MasukDear Gentle Readers , Apologies for the duplicated paragraph... please enjoy this chapter free of charge*********The clatter of dishes echoed softly through the kitchen as Serena scraped the last bit of food into the trash. The faint hum of the refrigerator filled the quiet apartment. After a long evening, the air still smelled faintly of roasted garlic and red wine.She rinsed her hands, squirted detergent into her palm, and began to scrub a plate. The warm water and the steady rhythm of cleaning calmed her thoughts—until she suddenly felt strong arms slide around her waist.Alexander.His touch was firm, possessive, the heat of his body seeping through her thin blouse. She stiffened in surprise; he had barely spoken a word all through dinner—just a few short, gruff replies. Now, without warning, he was pressing against her, his breath grazing her neck.Before she could turn, his lips were already on hers.“Wait—” Serena managed, half-laughing, half-protesting. “I’ve got soap on m
The day had stretched into eternity for Serena. She hadn’t really stopped working since the night before—barely catching two hours of restless sleep before dragging herself back to the office at dawn. By five in the morning, the sky was still painted in pale gray when she unlocked the doors of E.A. Studios, coffee in hand, ready to dive back into the chaos.Though the company was running smoother now, it was still in its infancy. Taking over a huge portion of Ruiz Star Entertainment’s operations had doubled everyone’s workload. The hallways buzzed with life at all hours—phones ringing, printers humming, assistants darting between offices clutching folders.And at the center of it all was Serena—sharp, steady, and exhausted.She’d spent the entire day bouncing between meetings, reviewing budgets, editing marketing pitches, and reading through endless contracts. Every small decision—every casting approval, every sponsorship deal—passed through her hands.By evening, her vision blurred f
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 monitors, his reflection fractured across a dozen flickering screens. Lines of code streamed past like a waterfall of encrypted language—Marken’s brilliance, now out of his reach.Frustration twisted across his face as he slammed a hand against the steel desk, the echo ricocheting through the empty chamber.“Damn it, Marken!” he snarled. “You have to help me!”He wasn’t Marken. Not really. He didn’t have Marken’s precision, his genius, his maddening calm. Marken had been a prodigy—collaborating with the best scientific minds before he was old enough to drive. And now this imposter, this fragment of him, was left fumbling through the pieces of a mind not entirely his own.The alter ego clenched
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 commanding presence that didn’t need to shout to be noticed.At the corner booth, Hugo was already two drinks in, lounging with his sleeves rolled up and his grin sharp. He lifted his glass lazily when Alexander approached.“So,” Hugo drawled, eyes gleaming with mischief, “did you ask Serena why she spent two nights at that hotel? Don’t tell me she was catching up with her first love?”Alexander shot him a look colder than the ice melting in his glass. He brushed past and muttered flatly, “Stop talking crap about her.”The bite in his tone silenced Hugo for half a second. He watched Alexander sit, then let out a low whistle. Before everyone knew that Ava and Serena were the same person, Alexan
Lucca froze mid-step when he saw them—Alexander and Serena—walking in hand in hand. The sight hit him like a slap. His stomach twisted with a mix of jealousy and bitterness he didn’t want to acknowledge. For a split second, he thought about turning around and leaving altogether.His expression darkened instantly, the corners of his mouth tightening as his gaze locked on Alexander.Alexander, however, looked perfectly composed. He moved with effortless grace as he guided Serena to her seat. After sitting down, he handed her the menu, his tone calm and natural, as though the tension in the air didn’t exist.“Serena, what would you like to eat?”She shook her head lightly. “You order. I’m fine with whatever.”Without hesitation, Alexander waved the waiter over and ordered a couple’s set meal.When the menu returned to the table, Alexander casually turned his head toward Lucca, his voice slow and pointed. “I just ordered a couple’s set. Everything comes in pairs, so there’s nothing left f
Dear Gentle Readers , before you proceed to read the rest of this chapter , ler us play a game. Guess who said that line : That never stopped me from wanting you. & write your guess on the comment section. No cheating & deleting wrong answers please. Per favore this is just for fun. Grazie a mille. *********The lights of E.A. Corporation glowed late into the evening, the hum of computers and quiet tapping of keyboards echoing through the upper floors. Serena was still at her desk, shoulders squared and eyes fixed on the glowing spreadsheets before her.For weeks, she’d been living in this rhythm — long nights, cold coffee, and the faint buzz of fluorescent light. Ruiz Star Entertainment had been in turmoil lately, firing executives in waves as the media feasted on their downfall. But the government had yet to step in.That didn’t bother Serena. The damage was done. Ruiz Star had lost credibility, and every company that once courted them now turned eagerly toward E.A. Corporation. The







