Serena had no choice but to call Aunt Torres and inform her that Rex had been found. The older woman, who had been worrying all day, let out a long sigh of relief.“Thank goodness,” Aunt Torres murmured. “Miss Morales, next time I’ll keep a closer eye on him. I can’t believe he ran off like that.”Serena smiled gently as she placed Rex in the passenger seat and headed back to Le Châteauesque Manor. “It’s alright, Aunt Torres. Just remember to keep the gate at the front tightly closed. Rex is too lively for his own good.”“I’ll be sure of it,” Aunt Torres promised, patting Rex’s head affectionately as he wagged his tail.Although the incident had been resolved, Serena’s thoughts were elsewhere. Tomorrow was the anniversary of her mother’s death—a day she dreaded yet never failed to observe. She packed some clothes, purchased a few gifts for her aunt and uncle, and prepared to visit her hometown.In the evening, Serena turned her attention to her work. She revised the plans several time
Back in the reception room, Alexander leaned against the couch, raising a hand to rub his temple. The night had been taxing. The local business leaders, though well-meaning, had presented an endless stream of outdated ideas, their enthusiasm dimmed by decades of stagnation. Their desire to uplift Bronx County was admirable, but the conversation had been circular, leaving him feeling drained.Jonathan, noticing the faint crease in Alexander’s brow, stepped forward. “Sir, would you like me to have them prepare some sober-up soup for you?”Alexander loosened his tie, unbuttoning the top button of his crisp white shirt. The alcohol from the evening lingered faintly on his breath, and he exhaled, his usually sharp gaze slightly dulled by fatigue. “No need,” he said tersely, waving off the suggestion. “I’ll go out for a walk. The air here is fresher than in the city.”Jonathan hesitated before nodding. “The air quality is certainly one of Bronx County’s selling points. Maybe that’s why the
This wasn’t the first time Alexander had asked this question. The last time, Serena had stared at his hand in disbelief, her honesty catching him off guard.Serena nodded this time, her voice matter-of-fact. “Yes. Although, to be precise, it’s very well drawn. What can I say, I’m an artist.”Alexander chuckled softly, a rare glimmer of amusement crossing his face. Her forthrightness was oddly refreshing, yet her unfiltered behavior left him slightly wary. She was, after all, a married woman. Such candidness felt misplaced, bordering on inappropriate.Without another word, Alexander quickly retrieved a fresh shirt, slipping it on with his usual measured movements. His tone turned dismissive. “Still not going?”Serena snapped out of her thoughts, realizing she was still standing there. She nodded quickly and grabbed her belongings. “Of course. Goodnight, Mr. Vanderbilt. Get some rest.”Alexander watched her retreating figure, not bothering to question why she was even here. The chance e
The atmosphere carried a faint ambiguity as Ava gripped her paintbrush, warmth slowly creeping up her body. The night had softened into a serene stillness, yet the air between them felt charged, as if unspoken words hung heavier than the strokes on her canvas.Behind her, Ava heard faint footsteps. A wave of heat followed close, and her body instinctively stiffened. She didn’t dare turn her head, but her breath hitched when she felt Alexander brush past her, his presence impossible to ignore.He leaned slightly forward, reaching for another paintbrush. In that fleeting moment, his chest lightly grazed her back—a touch so brief it could have been accidental. Yet the warmth of it lingered, seeping through their clothes like a whisper of fire against her skin.Ava froze, the paintbrush trembling faintly in her hand. She watched from the corner of her eye as Alexander dipped the brush into her carefully mixed palette and, with surprising ease, added a few deliberate strokes to her painting
When Alexander heard the voice outside the car, he frowned and looked up from the stack of documents on his lap. Sure enough, Ava Alvarez stood outside the car, her smile calm but undeniably charming. The bright sunlight of Charleston framed her figure, her eyes glinting like molten amber against the backdrop of the idyllic scenery.Alexander’s grip on the papers tightened. It felt like fate—or perhaps a twisted joke—that no matter where he went, Ava seemed to appear.Ava, however, seemed oblivious to the tension. Knocking lightly on the window again, she asked, “Mr. Vanderbilt, may I come in?”Alexander dropped his gaze back to his papers, masking his expression with his usual stoicism. “Come in,” he said with deliberate calm.Ava opened the car door and slid in. The wave of heat that accompanied her entry was tangible, the noon sun outside blazing fiercely. Along with the warmth came the faint fragrance she always carried—something floral yet subtle.Marco, standing outside, let out
Alexander only glanced at the thug, his expression unreadable, before twisting the man's wrist with calculated ease and tossing him aside like a discarded toy. The thug staggered, clutching his arm and groaning in pain as security personnel arrived and swiftly dragged him away.Ava, who had been holding back her rising frustration, released Tania’s wrist. Tania, clearly enraged, opened her mouth to lash out, but the sight of the approaching security made her begrudgingly hold her tongue. Gritting her teeth, she spat out, "Just you wait! I’ll deal with you later!"Ava, however, ignored her entirely. Instead, she turned toward Alexander and said calmly, "Mr. Vanderbilt, thank you."Alexander glanced at her briefly, his expression still indifferent. Taking the disinfectant wipes Jonathan handed him, he meticulously wiped his hands before turning on his heel and walking away, his long, confident strides leaving no room for further interaction.Ava sighed, intending to go find her uncle Ma
Marco was suffering from heatstroke, and Ava knew better than to argue with a sick person. She nodded gently and said, "Uncle, I understand."Marco smiled faintly, the deep lines on his face softening. "This time, take a few more strings of sausages your aunt made when you go back. She also pickled some cabbage. I remember you used to love that when you stayed with us during high school."Ava’s lips curved into a soft smile. "Okay, Uncle."She didn’t speak further, focusing on the road as she drove him to the hospital. The air was thick with silence, but the weight of Marco’s words lingered in her mind.Halfway through their journey, Mona called, her voice laced with worry. "Ava, why haven’t you and Marco come back yet? Did something happen?""Uncle got heatstroke, so I took him to the hospital. We’ll be back a little later," Ava explained.Mona’s worry intensified. "Which hospital are you at? I’ll come over right now."After reassuring Mona and ending the call, Ava’s phone buzzed aga
The room was minimalist but elegantly furnished, its modern design subtly softened by warm lighting. A rectangular table stood near the center, laden with an open laptop and a neat stack of documents. The air inside carried a faint scent of polished wood, blending seamlessly with the faint aroma of the food Jonathan had just delivered.Alexander, seated by the table, exuded an air of meticulous focus. His broad shoulders framed the posture of a man who bore both authority and responsibility. Even while traveling to a seemingly remote location, he carried the weight of work with him. The pen in his hand moved swiftly across the paper as he reviewed and signed documents with practiced precision.Ava sat farther away, instinctively keeping her distance. She chose a simple wooden chair by the corner, avoiding the table where Alexander worked. Her gaze lingered on his silhouette, backlit by the faint golden glow filtering through the window. The play of light created soft contrasts, outlini
After slipping into the driver’s seat, Alexander gripped the steering wheel with ease and guided the car through the dimming city streets. The soft glow of the dashboard cast shadows across his sharp features, his mind somewhere far from the road.At a red light, another car rolled to a stop beside his. Out of habit, Alexander glanced over—and froze. Through the half-open window, framed by the city’s ambient glow, he saw her. Ava.She stared straight ahead, unaware of his gaze, her expression distant and unreadable. The shape of her face, the gentle curve of her mouth, the slight dip of her lashes—it all looked achingly familiar. He lowered his window and tapped the horn twice, sharp and deliberate.Inside the car, Ava flinched slightly, pulled from her thoughts. She turned her head—and for a heartbeat, time seemed to fracture. There was a strange pull in that moment—like a thread from another life. Maybe it was the streetlight, or maybe it was the letter still echoing in her mind: “
As Ava drove through the quiet streets back to the Upper West Side, the city outside blurred behind the windshield. Rex sat quietly beside her, head resting on his paws. Just as she turned into her neighborhood, her phone buzzed with a call.“Miss Alvarez, good morning,” came a polite voice from a courier company. “We have a gift addressed to you, sent several years ago. It was scheduled specifically to arrive today. May I confirm your current address so we can deliver it?”Serena blinked. “A gift? From years ago?”“Yes, ma’am. It was pre-arranged for delivery on today’s date.”Still confused, she gave her address and ended the call.Not long after she got home and removed Rex’s leash, the doorbell rang. She opened it to find a deliveryman holding a wooden box—aged and worn, its corners smoothed by time. It was unlike any package she’d received before.After signing for it, she stood at the doorway for a moment, staring down at the box. She hadn’t ordered anything like this. But she h
On the other side of the town, upon being kicked out by Serena a few times, Sergio, consumed with envy over his brother Alfonso’s wealth and frustrated by his own sons’ unemployment, confided in his mother, Martina, that he suspected Serena wasn’t Alfonso’s biological daughter due to her alluring looks. Driven by malice, he secretly conducted a paternity test using Serena’s hair, believing that if she wasn’t truly Alfonso’s child—especially now with Araminta and Valentina disgraced and Josh incapacitated—his own sons could rightfully claim the Morales family fortune. When the results arrived confirming no biological link between Alfonso and Serena, Sergio, Martina, and Ricardo, thrilled by the opportunity, immediately set out to confront the Morales family.---It was midday at the Morales family estate, and the aroma of freshly prepared dishes lingered through the marble-floored hallways. The dining room was elegantly set—linen napkins folded precisely, silverware gleaming, and steam
Ava Alvarez remained stranded on the top floor, her heels aching and her body weary. The elevator wouldn't budge without a keycard, and for privacy and security reasons, the stairwell doors were locked from the inside. Whoever designed this place clearly didn’t want anyone wandering up or down without clearance—and Alexander had clearly forgotten that detail when he left.She was quite literally forgotten there.With a resigned sigh, Ava pulled out her phone and tried calling Alexander. No answer. His phone had likely been on silent since he arrived at the rooftop lounge, drowning in the soft thrum of music, clinking glasses, and idle conversation.Hours passed.It wasn’t until nearly eleven, long after the event had ended, that Alexander finally checked his phone. Three missed calls. A single message.> [I don’t have a card…]There were no emojis, no exclamation marks—just plain text. But something about the simplicity made it worse. It read like quiet frustration. Like she had curled
Colton barely spared a glance at the chaos unraveling behind him. With a cool indifference that only years of elite breeding could cultivate, he stepped around Ava Alvarez, still on the ground, and disappeared into the nearby private room as if she were nothing more than a misplaced handbag.Ava knelt slowly, her trembling hands reaching for the scattered items Rachel had so carelessly stuffed into the gift box. The embarrassment crept up her spine like ice. She hadn’t even unwrapped the gift, let alone imagined its contents tumbling across polished marble for the world to see.Just as she reached for one of the smaller items—a sleek, suggestively shaped accessory—she heard Alexander Vanderbilt’s voice, cold and commanding.“Hugo, go inside.”Hugo’s chuckle was low and teasing as he passed them. “Oh boy, someone’s in for it now.”Now only Ava and Alexander remained in the corridor, the air heavy with unsaid words. One of the items had landed near Alexander's polished leather shoe, and
Meanwhile, Alexander had just touched down on foreign soil. The sleek wheels of the private jet had barely cooled before he was ushered into a waiting car—Victoria trailing a few steps behind.The sun was beginning to dip below the skyline, casting a golden hue over the glass buildings around them. But the warmth of the city didn’t seem to reach Victoria’s mood.The auction had been a disappointment.Those who had flown in from all over the world had come chasing one thing—a rumored masterpiece by the elusive Master Remington. The buzz had been relentless, the anticipation feverish. Collectors, curators, and connoisseurs all gathered under one roof, poised to outbid one another for a chance at owning a piece of immortality.But the pièce de résistance had never arrived.Instead, the organizers had presented a different set of paintings—fine works, certainly, but none carrying the master’s signature. Whispers swirled through the crowd: the Remington piece had already been given away. P
Ava had just stepped out of the shower, the steam still curling around her from the bathroom. Wrapped in soft pajamas and with her damp hair towel-dried and tousled, she was about to unwind for the evening when a message lit up her phone.It was from the property management office:“Dear resident, we’ve prepared a small gift for you. Please collect it in the underground garage.”It wasn’t unusual in this kind of upscale community. Services like this—holiday gifts, complimentary deliveries—were standard perks. She assumed it was another seasonal gesture and didn’t think much of it.She threw on a light cardigan over her pajamas and slipped into house slippers. There was no need to dress up just to walk through her own building. The community was secure, and the garage private—no one would bat an eye.The garage, however, was packed.Dimly lit rows of polished luxury vehicles stretched in every direction. She stepped carefully between them, the click of her slippers echoing softly. As s
Alexander sat at his sleek glass desk, a shaft of afternoon light slanting across the surface. His fingers moved with precision as he reviewed the final pages of a thick document. With a quiet finality, he pushed the folder forward.Jonathan, ever efficient, stepped forward to take it, bowing his head slightly in acknowledgment. As he turned to leave, the door opened and another figure appeared.Victoria.She stopped short, clearly startled to find Alexander at the office today—especially considering he had been at the hotel earlier. And it was Saturday.Recovering quickly, she walked in with her usual grace, her heels tapping softly against the polished floor."Alexander," she began, her tone casual but calculated, "news just came in from Spain. Master Remington’s painting is officially going up for auction. Everyone’s flying in for it this week—even Colton’s confirmed his attendance. When are you planning to leave?"She studied his face as she spoke, carefully watching for a flicker
Ava shot upright in bed, her heart thudding as her eyes scanned the breaking news headlines on her phone.Ryan Kuzmin Detained in International Crime Probe—PW Group Offices Raided.Details unfolded line by line like a script in a legal thriller. Ryan had been arrested on suspicion of overseas criminal activity. That morning, the authorities had swept through PW Group’s towering headquarters, raiding offices and seizing documents. The scandal was larger than anyone had anticipated.Further investigations revealed damning evidence: years of tax evasion, vast embezzlement schemes, and a tightly knit circle of executives siphoning company funds for personal gain.The outcome was swift—and brutal.PW Group had been slammed with devastating penalties. Their bank accounts frozen. Assets forcibly liquidated. Half their senior executives were already behind bars.And Ryan? He now faced the terrifying possibility of a twenty-year prison sentence.All of it—undeniably—was Alexander’s doing.With