Novels by Vicky_dare

‎The Coastal Grand Ballroom was the kind of room that reminded people how much money existed in the world.‎Crystal chandeliers threw warm gold light across marble floors. Wait staff moved silently between clusters of the most powerful business figures on the coast. Every table held a different empire. Every conversation was a transaction dressed as small talk.‎Ethan stood near the far end of the room beside the windows, a glass of water in his hand. He hadn't touched the champagne all evening. Beside him stood Layla Sinclair looking elegant, composed, with her red gown chosen carefully to compliment her style. She had attended four of these events on Ethan's arm over the past three years. Not a relationship. Something convenient that the press had quietly constructed into one. She was mid-sentence about an acquisition she was considering when the room shifted.‎Not loudly. Not dramatically. Just shifted,‎Layla felt it before she understood it. The low hum of conversation dipped sli

‎The Sunday afternoon sun glinted off the sleek glass dome of the Coastal Science and Innovation Center.‎Ethan arrived ten minutes early for his official two hour visitation. Today he wore a simple dark navy polo shirt and tailored jeans. He stood near the entrance holding two bottles of water, his heart hammering anxiously ‎ Promptly at 2:00 PM a white sedan pulled into the drop off lane. Rosalie stepped out first, wearing a crisp lavender blazer and white trousers, looking simple and beautiful. She opened the rear door helping little Leo out.‎"Hi!" Leo called out as soon as his shoes hit the pavement, jogging over with a spring in his step. He held a small notebook under his arm. "Mommy said we could look at the robotics exhibit today!"‎Ethan dropped to one knee, a genuine warm smile breaking across his face. "Then the robotics exhibit it is. Hello Leo." He looked up at Rosalie. "Hello rosalie."‎"Mr. Vance," she acknowledged with a brief cool nod. "I will be trailing behind.

‎The executive floor of Aura Corp's glass skyscraper was bright with the kind of light that made everything look cleaner than it was. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows the coastal skyline stretched out in endless blue, but inside Rosalie's private office the atmosphere was warm and alive with low laughter.‎Rosalie sat back in her armchair, a soft relaxed smile on her lips. On the dark plush rug little Leo sat cross-legged, engrossed in assembling the model drone. Beside him was a man whose presence commanded respect in every major financial capital in the country Julian Thorne.‎ At thirty two Julian was the head of Thorne Capital, a powerful venture firm closely allied with the Sterling Network. He was handsome, charismatic, and carried a quiet easy confidence that never felt forced. More importantly he treated Rosalie not as a broken woman needing rescue but as an equal in the business world.‎"If you adjust the micro-rotor on the left wing Leo the stability sensors will aut

‎Ethan had taken no chances. An hour before the meeting he had called Mark with strict orders clear the park of all visitors, secure every entrance, and deploy security at every gate to ensure complete privacy. He wanted no distractions, no media, and no unexpected eyes on his son.‎ Now at 1:15 PM the park was completely empty. High iron gates and security guards kept the noise of the city outside, leaving only the sound of wind moving through the pine trees.‎Ethan had arrived forty-five minutes early. He wore a dark charcoal sweater and dark trousers, leaving behind his usual tailored suits. There was no team of assistants, the executive bodyguards were at a distance not up close as usual. He stood near a wooden bench, his hands tucked deep into his pockets, his shoulders tight with an anxiety he hadn't felt in a decade.‎At 2:00 PM precisely a dark SUV pulled up to the garden entrance.‎Ethan's heart slammed against his ribs. Through the tinted glass he caught a glimpse of Ros

‎The presidential suite on the top floor of the coastal city's most exclusive hotel offered a full view of the ocean, but to Ethan Vance it was just another room he didn't want to be in. ‎He sat on the edge of the leather sofa, In front of him on the coffee table sat two things. A photograph of Rosalie and their son. And a file thick enough to hold five years of a life he had missed entirely. ‎Mark stood by the door, keeping quiet. He had served the Vance family for over a decade but he had never seen Ethan like this. He sat with his shoulders dropped, his hands loose in his lap. Nothing about him resembled the man who had once walked into rooms like he owned them, he had gone quiet in a way that had nothing to do with peace. ‎"Read it to me," Ethan's voice rasped into the silence, dry and worn. "Every detail of the last five years. Don't leave anything out." ‎Mark stepped forward, opening his laptop. "After leaving the hospital five years ago, Mrs. Vance" ‎"Rosalie," Ethan c

‎For five years, the Vance mansion felt less like an empire and more like an empty room nobody wanted to be in.‎Ethan Vance sat in his dimly lit office on the top floor of the Vance Group skyscraper, a glass of scotch resting untouched on the desk. He stared out at the city skyline and saw nothing. His face had forgotten how to feel anything. The grey strands of hair growing out was the visible sign of what was eating him alive.‎Five years ago the truth had shattered him. And the moment he found that crumpled pregnancy test in Rosalie's drawer he had torn the world apart in hope of making amends for his mistakes.‎He had spared no one. The morning after Rosalie vanished he stripped Eleanor of every card, every asset, every luxury tied to the Vance name and moved her to a modest apartment on the outskirts of the city, far from the circles she valued more than people. Chloe met a harsher fate. He exposed her scheme publicly, blacklisted her family from the business world and left her