Nobela ni novelsby—

Vivienne The car slowed to a stop outside my rented apartment. I glanced at Dominic, his perfect profile illuminated by the faint orangey glow of the streetlights. He was silent, his hand draped lazily over the steering wheel, exuding a kind of nonchalance that only added to his allure.“I think I need some time…to think.” I said finally, my voice quieter than I intended.His gaze flicked to mine, those piercing, green sexy eyes locking onto me. “Time,” he repeated, his lips curling into a slow, knowing smile. “Fair enough.”It was as though he could read my thoughts, the way his smirk seemed to say he already knew what my answer was. He leaned slightly closer, his earthy cologne—woody with a hint of something spicier—sending a shiver down my spine.“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, his tone soft but firm, like a promise.I nodded, fumbling with the door handle. My legs felt shaky as I stepped out of the car, his intense gaze following me the entire time. I hurried inside, my heart

Vivienne Dominic’s large hand wrapped tightly around mine, a reassuring weight as he guided me out of the suffocating estate. Everything felt surreal. My mind replayed the evening’s events like a broken disc track.The betrayal. The humiliation. And now…this man.I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, trying to piece him together. In the soft glow of the fairy lights, his features were almost unreal—perfectly symmetrical with a jawline sharp enough to cut glass. His hair, a rich shade of red-brown, was tousled just enough to look effortlessly stylish. His eyes were a masterpiece, deep and almost hypnotic, fringed with lashes most women would kill for. The way they glinted under the light made my breath catch.Then there was the way he carried himself. Tall, broad-shouldered, his perfectly tailored suit clinging to a build that screamed power and control. He was the kind of man you’d see on the cover of a magazine or walking down a runway.But more than his looks, it was his pre

VivienneMy dress was stunning. Soft champagne satin that draped like liquid gold against my skin. A sweetheart neckline framed my collarbone, and the gown cinched at my waist before falling to the floor. The effect was timeless, elegant, and entirely unlike how I felt inside.Still, I had to dress to kill.My hands were unsteady as I clasped the thin chain of my necklace, the final touch. I stared at myself in my new apartment mirror, trying to summon a strength I didn’t feel. Tonight wasn’t just a party; it was a battleground. And my armor was the poise I didn’t know if I could maintain.Alias and Amélie would be there. Together. No longer lurking in the shadows but openly flaunting their betrayal. My stomach churned as bile rose in my throat. Why are you even going?Alias’s grandfather’s party? Of course, I had to go. If not for the man who had always been kind to me, then for one final confrontation. One last chance to remind them—and myself—that I wasn’t weak.This wasn’t about

Vivienne The next morning I was up early, barely getting any sleep the previous night. Alias didn't come home and it was obvious what he was up to.I came to a hard conclusion; if Alias didn't have a good excuse, things would be over between us.My hands tightened around the thick duvet cover, I couldn't imagine a life without him but the evidence was real.I heard the sound of the down stair door open and I braced myself. Soon Alias strolled into the room, caring less if I existed. His tie hung loosely around his neck, his hair messy and eyes dilated. He looked like he had a really good time. He didn’t even glance my way. Not once.I inhaled deeply, fighting the urge to crumble. I was done being a foot mat.“How was the party?” I asked calmly, trying to mask my anger.“Good,” he muttered, not even looking up, his focus already on the bathroom door.I watched him as he disappeared behind it, the sound of the shower rushing filled the room. My nails dug into my palms, the pain groun

Vivienne My name is Vivienne Duval, adopted heiress to the Duval Fashion Industries and I had never felt more pathetic in my entire life than I did now.I sat restless on the hospital bed as my mind raced with thoughts, thoughts that wouldn't let me sleep at night. The faint hum of the IV drip I was hooked on to and the distant murmur of the nurses were the only things that broke the deafening silence of the private room I was in.I had ended up at the hospital because I overworked myself—again. I didn't know why I always had to prove a damn point.My body felt weak from the treatment but it was the weight of my emotional turmoil that was harder to bear.I looked around and I was alone.Like always.My mind drifted, almost as if on autopilot, to my fiancé, Alias. He was supposed to be here today like he promised but of course he wasn't! My heart throbbed, reminiscing his words.“You know, I'd be there if I could Vivi, work is relentless right now.”Whether I liked it or not I had to

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWOLenoraThree days of peace. Three days of Elias keeping to his side of the penthouse like we’d drawn a line down the middle of it and he was the only one honoring the treaty.I hadn’t decided yet if I was grateful or unsettled by it.The kiss hadn’t come up again. Not once. Not in the careful way he passed me coffee in the mornings, not in the distance he kept at dinner, not in the single, loaded goodnight he offered before disappearing behind his office door each evening like a man locking something dangerous inside a safe.I told myself I was over it.I was mostly over it.So when I came home Thursday evening to smoke curling faintly from the kitchen and the unmistakable sound of something being aggressively stirred, I stopped dead in the doorway and just stared.Elias Vance—in a dress shirt with the sleeves shoved up to his elbows, a smear of what might have been tomato sauce on his jaw, standing over a pan like it had personally wronged him.“Don

EliasBy early afternoon, we’d made it through two client meetings and a walkthrough with the board that Lenora sat through in near total silence, offering polite nods in all the right places and nothing more. I kept catching myself watching her instead of the room, some low, persistent hum of concern building under my ribs that I didn’t have a name for and didn’t particularly want one.The board members didn’t notice. They never did—not when a presentation was running and there were numbers to be impressed by. But I noticed. The way she’d answer only when directly addressed, the way her hands stayed folded in her lap like she’d consciously removed them from view. She was present enough to be invisible and invisible enough not to be questioned. It was a skill. One that didn’t come from nowhere, and that thought alone sat with me longer than it should have.I’d just opened my mouth to ask if she was alright when her phone lit up on the desk between us.She went still.Her eyes dropped

EliasSleep didn't come.I lay flat on my back, staring up at the ceiling, waiting for the exhaustion of the day to finally catch up and drag me under. It never did. My mind kept circling back to the same place, the same handful of hours, the same moment I'd apparently lost the plot entirely.It wasn't guilt, exactly. Not about what had happened between us—if anything, some reckless, unguarded part of me would happily relive every second of it. What kept me staring at the ceiling long after midnight was the why.I was a man of control. Five steps ahead, always. I didn't move without knowing exactly where the move would land, without calculating the fallout three pieces down the board before I ever touched a single one. That discipline was the only reason Vantage existed at all—the only reason I'd built something out of spite that was now worth more than the empire my father had spent thirty years assembling.And today, for the first time in longer than I could remember, I'd done somet

Lenora“Lenora,” Elias murmured softly, cupping my face. “Are you okay?”“What?” I muttered, and right then and there, reality came crashing down on me at the speed of light.The high ceiling above me. The unfamiliar drag of a duvet that wasn't mine, tangled around my legs. Elias's fingers, still pressed lazily against my hip like he had every right to keep them there.Oh my God.Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.My chest heaved, air scraping in and out of my lungs too fast, too loud, like my body had only just caught up to what my mind refused to process.That had actually happened.I sat up so fast the room tilted sideways for a second, my hands scrambling for the sheet, for my clothes, for anything to hide behind.“Lenora—”“I need to go.” The words tumbled out before I'd even fully found my feet, my legs unsteady beneath me as I hauled my shirt back over my head, fumbling with the hem, not even bothering to check if it was on right.“Lenora, wait—”I didn't.I was out the door befo

LenoraI couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. The world around us had narrowed to the hot press of Elias's mouth against mine, the firm, solid warmth of his body against my own.He tasted like coffee and sin, a heady combination that went straight to my head, making me dizzy with want.His hands moved over my body, sure and confident, mapping out every curve, every dip and swell. He found the hem of my shirt and slid his cold hands underneath, making me shiver.His fingers skimmed over the sensitive skin of my waist, my ribs, my back. I arched into his touch, desperate for more, greedy for the feel of his hands on me.I could barely register what was happening anymore — every sense, my entire being, drunk on him. One moment we were standing in the middle of his room; the next, he'd obliterated every inch of distance between us. I could hardly think straight, my breath catching as his fingers traced the shell of my ear.He tugged at the oversized shirt I was wearing, a shirt that smelled

EliasI looked both ways before easing out of the estate.It would be a long day at the office, and I probably wouldn't be home until eight, tops. A low sigh escaped my throat. A part of me—a huge part of me, actually—wanted Lenora to come. Yesterday... just looking at her had made everything bearable.And weirdly, I never used to mind the office hours stretching on and on. It was simply me doing what I had to do to keep my company running. But now—since Lenora came—I found myself wanting to be home more. To be in her presence. To just have a silent breakfast and steal glances at that beautiful pair of blue eyes.But we couldn't all get what we wanted, now could we?I was halfway to my office when I got a call from Dominic.“Talk to me,” I muttered.“Are you already on your way to the office?”“Will be there in about twenty minutes. Do you need anything?”“Our prospects finally responded. I need the signed Halloway file before eleven—do you have it on you?”I groaned internally.“Shit