Mag-log inFor five years of their contractual marriage, Serena couldn’t even catch a glimpse of her husband Alexander Vanderbilt who fled the country right after he signed the papers. She couldn’t even see him when his assistant came with divorce papers. Unbelievably, their first encounter unfolded as one night of intoxicated intimacy, with both failing to recognize one another. The next morning, she realized what had happened but when her husband still did not recognize her, she did not bother to inform him. Serena believed their paths would never cross again, only to discover that this was the commencement of their intertwined destinies. The next time Serena met with Xander, she used her middle name 'Ava' and her mother's maiden name 'Alvarez'. Recalling the virgin that had shared his bed the previous night, he almost mistook her as a prostitute until he saw her designs for his new house which, according to rumor, he bought for him and his soon-to-be bride and also his first love, Victoria. How ironic. Fate dictated otherwise and true love indeed saves the day as the more they interract, the more Xander started to feel something for Serena while Serena herself remain cool and composed, which only made him even more curious! If only he knows that she is still his wife...
view moreMorning light poured through the sheer curtains, painting delicate shadows across the elegant hotel suite. A faint trace of last night’s champagne clung to the air, mingling with the expensive cologne lingering on silk sheets.
Alexander Vanderbilt stood rigidly by the window, the skyline reflecting in his cold, unreadable gaze. His broad shoulders cut a stark silhouette against the pale dawn.
On the edge of the bed sat Serena, her beauty impossible to ignore despite the stiffness in her posture. Her hair fell in soft, disheveled waves over her bare shoulders as she fastened the final buttons of her blouse with trembling fingers.
Alexander’s voice broke the silence, cool and biting.
“I’ll compensate you generously,” he said, each word clipped and precise. “But don’t expect anything beyond that. Last night changes nothing.”Serena’s hands froze mid-motion. His words were like a blade slicing through the fragile illusion of calm she’d tried to maintain.
He had always been in control — never careless, never reckless. Even when drinking, he held himself apart from others, refusing to yield to temptation. But last night had been different.
Serena, drawing a shaky breath, struggled to hold herself together.
She had known, since the moment their engagement had been arranged, that Alexander resented her. That he’d never asked for a wife, much less one chosen by the family.
After what happened last night, how could she convince him she hadn’t orchestrated it? That she hadn’t schemed to steal even a piece of his heart?
Guilt and frustration tangled in her chest.
She parted her lips to speak — “Actually, I—” — but before the words could form, a sudden vibration shattered the stillness.
Alexander’s phone buzzed against the nightstand. He turned to glance at it, his jaw tightening as he answered, switching to speakerphone with an air of bored disdain.
A breeze drifted in through the cracked balcony doors, carrying the faint perfume of rain-soaked city streets. Beyond the glass, the skyline shimmered in quiet shades of blue and gray, the river slicing a pale ribbon through the morning haze.
A crisp, clinical voice came through the speaker.
“Mr. Vanderbilt, we’ve arrived at Miss Morales’s apartment. She’s not there. Should we deliver the divorce papers to her family instead?”Alexander’s fingertips tapped rhythmically against the window frame, perfectly steady.
Three years. That was how long he’d been bound to Serena Morales — a wife he barely knew, a marriage born from family debt and legacy.Grandfather had insisted: She’s smart, polite, educated. She saved my life once.
But what did that matter? The Morales family had been saved, and the debt was paid.
His tone was devoid of any warmth as he answered,
“Keep trying. If she refuses, involve her family.”Serena flinched. Her hands clenched around her phone, her throat tightening. Divorce papers?
A chime of messages interrupted her thoughts.
---Alfonso: Serena, did you leave early last night? Araminta asked if Alexander drank the wine.
Serena: Dad, didn’t you prepare it?
Alfonso: No, Araminta did. If you have time, visit Valentina at the hospital. She misses you.
---Araminta.
A surge of anger lit up Serena’s eyes. So it was her.
She clenched her jaw, steadying her voice before replying.
Serena: I’ll visit Valentina later. Tell her I miss her too.Her gaze drifted back to Alexander. He stood by the window in a loosely tied white robe, towering and unapproachable, every inch the Vanderbilt heir — powerful, cold, unyielding.
It was as if last night had never happened, as if her presence meant nothing.
Serena took a slow, steadying breath. It’s over, she thought. They would divorce soon. No reason to stay and suffer further humiliation.
Quietly, she gathered her things. There was no point in prolonging this moment, no point in trying to talk to a man who’d already sealed his heart away.
By the time Alexander ended the call, the suite had fallen eerily silent.
He turned, expecting to see her. Instead, there were only rumpled sheets, the lingering scent of champagne, and the faint imprint of a woman who had already vanished.
His expression darkened, frustration simmering beneath the stoic surface.
He ran a hand across his face, recalling last night through a haze of disbelief. If not for the stain on the sheets, I’d think it was a bad dream.
A sharp knock on the door broke his thoughts.
Jonathan Potter, his trusted assistant, stepped inside, crisp and composed. He carried a freshly pressed suit draped over one arm, his eyes briefly scanning the disordered room before saying nothing.
Alexander wordlessly entered the bathroom, letting the cold water of the shower wash away the night, but something continued to gnaw at him.
Serena — the way she had left without so much as a glance backward — unsettled him in a way he couldn’t explain.
He emerged dressed and sharp once more, every inch the formidable Vanderbilt. As he reached the door, a thought struck him, freezing him mid-step.
His voice was clipped and dangerous.
“Jonathan. Who was the woman who left this morning?”Jonathan stiffened, quickly understanding. “I’ll investigate immediately.”
Alexander’s lips curved in a humorless smirk. She thinks I’ll chase after her? That I’ll fall into her games?
He dismissed Jonathan with a wave of his hand.
“Forget it. She’ll come back.”And in that moment, standing alone in the hushed, immaculate suite, Alexander made a silent vow:
If she thought she could slip away without consequences, she was gravely mistaken.
---Across the city, Serena stepped out of a steaming shower, water still clinging to her skin in delicate rivulets. Wrapping herself in a towel, she felt a faint sting across her shoulders, as if her skin itself was trying to scrub away the ghosts of last night. But no amount of heat or soap could cleanse what had been burned into her memory.
Exhaustion pressed against her bones as she collapsed onto the bed, her damp hair leaving dark stains on the crisp white sheets. She closed her eyes, desperate for rest, but the night refused to release its grip.
It came back to her in relentless flashes.
The feel of Alexander’s hands on her body, rough yet achingly familiar.
The intensity that burned in his eyes, as if trying to consume her entirely. The way her own resolve had crumbled, pleasure overwhelming the pain until she was left gasping, lost in the moment.Serena’s hand curled around a fistful of bedsheets, a bitterness rising hot in her throat. It wasn’t simply the loss of her virginity that made her ache.
It was his voice, low and ragged, carried on shallow breaths.
The name he had whispered, like a brand seared into her soul."Victoria."
Victoria Laurent.
The woman who owned Alexander’s heart.
The woman for whom he was willing to cast Serena aside.Serena turned onto her side, her chest tightening as if a heavy stone had been laid on it. She had been his wife for three long years, yet in all that time, she had been nothing more than a polite, beautiful placeholder.
Sleep was a cruel stranger. After minutes of futile tossing, she gave up, reaching over to the nightstand. Pulling open the drawer, she took out two pristine marriage certificates. Their crisp edges caught the lamplight, the embossed seals still proud and official, like a mocking reminder.
She traced a trembling finger over the bold print: Alexander Vanderbilt.
For three years, she thought, I have been Mrs. Vanderbilt in name alone.
But last night had changed everything.
She let out a sharp breath, slammed the drawer shut, and stared at the ceiling.
Everything had changed — and there was no going back.
The night was thick with silence until the blinding glare of headlights sliced through the darkness, scattering shadows across the gravel path.Chiara’s eyes lit up instantly. Without hesitation, she sprinted toward the low-profile black Bentley Mulsanne that had just pulled up, its engine purring like a restrained beast.“Renzo!” she cried, throwing herself into his arms the moment he stepped out. Her perfume—light and sugary—mixed with the scent of the cool night air. “Why are you so late?”Renzo, tall and impeccably dressed in a charcoal coat, rested a hand on her head with a faint sigh. His tone carried that familiar blend of authority and affection. “I called you several times, Chiara, but you didn’t pick up. You know this trip takes two full days, and your health isn’t suited for it.”His rebuke was gentle but firm. It turned out Chiara had ignored his calls on purpose, throwing one of her little tantrums—she knew Renzo would worry and eventually come after her. And indeed, he h
When Alexander entered the grand hall, the low murmur of voices died down almost immediately. Over twenty people were already seated around the long mahogany table, the air carrying the scent of wood polish and freshly brewed coffee. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation—an undercurrent of excitement laced with tension.Alexander strode to the head of the table, his posture sharp, his expression coolly composed. In his hands was a large, meticulously folded map. He spread it out across the table, its creases catching the light of the chandelier overhead.“Here,” he said, his deep voice carrying through the room. “This section marks our main route. These two points”—he tapped the paper with a gloved finger—“hold our reserve supplies and medical kits. They’re hidden outposts. If anyone gets hurt, those are your safe zones.”Everyone leaned in, studying the topography. The crackle of paper and the scrape of chairs were the only sounds that followed his words.In the front row sat Chiar
Serena was about to turn away when she saw Blizzard’s massive frame barrel straight into Chiara.The collision made a sharp thud—Chiara, already frail and pale from her health, staggered back several steps, clutching at her chest for balance.Serena froze, caught between irritation and disbelief. Seriously? Blizzard had been Chiara’s pet for weeks—how could he still be this unruly?Then she remembered who Blizzard truly was: a proud, temperamental dog who recognized only one master—Alexander Vanderbilt. Everyone else, in his cold canine eyes, was merely an inconvenience. Besides, Blizzard probably still remembered Alexander’s anger from the night before.Chiara’s expression hardened. Her delicate fingers curled into a tight fist by her side. It took all her self-control not to snap at Serena then and there. Patience, she reminded herself. They would be living under the same roof for the next few days—there would be plenty of time to get even.As Serena led Blizzard past the group, she
Serena never expected Alexander to be so dead set on bringing Snowball back.Snowball, for all its fluff and innocent looks, had a temperament eerily similar to its owner—bossy, proud, and utterly unimpressed by strangers. Yet, the moment Alexander appeared, the dog became obedient, almost reverent.After retrieving the runaway pet, the two of them returned to Le Châteauesque Manor, where the late afternoon light slanted through the tall windows, dust motes floating like gold in the air.Still simmering with irritation, Alexander gave Snowball a firm smack on its rear. “You’d follow anyone, huh? Why do I even bother feeding you?”Serena was lounging nearby on the velvet sofa, a fruit platter arranged by Aunt Torres sitting beside her. She popped a grape into her mouth, watching Alexander scold the dog, and for a moment, couldn’t help but picture him doing the exact same thing to their future child—stern voice, furrowed brow, but secretly soft underneath it all. The thought made her ch












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