"When Mandy marries billionaire Lucas Vanderbilt, she thinks she's found her happily ever after. But their lavish lifestyle and fairy-tale romance come crashing down when a tragic accident sparks false allegations and shattered trust. As Lucas turns against her, Mandy's world collapses. His grandmother, the formidable matriarch of the Vanderbilt empire, offers her a way out: escape to a new life abroad. But Mandy's heart refuses to let go. She's determined to clear her name and reclaim her love. Will she overcome the darkness of deceit and betrayal, or will the price of love be too high to pay?
View MoreMandy’s POVThe world around me felt like it was slipping away. My body trembled, not from the cold, but from the weight of the words in the air. Each one felt like a stone being dropped into the abyss, echoing through me, making everything I thought I knew shake. I had always believed in Lucas, in the man who stood beside me, and yet now, his past was unfurling before my eyes, and I wasn’t sure if I even knew him at all.Sophia leaned in closer, her breath hot against my ear, and I froze. There was a dangerous calmness in her voice as she whispered the words that made my heart stop."He let me die, Mandy. He chose himself over me."Her words rang in my ears, and for a moment, everything inside me froze. He chose himself over her? The very idea cut through me like a knife. I could barely breathe, let alone process the enormity of what she was implying. Lucas was beside me, his fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tight with barely contained fury. His voice cracked through the silen
Lucas’s POVThe video continued to play, the grainy footage pulling me back into a past I thought I had buried. The young faces staring back at me were mine and Sophia’s, but they were from a time when things were simpler—or so I had convinced myself. I watched as I laughed with her, the smile on my face completely different than the one I wore now. It was a carefree moment, one that seemed so far removed from the man I had become, but it was still mine. Still part of the story I had left behind.Mandy’s breath hitched beside me, a sharp intake of air that made my heart clench. I could feel her confusion, her pain. The flicker of doubt in her eyes sent a wave of guilt crashing over me. "Lucas… what is this?" Her voice was strained, barely above a whisper, but the question hung between us like a heavy cloud. I clenched my fists at my sides, trying to hold it together, trying to keep the storm from breaking loose. "This was before," I forced out, my voice low, almost as if I was tr
Mandy’s POVMy heart pounded in my chest, each beat sending a sharp pulse of panic through my body. As the cold barrel of the gun pressed against my temple, and I could barely breathe, every inhale was shallow and desperate. My hands shook uncontrollably as I tried to hold Emily closer, to protect her, but I couldn’t even protect myself. Lucas was beside me, his gaze locked on the masked figure holding the weapon. His muscles were tense, his body coiled with fury, but he was frozen, caught in a web of fear and helplessness. I could see the struggle in his eyes, the desire to protect me warring with the overwhelming power that Sophia held over us.Then, before I could even process what was happening, Lucas moved—instinctively, without thinking. He threw himself in front of me, shielding me from the masked figure, his body blocking mine as he faced Sophia’s men with steely determination.But Sophia, standing just a few steps behind, merely watched, a smirk playing at the corners of h
Lucas’s POVI couldn’t move. My body was frozen, a prisoner to the woman standing before me. The one I had mourned. The one I had buried in the deepest part of my heart. Sophia. She was alive. The world around me had blurred, her presence the only thing clear. I couldn’t comprehend it, couldn’t make sense of it. This—this was impossible. Mandy’s grip tightened on my arm, her voice a faint whisper, barely reaching my ears. “Lucas… what’s going on? Who is she?” But I couldn’t answer her. The words lodged in my throat, a heavy stone I couldn’t move. All I could do was stare at the woman I had thought was long gone, my pulse pounding in my ears. Sophia stepped forward, her heels clicking on the floor with a rhythm that felt too calculated. Her lips curved into a smile, one that I could only describe as both wicked and seductive. “Miss me, Lucas?” Her voice was a blade, cutting through the thick tension that hung in the air. I wanted to scream, wanted to lash out, but I couldn’t. My
Lucas’s POV The moment Gage disappeared into the shadows, the weight in my chest grew unbearable. My long lost friend. The one I thought was dead, the one I had buried in my past, forced myself to forget. And yet, here he was, standing with Damian, warning me that something worse was coming. Mandy’s grip on my arm tightened. "Lucas, what the hell just happened?" I turned to her, but before I could answer, Damian let out a weak chuckle from the ground. "Oh, Lucas. You always thought you had control, didn’t you?" Ethan pressed his boot harder against Damian’s back. "You’d better start talking before I make sure you don’t leave this warehouse alive." Damian groaned but smirked through his pain. "Killing me won’t stop it. It’s already set in motion." A sinking feeling churned in my gut. "What are you talking about?" He licked his bloody lips, his eyes burning with amusement. "Your past, Lucas. You spent years running from it. But you never really buried it, did you?" I clen
Lucas’s POV Damian’s laughter echoed through the warehouse, a haunting sound that seemed to rattle my every bone. I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to listen to his sick, twisted amusement while Mandy held Emily close, both of them trembling with fear. But his words—the warning—echoed in my mind.I took a steadying breath, the weight of the situation sinking deeper. The last thing I needed right now was another layer of complication, especially when it came to people I loved. Ethan’s grip on Damian tightened as he pressed his boot harder into his back. "What do you mean by that?" Damian chuckled through the pain, blood dripping from his shoulder where I had shot him. "You think you’ve won? You think it’s over? You have no idea who you’re really up against." My hand tightened around the gun in my grip. "If you think you’re getting away from this alive, you’re mistaken." But even as the words left my mouth, doubt crept into my mind because Damian had been one thing—dang
Lucas’s POVRage burned through my veins, sharp and unforgiving. Emily. Damian had her. I didn’t need to breathe. Didn’t need to think. Every instinct in my body screamed to move. However, Ethan was already ahead of me, pulling out his phone, his jaw tight. "I’m tracing the video’s source." Mandy was frozen, her fingers gripping the hospital bed so tightly that her knuckles turned white. "Damian has Emily," she whispered, her voice cracking. I reached for her, ignoring the pull of pain in my side. "We’re getting her back." Then, she looked up at me, her eyes wild with fear. "Lucas, if something happens to her—" "Nothing will." I cupped her face, forcing her to see me. "I swear to you, Mandy. No matter what it takes, we’ll bring her home." Tears welled in her eyes, but she nodded, swallowing hard. Ethan’s phone buzzed. He checked it, then cursed. "Got a location. Abandoned warehouse, outskirts of town." Of course. Damian wouldn’t make this easy. I swung my leg
Lucas’s POVPain dragged me under. It was distant at first, like an echo of something happening to someone else. But then it sharpened, clawing through my body like fire. I forced my eyes open. Blurred figures moved around me. The sirens had stopped, replaced by the frantic murmurs of voices and the beeping of machines. Hospital. I knew that smell—sterile, sharp, laced with something metallic. Blood. My blood. A soft pressure on my hand made me shift my gaze. Mandy. She was there, gripping my hand like it was the only thing keeping her grounded. Her eyes were red-rimmed and her face were paled but she was here. I tried to speak, but my throat was raw, the effort sending a sharp stab of pain through my side. “Don’t,” she whispered, her fingers tightening. “You need to rest.” I wanted to tell her I was fine. That Damian hadn’t won. That no matter what, I wasn’t leaving her. But the exhaustion was stronger as darkness tugged at me again, and this time, I didn’
Mandy’s POV The gunshot split the night like a scream. I watched in horror as Lucas staggered back, his body jerking from the impact. No. My mind refused to process what had just happened as my breath hitched and my vision narrowed to the sight of him collapsing to his knees, his hand clutching his side where blood was already seeping through his shirt. “No—no, no, no,” I gasped, struggling against Damian’s grip, but he only tightened his hold on me, his lips brushing against my ear. “Stay still,” he murmured, almost amused. “Or the next one goes through his head.” Lucas’s head lifted, his eyes locking onto mine. Even in pain, his expression was steady and focused. “Let her go,” he gritted out, his voice laced with fury. Damian chuckled. “You’re in no position to make demands, Lucas.” Lucas tried to push himself up, but his body swayed. His hand pressed harder against his wound, but the blood kept slipping through his fingers. Emily sobbed somewhere behind me. Wen
Mandy’s POV I stood frozen at the top of the stairs, heart racing as I watched Mary, my husband’s older brother’s pregnant fiancée, tumble down the steps, her screams echoing in my ears. It all happened in a blur—one moment, we were both heading downstairs to join the family party, and the next, Mary was rolling down the stairs, her body twisting with each horrifying bounce. I froze. My legs refused to move. A sickening thought clawed at me—what if they think I pushed her? Guests from the party had already started crowding around, drawn to the chaos, their eyes wide with shock. My stomach churned with panic. I couldn’t breathe. “Someone, call an ambulance!” one of the guests shouted, and it felt like the whole world was closing in around me. This was supposed to be a day of celebration. The house was filled with some of the wealthiest, most influential people in the city—celebrities, business tycoons, all gathered to mark the grand occasion. But now? The scene before me had tu...
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