight of everything hung heavy between Diluc and Furina as they sped away from the hospital. The night was thick with tension, but there was something else too—an unspoken vulnerability that lingered between them. They had escaped danger, but it felt like a temporary reprieve, like the eye of the storm. Furina stared out the window of the SUV, her heart still racing from the chaos of the hospital. Celeste’s reach was longer than they had anticipated, and the thought of how close they had come to something far worse left a chill running down her spine. But at the same time, there was something reassuring in the steady presence beside her. Diluc sat rigid, his eyes focused straight ahead, his jaw clenched in that way she had come to recognize—when he was fighting to stay in control. It was a look he wore often, but tonight, she could sense the cracks in his armor. The driver pulled up to a luxury hotel on the edge of the city, a secluded place far fr
Celeste had never been one to get her hands dirty. Throughout her life, she had always relied on manipulation, charm, and subtlety to get what she wanted. But this time was different. This time, her back was against the wall, and she couldn’t afford to trust anyone else to handle the job. Not when Furina had slipped through her fingers and Antoine was growing suspicious of her every move. This was personal now, and Celeste was determined to make a point.Disguising herself as a nurse to get close to Fionn had been a stroke of genius, she thought. It was the last thing anyone would expect. After all, the woman of her standing would never stoop so low as to involve herself directly. She had carefully constructed her persona over the years: the elegant, untouchable wife of Antoine Neuvillette, always perfectly composed, always a few steps ahead of everyone else. But sometimes, sacrifices had to be made. Sometimes, she had to step into the shadows herself to ensure things were
Antoine left the room, his heart heavy and his mind racing with the full realization of what he had uncovered. Celeste’s words echoed in his ears: *“You’re either with me, or you’re against me.”* She had finally dropped the last remnants of her mask, revealing the cold, calculating woman she truly was. Everything about their life together—their marriage, their family—had been built on lies. And now, the truth was unraveling in front of him, piece by piece. As he walked down the hallway of his grand estate, Antoine knew he was in danger. Celeste wasn’t someone who took betrayal lightly, and he had just made himself her enemy. But more than that, he feared for his son, Diluc, and for Furina. They were both caught in the crosshairs of Celeste’s web, and now that Yvette had been dealt with, Celeste would focus her full attention on destroying them. Antoine’s mind flashed back to the days after Ane’s death, how quickly Celeste had inserted herself into his life, offering comfort and supp
Celeste Neuvillette, born with cunning in her blood, had always seen people as tools. Fionn, the man she had once loved and married, had been no different. Back then, when they were young, she had admired his spirit, his passion for life. But admiration was fleeting, and love even more so. Once Fionn had served his purpose, once he had proven too weak to provide the kind of life she craved, Celeste had discarded him as easily as one would toss away a broken toy. And now, seeing him beaten and broken, fighting for his life in a hospital, stirred no emotion within her. She sat in her opulent suite, the city lights twinkling far below, and raised her glass of wine to her lips. The crimson liquid swirled in the glass, rich and full-bodied—just like the life she deserved. She had traded up, hadn’t she? Fionn, with his simple dreams, had been nothing compared to Antoine Neuvillette, one of Europe’s wealthiest men. Marrying Antoine had been the pinnacle of her success,
Celeste was never one to simply accept defeat. The moment she learned of Yvette’s capture and failure, her mind began working, gears turning behind her cold eyes. She had always been the architect of her own future, calculating every move with precision. Yvette’s reckless obsession with Diluc had been a weak point she had tolerated for too long. Now that Yvette was in custody, Celeste had no more use for her. But Furina, Diluc, and their sudden defiance—*that* was something she couldn’t let stand. Celeste paced the opulent halls of her French estate, her high heels clicking against the marble floor with every determined step. The sprawling mansion was a masterpiece of European architecture, all dark wood, and gilded chandeliers, but the beauty around her barely registered as her mind raced. From the outside, she appeared the picture of elegance and control, but internally, she was seething. Furina, the daughter she had discarded, had become a bigger threat than
The mention of Celeste hung in the air between them like an unspoken threat. She was still out there, waiting, and Furina knew that as long as she remained free, their peace was fragile, always on the verge of shattering.Furina’s hand was still wrapped around Diluc’s, offering him a quiet support. “What about Celeste?” she asked, her voice steady but laced with concern. “What are we going to do about her?”Diluc’s face darkened at the mention of his stepmother. His expression, which had softened just moments before, hardened into something colder, more focused. Furina had seen this look many times—the mask of the calculating businessman, the man bent on revenge, the man who had spent years chasing justice for his mother, Ane. Yet, in his eyes, Furina could see the exhaustion. The toll of the years weighed on him heavily, especially after Yvette’s manipulations.“We have to stop her,” Diluc said after a long pause, his voice low and filled with determinati
The night air was heavy with tension as Furina and the team left Yvette’s estate. The SUV sped down the winding roads, the headlights cutting through the thick darkness. Inside the vehicle, the silence was almost suffocating. Luca sat in the front seat, his eyes scanning the road ahead, while Furina sat beside Diluc in the back, watching him with a mixture of relief and concern. Diluc hadn’t said much since they’d gotten him out. His eyes were closed now, his head resting against the window, but Furina could see the tension in his posture, the way his hands occasionally clenched into fists. He was physically free, but mentally, emotionally, he was still trapped in whatever hell Yvette had put him through. Furina had tried to talk to him, to ask him if he was okay, but every time she spoke, Diluc’s answers were short, clipped. He wasn’t ready to talk yet, and Furina wasn’t sure how to reach him. The man who had once been so cold, calculating, and in control now seemed distant, lost
Yvette’s voice hung in the air like a dagger poised to strike. Her eyes glinted with malice, a smug confidence that made Furina’s skin crawl. It was the look of someone who had planned for every contingency, someone who had known this moment would come and had been waiting for it. She wasn’t surprised that the extraction team had made it this far; she had been anticipating it. Furina’s heart pounded in her chest, her blood roaring in her ears as she stood frozen, staring at Diluc, slumped and bound to the chair in the center of the room. “Yvette,” Furina said, her voice barely above a whisper, but it carried a raw edge of anger. “Let him go.” Yvette smiled, a slow, calculating curl of her lips. “Why would I do that? I finally have everything I want. You’ve come to rescue him, but look at him. Does it seem like he’s been begging to be saved?” She gestured to Diluc, who remained unmoving, his head still hanging low. Furina’s breath hitched.
Furina's heart raced as she read Luca’s response the next morning. She sat on the edge of her bed, the early morning light filtering through the curtains. Her fingers trembled slightly as they hovered over the phone, but she knew this was what she had to do.Luca: Meet at the safe house tonight at 8 PM. I’ll send you the address. Don’t tell anyone else where you’re going. We’re moving in fast. The message felt like a final warning—a line she was about to cross. Once she entered into this operation, there was no turning back. She had promised Harrod she would listen to Luca, but she couldn’t deny the fear gnawing at the edges of her resolve. Furina had never done anything like this before. This was real, dangerous, and it wasn’t just about her anymore—it was about Diluc’s life.She let out a shaky breath, feeling the weight of the decision she was about to make. Diluc was out there somewhere, possibly trapped and manipulated by Yvette. Every minute that pa