LOGINLate into the night, Ava dreamed...It was not the sort of dream that came in fragments, nor one that faded upon waking. No—this one unfolded with unsettling clarity, as though memory itself had decided to return, dressed in silk and candlelight.She was younger.Far younger.Barely more than a girl.The grand Vanderbilt estate shimmered around her, ablaze with golden light and music. That night—the night she had saved the formidable patriarch, Mr. Cornelius Vanderbilt—had altered the course of everything that followed.And in reward, she had been invited to the ball.She remembered the first moment she saw him.Alexander.Standing beneath the chandeliers, tall and self-assured, yet with something unguarded lingering beneath his composure. Their eyes had met only briefly before he crossed the floor and asked for her hand.And then—They danced.From the very first note to the final fading chord of the evening.Not once did they tire.Not once did they falter.It was as though they had
The moment the lift doors parted, Ava recognised the familiar corridor and could have wept—whether from relief or sheer exhaustion, she could not quite tell.They had arrived at her building.She twisted in Alexander’s arms at once, intent on freeing herself, but his hold only tightened.“If you keep moving,” he murmured against her ear, his voice low and dangerously even, “I’ll take you again.”The threat was quiet—far too quiet—and therefore entirely believable.Ava stilled.She bit the inside of her cheek, then deliberately relaxed against him, allowing her weight to settle against his chest. It was not surrender—it was strategy. A sensible woman, after all, did not choose to fight a battle she was certain to lose, particularly while injured and at a disadvantage.And Alexander Vanderbilt, infuriatingly, always did exactly as he said he would.By the time she had finished that thought, he had already carried her into the lift.Finn followed with a discreet efficiency, gesturing for
It took nine neat stitches to close the wound.After cutting the final thread, the doctor carefully dressed Ava’s leg, wrapping it in clean bandages with practiced efficiency. He then straightened and began listing the necessary precautions in a measured tone.“Try not to put strain on the wound. Keep it dry. Return immediately if there is any sign of infection—swelling, redness, fever…”“Does she need to be hospitalized?” Alexander interrupted, his brows still drawn tight.The doctor shook his head with a reassuring smile. “It’s only a superficial injury. There’s no need for admission. I’ll prescribe some anti-inflammatory medication.”Alexander did not look entirely satisfied.“What about anything else?”“Anything else?” The doctor paused, running quickly through his mental checklist. Finding nothing lacking, he added, “Diet-wise, she should keep things light. More vitamins, more protein—it will help the wound heal faster.”Alexander gave a short nod. “Add an extra box of ointment.”
It took nine neat stitches to close the wound.After cutting the final thread, the doctor carefully dressed Ava’s leg, wrapping it in clean bandages with practiced efficiency. He then straightened and began listing the necessary precautions in a measured tone.“Try not to put strain on the wound. Keep it dry. Return immediately if there is any sign of infection—swelling, redness, fever…”“Does she need to be hospitalized?” Alexander interrupted, his brows still drawn tight.The doctor shook his head with a reassuring smile. “It’s only a superficial injury. There’s no need for admission. I’ll prescribe some anti-inflammatory medication.”Alexander did not look entirely satisfied.“What about anything else?”“Anything else?” The doctor paused, running quickly through his mental checklist. Finding nothing lacking, he added, “Diet-wise, she should keep things light. More vitamins, more protein—it will help the wound heal faster.”Alexander gave a short nod. “Add an extra box of ointment.”
“Someone get in here!” There was no response.Alexander’s shout echoed down the corridor, unanswered.Earlier, when he had brought Ava into the suite, he had ordered everyone to clear off. His bodyguards were not the sort to question instructions, and the moment the door had closed behind them, they had all withdrawn to the far ends of the hallway.Too far.“Damn it!”Swearing under his breath, Alexander bent and scooped Ava into his arms, preparing to rush for the door.“Let go!”Ava pushed against his shoulder and slipped from his grasp, landing lightly on one foot. Her injured leg hovered carefully above the carpet as she steadied herself.Her eyes flicked over him from head to toe.“Go put some clothes on.”Only then did Alexander realize the situation he was in.Earlier, he had been wrapped in nothing but a blanket—and now that blanket was tightly bound around Ava’s bleeding leg.Which meant he was currently standing there with absolutely nothing covering his upper body.Running
“Alexander, I hate you!” The words burst from Ava’s lips, raw with anger. Her hand still gripped the pen, trembling, yet before she could thrust it forward again, Alexander calmly caught her wrist and lifted it aside. His other hand rose slowly, almost gently, and cradled her face.He leaned closer.Ava bit her lower lip and turned her head sharply away.He did not force her to face him. Instead, his lips brushed lightly against the curve of her cheek… then her earlobe. Soft. Deliberate.“I will never forgive you!” she snapped.Her head whipped back toward him, her dark eyes blazing.Alexander met that fury without flinching. “I don’t want your forgiveness.” His thumb moved slowly across her cheek, pushing aside the loose strands of hair clinging to her face. His voice had dropped low—hoarse, but steady. “I only want you.”Something in those words snapped the fragile restraint she had been clinging to.Ava lunged forward. Her teeth sank hard into his shoulder. Not a playful nip, not a
The neon glow of Broadway Bar painted everything in shades of gold and violet, the low thrum of jazz spilling from hidden speakers as laughter rippled through the haze of whiskey and cigar smoke. When Alexander Vanderbilt stepped inside, the energy shifted—heads turned instinctively. He had that co
After Wes left the E.A. office building, his agent, Gavin Conti, was already waiting by the curb, his phone pressed to his ear and a coffee in the other hand. The moment he spotted Wes, he ended the call and walked over briskly.“Wes, the next shoot’s in half an hour,” Gavin said, his tone carrying
Deep beneath the earth, over a hundred miles from New York City, a secret laboratory pulsed with the faint hum of servers and fluorescent lights. The air smelled of metal and ozone, cold enough to make breath visible in thin, ghostly wisps.Marken’s alter ego sat hunched before a bank of glowing mo
The conference room was dimly lit, the heavy curtains drawn against the late afternoon light spilling in from the windows. The faint hum of the city outside was muted, replaced by the low murmur of men in tailored suits and the clinking of coffee cups against porcelain saucers.Alexander s







