LOGINThe office was quiet and warm. Most of the staff on the executive floor had already gone home for the evening, leaving only the soft glow of the desk lamps lighting up the hallways.Inside the office Elena and Chloe were, a small heater hummed softly in the corner. A lovely smell of sweet vanilla and hot cocoa filled the air. On the coffee table lay two paper cups with tiny white marshmallows floating on top, next to a plate of fresh butter cookies.Elena leaned back against her plush velvet armchair, taking a slow sip of her warm drink. A soft, peaceful smile rested on her face."You look completely different than you did two hours ago," Chloe said with a bright grin, sitting cross-legged on the sofa across from her. She held a blue file folder in her lap. "The storm over your head is totally gone!"Elena chuckled softly, holding the warm paper cup between both hands. "I really do feel better, Chloe. Talking to Julian made all the difference. He actually listened to me. He didn't mak
Julian guided her over to the soft leather sofa, sitting down beside her and keeping one of her hands firmly held in his."Ten years ago, before my father passed away, our family had business ties with the Aldridge family," Julian explained quietly. "Their late patriarch was close with my father. Back then, they signed an old family agreement, a non-binding marital alliance contract between me and Cynthia Aldridge, the older daughter."Elena felt a sharp pang in her chest. "A marriage contract?""A foolish, outdated piece of paper," Julian corrected firmly, his eyes burning with absolute certainty. "It was never legally binding, and I made it clear the moment I took over Vane Enterprises that I would never honor it. The Aldridges spent years trying to push it, but I ignored them completely.""Why are they coming back now?" Elena asked."Because their family is completely bankrupt," Julian revealed coldly. "Their parents died leaving behind massive debts. Cynthia and her sister Victori
The afternoon sun was beginning to dip behind the tall glass skyscrapers of the financial district as the black car pulled up to the grand entrance of Vane Enterprises.Elena sat in the back seat, holding her new caramel leather bag in her lap. Her mind was still spinning from everything she had learned at Saint Jude’s Academy. Beside her, Chloe was looking out the window with a serious expression, while four-year-old Leo sat between them, his small feet dangling over the edge of the seat as he played with a plastic toy train."Are you sure you want to go straight to his office?" Chloe asked softly, turning to look at Elena. "You look really stressed.""I have to," Elena replied, her voice firm despite the nervous flutter in her chest. "Julian told me yesterday that everything was under control. But he completely hid the fact that this Aldridge family was trying to get close to Leo at his school. I can't just pretend I didn't hear the nanny or the women in the store.""I hear you," C
ElenaI walked through the school gates with Chloe, holding my new shopping bag in one hand. The moment Leo saw us, he scrambled out of the sandbox and came running across the grass as fast as his little legs could carry him. "Mommy! Mommy!" Leo squealed, launching himself into my arms.I caught him easily, lifting him up and pressing a warm kiss to his cheek. "Hi, my little prince! Did you have a fun day at school?" "Yes! But Mommy, look!" Leo pointed his tiny finger back toward the sandbox, where little Toby was standing alone, holding his backpack. "Toby is super sad! His auntie was mean to him and took his smile away!" Chloe chuckled softly, leaning down to pat Leo’s head. "Oh, Leo, sometimes kids get tired at the end of the day." "No, Auntie Chloe!" Leo said loudly, shaking his head with absolute seriousness. "Toby said his auntie yelled at him because he didn't bring me to his house! He said if I don't go to his house, the mean people will take his bed!"I froze. The smile v
Elena’s POV "I am telling you, Chloe, I was only enthusiastic for the first five days," I said, stirring my iced latte with a straw. "And that was purely because I wanted to shove my new title right into the faces of those arrogant Carnegie executives who looked down on my mother for years."Chloe burst into laughter, leaning back against the plush velvet booth of the cafe. "So you're telling me you don't want to sit in a giant leather chair, signing billion-dollar shipping contracts every morning?" "It is exhausting!" I laughed, shaking my head. "The files are endless. The meetings are boring. Julian makes it look so easy, but I honestly do not think I am built to run a massive corporation long-term. It is way too much hard work." "Must be nice," Chloe teased, rolling her eyes with a dramatic sigh. "I wish I had that kind of stress in my life. Look at you, you're a whole CEO, you have a gorgeous, powerful billionaire taking care of your business, and you get to go home to a hands
Julian walked over to the door, opened it wide, and signaled to two towering security guards standing in the hallway. "Escort the Aldridge sisters off the property," Julian ordered coldly. "If they ever step foot past the outer gates again, fire the entire guard team." "Yes, Mr. Vane!" the guards replied instantly. Cynthia stood frozen for a second, her jaw clenched so tightly her teeth hurt. She had never been so thoroughly humiliated in her entire life. She looked at Catherine, hoping for a shred of sympathy, but Catherine’s face was as cold as marble. "Listen to my son, Cynthia," Catherine said with absolute authority. "If you ever target my grandson again, Julian won't even need to ruin you. I will do it myself. Leave now." Realizing she had completely lost, Cynthia grabbed her designer purse, turned on her high heels, and stormed out of the room. Victoria scrambled right behind her, practically running toward the main exit to escape the suffocating pressure of the mansion
Elena’s POVThe house was a hive of activity that morning. Men in black suits were moving everywhere, checking radios and looking at the gates. I held Leo’s hand so tight my knuckles turned white. He was unusually quiet, clutching his teddy bear and staring at the floor. I could feel his small hea
The fire was small at first. It climbed the silk curtains like a glowing orange snake. Elena stood by the open window, her heart hitting her ribs like a hammer. The room was getting hot. The sweet smell of her expensive perfume was being replaced by the thick, biting scent of smoke."Go," she whis
ELENA’s POV The sun was shining through the windows of the big bedroom. I was sitting up in bed, drinking the tea Julian had made for me. I felt much better than I did during the night. The pain in my stomach was gone, but my heart still felt heavy. I kept thinking about Mark. I wondered where he
ELENA’s POV The tablet felt heavy in my hands, like a piece of lead. The screen was bright, showing a grainy but clear video feed from the security cameras at the house I used to call home. I stared at the screen, my breath catching in my throat.There was Mark. He wasn't crying. He wasn't callin







