MasukAlice Cole spent her entire life building herself from nothing. As an orphan with no family name or fortune, she relied on her intelligence to survive and eventually became the hidden force behind her husband Jason Cole’s billion-dollar empire. She helped him rise from an ambitious businessman into a powerful CEO. But after Jason gained everything he wanted, he betrayed her. On their anniversary, Jason gave Alice a beautiful blue diamond necklace and claimed it was a priceless luxury gift. But Alice soon discovered the truth: the necklace was fake, and the real diamond was given to his mistress, Vivian Laurent. Heartbroken, Alice decides to divorce him. But before she can throw away the fake necklace, it suddenly activates. Inside the pendant is a hidden secret that reveals a terrifying vision of the future: a deadly virus, collapsing cities, and humans turning into monsters. The zombie apocalypse will begin in 60 days. Desperate for answers, Alice is pulled back into the world of Tate Harlan, the cold billionaire heir she once knew from the Harlan Foundation. But Tate is no ordinary businessman. He is the leader of H Project, a secret organization preparing for the end of the world. As civilization falls and the dead rise, Alice must uncover the truth behind the necklace, survive the apocalypse, and face the people who underestimated her.
Lihat lebih banyakAlice Cole had never cared about jewelry. At least, that was what she always told herself.
After years of marriage to Jason Cole, one of the richest men in the country, she had received countless luxury gifts. Expensive watches. Designer handbags. Rare collections other women could only dream of. Yet none of them mattered as much as the meaning behind the gift. That was why the necklace Jason gave her on their anniversary made her heart soften. It was not just another expensive item. Jason stood in front of cameras, holding a black velvet box, and told the world that Alice was the woman who had stayed beside him before his success. The media loved the story. The billionaire CEO who never forgot the woman who supported him when he had nothing. Alice wanted to believe it too. She wanted to believe Jason still remembered the nights she stayed awake helping him build his first company. The days when no one believed in him except her. Maybe the necklace was his way of saying he had never forgotten. Two days later, that illusion shattered. Alice was having lunch with her best friend, Clara, when Clara suddenly grabbed her wrist. “Wait.” Alice frowned. “What?” Clara stared at the necklace around her neck. Her expression shifted from curiosity to disbelief. “Where did you get this?” “Jason gave it to me.” Clara looked at her carefully. “Honey, do you know what you’re wearing?” Alice laughed softly. “Apparently, a very expensive necklace.” Clara didn’t laugh. She pulled out her phone and searched for something. A few seconds later, she turned the screen toward Alice. A breathtaking blue diamond appeared. “The Celestia Blue Diamond.” Alice stared at the image. The diamond looked almost identical to the one around her neck. Clara lowered her voice. “This diamond isn’t just expensive. It’s almost impossible to own. Sixty million dollars.” Alice’s fingers touched the necklace without thinking. “Sixty million?” “There are only three Celestia Blue Diamonds in existence. Each one was privately commissioned and tracked by international jewel collectors.” Clara scrolled. “The first belongs to Isabella Moretti, the actress. The second belongs to Princess Elena Valmont.” She stopped. Alice noticed. “What’s wrong?” Clara hesitated. “The third belongs to Vivian Laurent.” The name hit Alice harder than she expected. Vivian Laurent. Everyone in business circles knew her. Beautiful, elegant, and much younger than Alice. The daughter of one of the most powerful families in the country. And recently, she had been rumored to be close to Jason. Alice forced a smile. “That’s impossible.” Clara looked uncomfortable. “Babe...” “No.” Alice shook her head. “Jason bought this for me.” But memories began surfacing. Jason becoming increasingly busy. Guarding his phone. Leaving business dinners early. Getting irritated whenever she mentioned Vivian and Vivian’s smile whenever they met. Alice had always thought it was politeness. Now she wondered if it had been a smirk. “Damn.” Alice slowly removed the necklace. Her hands were shaking. “Let’s go to a jewelry shop.” Clara blinked. “What?” “I’m checking if this is real.” The jeweler carefully examined the necklace, inspecting the gemstone, the setting, and the craftsmanship. It took less than thirty minutes. When he finally looked up, his expression had changed. Alice immediately knew something was wrong. “I’m sorry, ma’am.” Her heart sank. “The necklace is fake.” Alice stared at him. “What?” “It’s a very sophisticated imitation. The craftsmanship is excellent, but the diamond isn’t genuine.” The words echoed in her head. Fake. Not priceless, not rare, not the Celestia Blue Diamond. A carefully crafted imitation. A beautiful lie. Alice stared at the necklace resting on velvet. Her fingers trembled as she reached for it. A sharp pain spread through her chest. She had believed Jason. Defended him, supported him, and spent years helping him build an empire. And the one thing he gave her as a symbol of their marriage was fake. Tears blurred her vision. Clara watched silently, her heart aching. Alice quickly wiped her tears. She refused to break down in front of anyone. But beneath the sadness, anger began to burn. If Jason had lied about the necklace, what else had he lied about? She clenched the fake diamond in her hand. “Let’s go home.” The entire drive passed in a blur. City lights moved outside the car window, distant and unfamiliar. For years, Alice had believed she was building a future with Jason. Now she wondered if she had only been building a dream that belonged to him. When she finally entered the mansion, the silence felt suffocating. The house that once represented love and success suddenly felt like a stranger’s home. Alice walked upstairs, holding the necklace. Under the light, the blue diamond still looked flawless. Just like Jason’s lies. A tear slipped down her cheek. Jason Cole was worth billions. He could buy anything. Yet the woman who had stood beside him before he became successful received a fake diamond. While another woman had the real one. The humiliation burned deeper than the anger. Because Alice finally understood the cruelest part. Jason hadn’t simply betrayed her. He had replaced her. The fake Celestia Blue Diamond felt heavier than it should have. Just like the marriage she once believed was real. Alice had spent years convincing herself that Jason’s success was their success. Now she wondered if their entire relationship had been an illusion. Maybe their marriage had been fake long before the necklace ever was. Her fingers tightened around the pendant. She had given Jason her loyalty. Her trust, her entire heart, and in return, he had given her a counterfeit. Slowly, Alice wiped away her tears. The sadness in her eyes disappeared. Something colder took its place. Determination. For years, she had protected Jason’s image. Defended him whenever people doubted him. Stayed silent whenever others underestimated her contribution. But she was done. Done protecting a man who had already let her go. Alice picked up the necklace and stood. She walked toward the door, intending to throw it away and leave behind the final piece of a marriage built on lies. But before the necklace left her hand, it changed. A faint blue light escaped from the diamond. Alice froze. “What...” The gemstone began glowing brighter. Light spread across the room, casting blue shadows over the walls. Alice slowly opened her palm. The fake diamond was no longer behaving like an ordinary gemstone. Symbols began appearing inside it. Then a final message emerged. GLOBAL COLLAPSE. Alice’s breath caught. Another line appeared beneath it. 60 DAYS REMAINING.Alice couldn't sleep that night. Even after returning home, her mind kept going back to her brief conversation with Jade on the terrace of the Black estate. [“Tomorrow. Midnight. The old foundation archives. Come alone.”] The words kept replaying in her head. Alice sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her fingers slowly touched the pendant hanging around her neck. Sixty days, the outbreak. Jade’s mother’s thesis and now Jade. Everything seemed like pieces of a puzzle slowly falling into place. Yet the more pieces she found, the greater her fear became. Alice was about to lie down when she heard footsteps outside her room. She immediately turned off the light. The door wasn't completely closed. Jason's voice came from the hallway. “Mom, I already told you. Don't get involved too much.” Alice held her breath. Evelyn's voice was quieter. “I just want to make sure she didn't tell Jade anything.” “She?” “Who else?” Alice tensed. Jason was si
“Jade, I didn’t realize you still had my number,” Alice said quietly, glancing toward the living room where everyone was preparing for the banquet. “I keep things as memories. Old numbers, old messages, old mistakes…” Jade paused. “My personal museum of poor judgment.”Alice smiled faintly. “We were classmates. We were supposed to stay in touch.”“Classmates?” Jade’s voice was dry. “That’s a convenient way to describe six years of knowing someone.”Alice gave a quiet laugh. “You were never good at letting things go.”“No. You were.”The smile left Alice’s face. There it was: Jade, cool and unreadable, never revealing more than he meant to. Even in college he could sit through an entire conversation with that same expression while Alice filled every silence. Somehow it worked.Alice had gotten into university on a Black Family Foundation scholarship. Jade had been born to inherit the foundation itself. But between them the difference never mattered. If anything, Jade made sure it neve
"Holy Jesus! Alice, what are you talking about?" Jason shot up from the edge of the bed, his composure finally cracking. He had never expected his sweet-obedient wife to say something so direct, especially not in that cold, unwavering tone. "You heard me, Jason. I want the truth." "No! Uh... why would I do that?!" The answer came too quickly, almost tripping over itself. The sharpness in Jason's voice was followed by a brief hesitation and Alice caught it immediately. She had known him for years. She knew when he was angry, when he was nervous, and when he was lying. This was all three. "Then look at me and say it again." Jason's eyes flickered toward hers, but only for a second. "I don't know what you're trying to imply." "You know exactly what I'm implying." Alice pointed at the faint lipstick stain on his collar. Jason face flushed. He quickly covered the mark with his hand, but the movement only made. Alice's suspicion stronger."You hit your head and started imagining thi
Alice woke to someone calling her name. "Mrs. Cole? Mrs. Cole, can you hear me?" Her eyelids felt unbearably heavy. She tried to move, but a sharp ache pulsed through the back of her head. For several seconds, she could only hear the faint clatter of porcelain and the frightened voice hovering somewhere beside her. "Mrs. Cole, please wake up." Alice finally opened her eyes. The familiar ceiling of her bedroom came into focus, followed by the worried face of Maria, one of the senior maids in the Cole mansion. The woman was kneeling beside the bed, one handpressed against her own chest. "Thank God," Maria whispered. "I thought you had fainted again."Alice stared at her. "How long was I unconscious?" "I'm not sure, ma'am. This was the first time I came in. I was about to bring you breakfast when I found you lying on the floor." Maria reached for the glass of water on the bedside table. "Please, drink this." Alice pushed herself upright and accepted it with trembling fingers. T






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