Se connecter
Apex Bloom
Dernière mise à jour : 2026-03-12
18
Share:
Report
I stood on the pavement outside the townhouse that had been my sanctuary for ten years, watching the removal men haul out my life. Beside me, Lyle didn't even have the decency to look guilty. "It’s just business, Lolly," he’d said an hour ago, dropping the divorce papers onto the marble kitchen island. "You were a beautiful asset. But assets fucking depreciate." Now, I was a 'no one'. No money, no keys, and my reputation dragged through the mud. I stared up at the window of my bedroom. Krista – my ex best friend – was up there right now.. I turned. A man leaned against the frame of a waiting black saloon car. He didn't look like a bloody saviour. He looked like the devil, and right now, the devil was exactly what I needed. "I'm Franco," he murmured. "And I think Lyle just made the biggest mistake of his pathetic life. He thinks he broke you. I think he just let you off the leash." The heat radiating off his body was a phenomenal. I had just lost my husband, but standing this close to Franco, the only thing I felt was a sudden, violent ache. He held out an invitation. The Apex Bloom. A survival game for the elite. The prize is a billion pounds. But it doesn't reward beauty. It rewards the hunger of a woman who has nothing left to lose." A sharp shock shot through me, and I let out a soft gasp. He stepped half an inch closer, his thigh brushing against mine. He knew what that touch did to me. He wanted it just as much as I did. "Rule one," Franco whispered. "In my arena, the only way to bloom is to bleed. Are you ready?"
Voir plusChapitre 1
Prologue
Prologue: The Depreciating Asset
The rain in Mayfair didn't wash anything clean. It just made the dirt slick.
I stood on the pavement outside the townhouse that had been my sanctuary for ten years, watching the removal men haul out my life. Beside me, Lyle didn't even have the decency to look guilty. He casually adjusted his gold cufflinks – the ones I had bought him for our anniversary.
"It’s just business, Lolly," he’d said an hour ago, dropping the divorce papers onto the marble kitchen island. "You were a beautiful asset. But assets fucking depreciate."
Now, I was a 'no one'. No money, no keys, and my reputation dragged through the shite of his public fraud. I stared up at the glowing window of the master bedroom. Krista – the woman I used to call my best friend – was up there right now, drinking my vintage Bollinger.
"You’re trembling," a voice rasped from the shadows.
I turned. A man leaned against the frame of a waiting black saloon car. He didn't look like a bloody saviour. He looked like the devil, and right now, the devil was exactly what I needed.
"I’m not cold," I snapped, my jaw tight. "I’m shedding."
He laughed – a dark, low sound that vibrated in my chest. He stepped into the glow of the streetlamp, and my breath hitched. He was dressed in a dark, tactical suit, but it was his eyes that pinned me in place. They swept over me, stripping away the polite veneer of the society wife and seeing straight through to the feral, starving woman underneath.
He didn't politely keep his distance. He stepped right into my space, backing me slightly against the wrought iron fence of my old home. He was so close I could smell expensive tobacco, rain, and a raw, heavy musk that made my pulse hammer in my throat.
"I'm Franco," he murmured, his gaze dropping to my mouth. "And I think Lyle just made the biggest mistake of his pathetic life. He thinks he broke you. I think he just let you off the leash."
The heat radiating off his body was a physical weight. I had just lost my husband, but standing this close to Franco, the only thing I felt was a sudden, violent ache between my thighs.
He held out a heavy, matte black invitation. "The Apex Bloom. It's a survival game for the elite. The prize is a billion pounds. But it doesn't reward beauty, Lolita. It rewards the hunger of a woman who has nothing left to lose."
I looked at the card, then back up into his dark, hungry eyes. I reached out to take it. As I did, I intentionally let my fingers brush against his calloused palm.
A sharp, electric shock shot through me, and I let out a soft gasp. Franco’s eyes dilated instantly. He stepped half an inch closer, his thigh brushing against mine. He knew exactly what that touch did to me. He wanted it just as much as I did.
"Rule one," Franco whispered, leaning down until his lips almost brushed the shell of my ear, his breath hot against my wet skin. "In my arena, the only way to bloom is to bleed. Are you ready to get your hands filthy?"
I looked back at the house, feeling the last shattered illusion of my past grind into dust under my heel. I didn't want to wallow. I wanted to burn it all to the ground.
I slipped the invitation into my coat pocket and looked back up at the man who was offering me a kingdom.
"Tell me where we're going," I said.
Latest chapter
Apex Bloom Epilogue: Vows in the Shadows
The private chapel was tucked away on the grounds of a sprawling, centuries-old estate in the Cotswolds, hidden completely from the prying eyes of the world. It was a crisp, perfect autumn afternoon, the ancient stonework of the building draped in vibrant ivy that had turned a brilliant, fiery red. Inside, the air was thick with the sweet, heady scent of white lilies and the warm, golden glow of hundreds of flickering candles.I stood in the arched doorway, my heart beating a frantic, joyful rhythm against my ribs. I wore a bespoke gown of heavy ivory silk that clung perfectly to my curves, devoid of excessive lace or jewels – it was elegant, ruthless, and felt entirely like armour of a different sort. A sheer, cathedral-length veil trailed behind me on the ancient flagstones, softening the sharp edges I usually presented to the world.At the end of the aisle stood Franco.He was breathtaking. Dressed in a sharply tailored, midnight-blue tuxedo that highlighted the broad, powerful line
Dernière mise à jour : 2026-03-12Apex Bloom An Electric Sunset
The penthouse was alive with a pulsing, vibrant energy that stood in stark contrast to the sterile quiet of the boardroom. The sprawling, open-plan living space had been transformed into a private sanctuary for the people who mattered most – the inner circle who had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us through the fire. Low, rhythmic jazz poured from the bespoke sound system, mingling with the rich sounds of laughter and the clinking of heavy crystal.I stood alone on the sweeping balcony, the cool evening air carrying the faint, metallic scent of impending rain. The city lights glittered below us like scattered diamonds on black velvet. It was a kingdom finally at peace, and for the first time in months, I could breathe without my lungs burning. I wrapped my arms around myself, savouring the rare taste of absolute victory.The sliding glass door hushed open, and Franco stepped out into the night. He handed me a tall glass, and I could feel how cold it was instantly – he had packed it d
Dernière mise à jour : 2026-03-12Apex Bloom The Shadow of the Syndicate
The heavy oak doors of the boardroom clicked shut, sealing away the murmurs of the outside world and leaving behind a silence that felt heavier than lead. I remained seated at the head of the long mahogany table, my fingertips lightly tracing the rim of my crystal tumbler. The dust had finally settled. The war that had threatened to tear our empire apart from the inside out was over. We had emerged not just as survivors, but as the undisputed rulers of the city’s underworld.Franco stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, his silhouette stark against the grey, sprawling skyline of London. He didn't speak, but his presence was a grounding force – a steady, unbreakable anchor that had kept me from drifting into the abyss over the past brutal months. The rival factions had been dismantled, their territories absorbed, and those who had dared to stand against us were either buried or brought to heel. It was a victory bought with blood, and the cost still weighed heavily on my shoulders.‘It’
Dernière mise à jour : 2026-03-12Apex Bloom The Canary Wharf Trap - Lolita's POV
The London rain was a cold, unforgiving sheet of grey, washing the sprawling glass towers of Canary Wharf in a dreary, metallic light. It was the exact kind of miserable morning that usually made the city’s financial elite huddle in the back of their chauffeured cars.But as our convoy of black Range Rovers pulled up smoothly to the loading bay of the LL Holdings skyscraper, I didn't feel the cold. I felt only a burning, magnificent anticipation.Inside the sleek, leather – lined interior of the lead vehicle, I adjusted the collar of my bespoke black trench coat. Franco sat beside me, meticulously checking the magazine of his suppressed tactical pistol before sliding it back into his shoulder holster."Floor forty – five is entirely secure, Majesty," Sloane’s voice crackled softly over the encrypted earpiece I wore. "Jessica and I have neutralised the private security detail. The cameras are looping. The boardroom is isolated.""Excellent work, Sloane," I murmured, my lips curving int
Dernière mise à jour : 2026-03-12Apex Bloom The Queen's Kryptonite
The heavy doors of the Rolls – Royce Phantom clicked shut, severing us from the flashing bulbs of the paparazzi and the pathetic, lingering image of Lyle grovelling on the marble floor.The privacy partition glided up instantly. We were entirely alone in the dim, quiet cavern of the back seat.The a
Apex Bloom The Cathederal of Rust
The central drainage cavern at the bottom of the Abyss was a subterranean cathedral of rust built for slaughter. Massive concrete pillars rose a hundred feet into the dark, supporting the crushing weight of the island. The floor was a shallow basin of freezing, waist – deep seawater. It cascaded c
Apex Bloom The Queen Of The Dirt
The fight devolved into a chaotic, visceral brawl. It was a tangle of sweaty limbs and the wet sound of flesh hitting flesh. Sloane managed to sweep my legs, sending us both crashing to the dirt. She scrambled to gain the mount, her heavier frame pinning me down.Her hands locked around my throat."
Apex Bloom The Crucible of Flesh
The morning after the Echo Chamber felt like a hangover that had settled deep into the bones of the island. The air in the Glass Conservatory was thick and charged with a dangerous, unspoken resentment.I sat at the head of the long mahogany dining table, sipping a cup of black coffee. I wore a simp
To Readers
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
commentaires