ROSALIE'S POV~I stood before the large mirror, staring at my reflection. It was a gold-plated mirror worth millions of dollars, gifted to me by one of Ezra's investors. I took in the sight of the woman I had become - stronger, more beautiful. But even with all my strength, there was something missing - revenge. It was something I wanted more than anything in life right now. Damien had crushed my dreams, and I was determined to crush him in return.I glanced down at my makeup palette, spotting several shades of lipstick. A cold smirk played across my lips. Damien had always hated red shades, insisting I stick to nude tones.But I was no longer under his control. I picked up the red lipstick and applied it, puckering my lips. The vibrant shade felt empowering. I twirled in my sleeveless gown that revealed my bare back, a style Damien had always forbidden me to wear.Satisfied with my appearance, I left my room and made my way downstairs. Ezra was waiting for me in his Rolls Royce, an
ROSALIE'S POV~ As the music faded and the chatter stilled to a hush, the mood in the hall seemed to shift. Ezra’s hand slid around my waist, and he pulled me closer to him as if to stake his claim. Damien’s eyes glinted with fury as he looked on, clearly not appreciating the gesture. A ripple of whispers and murmurs made their way through the hall, though I could barely hear them over the pounding of my heart. I allowed a small, dangerous smile to play across my lips as Ezra threw Damien a challenging smirk. Then, the Vice President’s voice cut through the stillness, his words carrying through the microphone to every corner of the hall. "Thank you all for being here tonight," he said, his voice smooth and powerful. "We are so grateful for your support of our new initiatives. I hope you’ll all enjoy yourselves this evening." The guests applauded, and the Vice President left the stage. As the music began again, I turned my gaze back to the two men standing before me. The look
ROSALIE'S POV~I took a step closer, champagne still in hand, and let my eyes move lazily between them. The taller one had sharp features and a face too used to being obeyed. The other had that casual elegance that said he never heard the word “no.” Perfect.“Do you remember me?” I asked sweetly, cocking my head like I wasn’t already three moves ahead in this little game.They exchanged a quick look. The taller one cleared his throat, clearly trying to remain polite but already uncomfortable.“You’re Damien’s… ex-wife, aren’t you?”I grinned—wide. Like he’d just complimented my dress or told me I didn’t look a day over twenty-five.“Yes,” I hummed, letting the word roll off my tongue like silk. “Look at that memory of yours. No wonder you’re one of the most powerful men in the room. You see everything, don’t you?”He gave me a stiff smile, unsure whether to feel flattered or threatened. Probably both.“Indeed,” I went on, raising my glass just a little. “Damien’s ex-wife. And I’ll al
ROSALIE'S POV~I didn’t rush. I moved slowly, one step at a time, like a predator who knew its prey was already cornered. Chloe backed up instinctively, her back bumping against the porcelain sink.“Relax,” I said softly, reaching past her face. Her breath hitched when my fingers barely grazed her cheek on their way to the tissue roll. I peeled a single sheet, dabbed an imaginary smear from my hand, and then smiled at her.“Why’s your heart racing, Chloe?” I murmured, my voice low and wicked. “You’re breathing like it’s cardio day. Is that what being Damien’s backup plan feels like?”She gritted her teeth and attempted a sugary smile, but it was so stiff it looked painful. That tickled me.I laughed—an honest-to-God laugh. And God, it made her scowl.“You look good,” she said, tight and bitter. “I mean, I don’t know how you managed to vanish for three years and then suddenly show up again. Just like that.”I clicked my tongue and tilted my head to the side, like I was admiring a paint
ROSALIE'S POV~Everywhere turned deathly silent.You could hear a pin drop from the far end of the hall, that was how quiet it had gotten. My chest rose and fell, slowly, as shock spread through my veins like liquid nitrogen. I felt frozen—absolutely paralyzed by the absurdity of what I was seeing.Blood. Chloe’s blood. Not from me. But from her own goddamn madness.I looked down at my hand, now smeared with red—her doing. I blinked, trying to make sense of it, but before I could say a word, her screams shattered the silence.“She—she stabbed me! Oh my God!” Chloe’s voice pierced the air. She pointed a trembling finger at me, staggering just enough to seem dramatic, but not quite injured enough to faint. “She threatened me! Said she was going to ruin me! You all heard her!” Her voice cracked. “She tried to stab me in the stomach—I swear, I just managed to shift and it caught my side instead. She could’ve killed me! She’s crazy!”I stared at her, lips slowly curling into a grim lin
EZRA'S POV~She moved.A subtle twitch at first—then a groan, like something feral and worn had been kicked awake.I leaned forward, fingers tightening around my jaw. I'd been sitting here for hours, but I didn't move an inch until her lashes finally parted.Her hand reached out blindly, brushing against my thigh.She froze. Her breath hitched.And her eyes snapped open—right into mine.Panic. Guilt. A thousand thoughts running behind those lashes.I saw all of it.I didn't blink.She looked between me, the doctor, and Sebastian—who stood like a damn statue, arms folded, jaw tight, waiting for my signal if I so much as flinched the wrong way.But me?I stared at her like a god staring down his prey. Calm. Detached. Boiling inside.Something was off.It started hours ago when I found her wrecking the living room like a possessed animal, eyes wild, voice broken. I'd seen fury before. Hell, I’d fed on it. But this was deeper. This was pain. A pain I hadn’t put there—and that was the prob
ROSALIE'S POV~My heart plummeted as I walked into the lavish banquet hall, my eyes sweeping over the sea of elites, their chattering filled the entire hall as soft music played.My gaze moved to Damien, my husband, who stood beside me ever since we arrived making my heart crack. For the past one hour, he had been glued to his phone, his face never lifting from its screen, a smile spread across his lips. It was a smile I had never seen him direct at me; for the past three years of our marriage.I could feel my chest tightening at the thought of him texting someone else, but I dared not suspect. When Damien finally pocketed his phone and turned to me, I met his gaze with a hard look.His eyes darkened as he spoke, "Don't you know how to fake a smile anymore? Those irritating little smiles of yours that screamed nothing but desperation? We're making an appearance in front of several high calibre people for goodness sake. You must carry this facade on without any slip, Rosalie."His word
ROSALIE'S POV~“You're still up?" “Let's get a divorce, Damien." I interrupted him just before he could continue speaking and I saw his shoulders slump.Damien stared at me in silence, his chest heaving up and down. I had no idea what he was thinking. "Are you out of your mind?" he asked, his voice menacing.I shrugged nonchalantly, descending the last of the stairs to stand before him. “Let's not play this game, Damien. I want a divorce,” I declared, folding my arms across my chest. “And that's final. You can go be with whoever you want. Don't you think this farce of a marriage is stopping you from having an open affair with the woman that you claim to love? Think about it!” Damien's face turned bright red with anger as he closed the distance between us.“Do you think if I wanted to divorce you that much, I wouldn't have done it?” he shouted, his eyes narrowed into slits. “I wouldn’t even blink twice to serve you the divorce papers, Rosaline.”I scoffed, not letting his words affe
EZRA'S POV~She moved.A subtle twitch at first—then a groan, like something feral and worn had been kicked awake.I leaned forward, fingers tightening around my jaw. I'd been sitting here for hours, but I didn't move an inch until her lashes finally parted.Her hand reached out blindly, brushing against my thigh.She froze. Her breath hitched.And her eyes snapped open—right into mine.Panic. Guilt. A thousand thoughts running behind those lashes.I saw all of it.I didn't blink.She looked between me, the doctor, and Sebastian—who stood like a damn statue, arms folded, jaw tight, waiting for my signal if I so much as flinched the wrong way.But me?I stared at her like a god staring down his prey. Calm. Detached. Boiling inside.Something was off.It started hours ago when I found her wrecking the living room like a possessed animal, eyes wild, voice broken. I'd seen fury before. Hell, I’d fed on it. But this was deeper. This was pain. A pain I hadn’t put there—and that was the prob
ROSALIE'S POV~Everywhere turned deathly silent.You could hear a pin drop from the far end of the hall, that was how quiet it had gotten. My chest rose and fell, slowly, as shock spread through my veins like liquid nitrogen. I felt frozen—absolutely paralyzed by the absurdity of what I was seeing.Blood. Chloe’s blood. Not from me. But from her own goddamn madness.I looked down at my hand, now smeared with red—her doing. I blinked, trying to make sense of it, but before I could say a word, her screams shattered the silence.“She—she stabbed me! Oh my God!” Chloe’s voice pierced the air. She pointed a trembling finger at me, staggering just enough to seem dramatic, but not quite injured enough to faint. “She threatened me! Said she was going to ruin me! You all heard her!” Her voice cracked. “She tried to stab me in the stomach—I swear, I just managed to shift and it caught my side instead. She could’ve killed me! She’s crazy!”I stared at her, lips slowly curling into a grim lin
ROSALIE'S POV~I didn’t rush. I moved slowly, one step at a time, like a predator who knew its prey was already cornered. Chloe backed up instinctively, her back bumping against the porcelain sink.“Relax,” I said softly, reaching past her face. Her breath hitched when my fingers barely grazed her cheek on their way to the tissue roll. I peeled a single sheet, dabbed an imaginary smear from my hand, and then smiled at her.“Why’s your heart racing, Chloe?” I murmured, my voice low and wicked. “You’re breathing like it’s cardio day. Is that what being Damien’s backup plan feels like?”She gritted her teeth and attempted a sugary smile, but it was so stiff it looked painful. That tickled me.I laughed—an honest-to-God laugh. And God, it made her scowl.“You look good,” she said, tight and bitter. “I mean, I don’t know how you managed to vanish for three years and then suddenly show up again. Just like that.”I clicked my tongue and tilted my head to the side, like I was admiring a paint
ROSALIE'S POV~I took a step closer, champagne still in hand, and let my eyes move lazily between them. The taller one had sharp features and a face too used to being obeyed. The other had that casual elegance that said he never heard the word “no.” Perfect.“Do you remember me?” I asked sweetly, cocking my head like I wasn’t already three moves ahead in this little game.They exchanged a quick look. The taller one cleared his throat, clearly trying to remain polite but already uncomfortable.“You’re Damien’s… ex-wife, aren’t you?”I grinned—wide. Like he’d just complimented my dress or told me I didn’t look a day over twenty-five.“Yes,” I hummed, letting the word roll off my tongue like silk. “Look at that memory of yours. No wonder you’re one of the most powerful men in the room. You see everything, don’t you?”He gave me a stiff smile, unsure whether to feel flattered or threatened. Probably both.“Indeed,” I went on, raising my glass just a little. “Damien’s ex-wife. And I’ll al
ROSALIE'S POV~ As the music faded and the chatter stilled to a hush, the mood in the hall seemed to shift. Ezra’s hand slid around my waist, and he pulled me closer to him as if to stake his claim. Damien’s eyes glinted with fury as he looked on, clearly not appreciating the gesture. A ripple of whispers and murmurs made their way through the hall, though I could barely hear them over the pounding of my heart. I allowed a small, dangerous smile to play across my lips as Ezra threw Damien a challenging smirk. Then, the Vice President’s voice cut through the stillness, his words carrying through the microphone to every corner of the hall. "Thank you all for being here tonight," he said, his voice smooth and powerful. "We are so grateful for your support of our new initiatives. I hope you’ll all enjoy yourselves this evening." The guests applauded, and the Vice President left the stage. As the music began again, I turned my gaze back to the two men standing before me. The look
ROSALIE'S POV~I stood before the large mirror, staring at my reflection. It was a gold-plated mirror worth millions of dollars, gifted to me by one of Ezra's investors. I took in the sight of the woman I had become - stronger, more beautiful. But even with all my strength, there was something missing - revenge. It was something I wanted more than anything in life right now. Damien had crushed my dreams, and I was determined to crush him in return.I glanced down at my makeup palette, spotting several shades of lipstick. A cold smirk played across my lips. Damien had always hated red shades, insisting I stick to nude tones.But I was no longer under his control. I picked up the red lipstick and applied it, puckering my lips. The vibrant shade felt empowering. I twirled in my sleeveless gown that revealed my bare back, a style Damien had always forbidden me to wear.Satisfied with my appearance, I left my room and made my way downstairs. Ezra was waiting for me in his Rolls Royce, an
ROSALIE'S POV~Everything was a blur. My vision swirled like a kaleidoscope, the world around me spinning out of control. My ears were ringing so loudly that it was hard to hear anything but the deafening echo of my own pulse. Sebastian was there, crouched in front of me, his lips moving but his words were drowned out by the incessant ringing. All I could see was his face, twisted in worry, as he frantically tried to free me from the twisted wreckage.That's when I felt it.A warm, sticky sensation trickling down my ears. Instinctively, my trembling fingers reached up to investigate, and when I pulled them away, they were stained with blood. A cold, numbing sensation spread through my body, and my mind began to fade, the world around me spinning even faster.Flashes of light penetrated the darkness, and I realized that the press had arrived on the scene, desperate to capture the chaos unfolding before them. But Ezra's men were quick to block their path, shielding me from the prying
Chapter 9:ROSALIE'S POV~The reporter's screams echoed through the empty streets as she was violently dragged towards the car, her body trembling with fear and her face streaked with tears. I clenched my teeth, fists balled at my sides, as I watched helplessly."Please, please, I have a family! My grandma is dying, I beg of you!" she pleaded, sobbing. But her cries fell on deaf ears. One of the men slapped her across the face and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Rage boiled up inside of me.Sebastian began tapping his earpiece as he called for backup while my hand clenched tightly on the door's handle. Suddenly, gunshots rang out, jolting me from my thoughts. One of the attackers dropped to the ground with a grunt, and Ezra's men swarmed in, guns drawn and ready. Sebastian stepped out of the car, his expression grim and determined. "Stay in the car, ma'am" he ordered me.I watched, frozen in place, as the remaining assailant fled the scene. The streets were silent
Chapter 8:ROSALINE'S POV~"I love my woman more than life itself," Damien said, his voice dripping with false sincerity. "I would do anything to prove that to the world.”I could feel my blood boiling as Damien continued to spin his web of lies. "Rosaline is my queen, my everything. And I'm willing to take her back with open arms, even if she's been sleeping with other men." He paused, letting the words sink in. "Because I know that deep down, she belongs to me. She's mine, and I'm hers."My stomach turned as I watched Damien manipulate the media with ease. How could I have lived with such a monster for so long without realizing the truth? I felt like an utter fool for trusting him, even for a fleeting moment.As I turned to face Ezra, I expected to see the expression of disgust on his face as well but instead I noticed his amused expression. "Wow, Damien could give Hollywood a run for its money with that performance," he said with a smirk.I couldn't bring myself to crack a smile.I