A HEART REBORN IN RUIN
Riya Lance was born into power but never freedom. Daughter of a ruthless hotel tycoon and heir to a fading fashion empire, her life was nothing but a cage wrapped in gold. That cage shattered the night she stood before all and declared her divorce, blowing apart the merger that bound her family to the feared Moreau dynasty. She was betrayed, ambushed, and thrown into the sea. She should have died. Instead, she survived; scarred, with broken memories and a burning need for revenge. With new allies in the shadows, Riya rose again, building herself into a ghost powerful enough to strike back. But the deeper she digs, the darker the truth becomes. The Moreaus were only pawns. The true mastermind is the Don; an unseen hand tied to her near death experience, her father’s sins, and the only man she ever trusted: Mateo Rutherfurd. Once her guide. Now her rival. As empires crumble and buried secrets rise, Riya must choose; between love and vengeance, blood and freedom. Because reclaiming her legacy will cost her everything… and survival may demand an unbelievable sacrifice.
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Chapter: 9 The Wrong Kind of PoliceMateo's Pov But Shaw held up a hand, still locking his eyes on mine. "I've actually got a lot of things to ask." He walked towards me, measuring each step. He didn't shove or yell. He simply grabbed my arm and pulled me firmly towards the gaping maw of the van. "But it's not like you'll tell me the truth, is it?"He leaned in close, dropping his voice to a whisper meant only for me, and a faint, knowing smile touched his lips. "So never mind.”It's been nothing but a tomb on wheels inside the van, and for half an hour, the only sounds were the low hum of the engine and the rhythmic crunch of tires on gravel.Shaw sat across from me with an ever-relaxed posture relaxed but his eyes never left mine. They were a constant, low-grade surveillance system, peering at me in the intermittent flashes of passing streetlights. He just… observed without saying a word.The city lights had long faded in the rearview, replaced by the deep, consuming black of the outskirts. We finally slowed, turnin
Last Updated: 2025-11-14
Chapter: 8 Snapping TrapMateo's Pov I took a deliberate step away from the big, annoying fellow, creating a sliver of space. He tensed, but a nearly invisible flick of Shaw’s fingers held him back. Now for the performance. I raised my cuffed hands, twisting my torso, trying to force them into the inner pocket of my coat. Of course, it was… nothing but a futile, awkward dance. The steel bracelets bit into my wrists, straining the fabric of my coat. No matter how I contorted, my fingers remained inches from their goal, fumbling uselessly, and a fine sheen of sweat, whether it was real or feigned, prickled on my brow.I let out a frustrated sigh, slumping my shoulders in a show of defeat, and I turned fully to Shaw, with an expression of exasperated helplessness.“Um… Officer?” My voice was a mix of embarrassment and forced politeness. “Please. Help me take out the walkie-talkie from my inner pocket.” I gestured with my cuffed hands toward my chest. “It’s just by the upper left side… Thank you.”The sile
Last Updated: 2025-11-13
Chapter: 7 A Question of HeMateo's Pov My mind raced. I can't mess this up. Not here. Not like this. The whole thing I'm after will slip right through my fingers if I don't play this right. A direct fight was off the table, as it would unravel everything.I took a deep, steadying breath, forcing the tension out of my shoulders, and forced that placid smile back onto my face. I stretched both my hands out in front of me, bringing both wrists together, and leaned them forward as he closed the final steps.The cold, hard bite of the steel cuffs snapped around my wrists. And the big officer gave them an extra, vicious twist that dug the metal into my skin. Then he walked backwards, yanking on the chain link, and shoved me forward with a grunt that carried the force of his entire body. "Move it, pipsqueak," his broody, deep voice cut through the air, laced with contempt.Old man Dhaval stepped right in front, trying to force me to meet his eyes, to drink in his triumph. But I ignored him. Completely. My gaze sli
Last Updated: 2025-11-13
Chapter: 6 Controlled DemolitionMateo's PovThe bolt slid home with a final, metallic *clunk* that sealed the room in a temporary silence. Outside, the world was a muffled, distant thing, but inside, the only thing louder than the quiet was the frantic pounding on the other side of the door.*Thud. Thud. Thud.*Each impact vibrated through the polished wood, but I didn't hurry. I took a slow, measured breath, as the scent of old leather and my own expensive cologne filled my lungs.My fingers found the cold brass of the lock, forcing a click with a twist.The door swung inward, and there stood the security head, Clint. Our eyes locked. His eyes were wide, a little wild from the chase. Mine, I knew, was the flat, calm grey of a winter sea before a storm. For a single, suspended second, the only sound was our shared breath in the doorway.“She just left.” The ghost of a smile touched my lips.Clint’s head snapped towards the men crowding the space behind him, atop shadows dancing in the poor light. "She's not her
Last Updated: 2025-11-13
Chapter: 5 The Call Before ImpactRiya's Pov My grip tightened on the throttle. With a grunt that tore through my chest, I yanked both handlebars and quickly slammed a palm and a foot down to force the bike back upright. Pain shot through me, but it was worth it.The tires screamed as I twisted the accelerator, causing the rubber to violently bite on the cobblestones. The bike roared, jerking sideways in a wild drift. My back tire clipped the bumper of the car, sending flaring sparks. My knee scraped asphalt, peeling off the fabric, and my skin raw, but I held steady. Barely.Breath tore out of me. My body shook, and my muscles screamed.That said… I hadn’t actually accomplished anything. Not when the estate’s massive black gates loomed ahead, having completely shut down the steel tight.And behind me? Boots pounded and suits in black were already storming after me.I ignored them. darting my eyes left and right. Think. Think! I shoved my bleeding hand into the belt’s pockets, fumbling, ransacking, praying for some
Last Updated: 2025-11-11
Chapter: 4 Echoes on the HighwayRiya's Pov His eyes locked on mine… or at least on the shadow of me behind the visor.I tilted my head, revved the engine once, as the growl tore louder through the alley. I pressed my bare left foot down and the other on the pedal. “You’d really hit me with that?”Kelvin smirked, extended an arm, and spread his palm open. “I won’t do anything if you obey me. Just… do as I ask. And no one has to get hurt. And keep in mind that after humiliating me at the merger party and filing for divorce, if you step outside this estate… you and your father lose the hotels, the empire, the name. Everything to us… the Moreaus.” He leaned closer, creeping forward step by step.Yeah…, like I’d believe that for a second.“Why would we lose everything to you?” My voice came out muffled behind the visor, trembling with disbelief but carrying enough bite to make him stop pacing. “All I did was shatter the merger between my father’s company and yours.”Kelvin chuckled, and the cold night wind teased stra
Last Updated: 2025-10-28
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