Dear Gentle Readers, Ava is Serena. Her full name is Serena Ava Morales, but she took her mother's maiden name "Alvarez" after her dad (Alfonso) married Araminta. "Ava" also happens to be the nickname her mother used to call her. However since Alexander only knew his wife is from the Morales family & her name is Serena, he assumed her name is Serena Morales. This author decided to use Ava here instead of Serena since it is more appropriates. Hope this is not confusing...
Alexander had already arrived.His bodyguards had sealed off the entire perimeter—a crumbling two-story building in one of New York City's grimiest slums. The structure looked abandoned at first glance, with paint peeling off the walls and boarded-up windows barely holding back the gloom inside. But a closer inspection revealed something far more disturbing.The inside was a disaster zone.Bloodstains marred the cracked plaster walls, mixing with grime and streaks of dried animal waste. It looked more like a crime scene than anything else. The air was thick with the stench of decay, sweat, and fear.This wasn’t their first operation—these dog thieves were professionals in cruelty. They had crammed the latest batch of stolen dogs into a single rusted cage, piled together like trash. The cage reeked of uncleaned filth—clotted blood, rotting kibble, and excrement.Among the terrified dogs were several clear purebreds—pampered pets recently lost or snatched. There were mutts too, strays l
The next morning, Serena stepped out of Le Châteauesque Manor, her heels clicking sharply against the polished stone steps. The early sunlight cut across the estate’s sculpted hedges and stately marble columns, but Serena’s mind was already miles ahead—on contracts, leverage, and the chessboard that was the entertainment world.She had already contacted her lawyer, instructing them to make Ruiz Star Entertainment cover Whitney’s contract termination fee. Simon had handled Whitney’s contract meticulously; her lawyer barely had to lift a finger to make the case airtight.But back at Ruiz Star, Anita Ruiz was seething.Losing yet another rising star to Serena was an insult she could no longer stomach. First Serena had stolen a prized script, then Simon himself, and now Whitney—their brightest new talent.Later that afternoon, Anita found herself at a high-end restaurant downtown, clinking her wine glass absently as she tried to ignore the weight of failure pressing on her chest. That’s w
To Whitney, Simon felt like a closed book—guarded, emotionally distant, all business and no spark. His life moved with the predictability of a metronome, rigid and scheduled, like he had no personal cravings or desires.And it drove her insane.She couldn’t help but drift back to junior year of high school—the day she’d accidentally walked in on him showering at his place. Her eyes had widened, her brain practically short-circuiting. The memory of it haunted her sometimes. How does a guy like that... never get off? she thought, cheeks warming.Has he seriously been celibate all this time? Does he not have any woman in his life?The more she thought about it, the more her head ached. Frustrated and restless, Whitney grabbed her purse and bolted out the door. She needed to get to E.A. Corporation—if nothing else, just to keep an eye on Simon.She sent Serena a quick message, trying to keep her cool.Whitney: [Serena, if you don’t get here fast, Ruiz Star Entertainment’s gonna lock me in
Lucca Reinaldi had been making waves in New York City lately, and anyone with a shred of influence knew exactly who he was. His name carried weight, his reputation sharper than a blade. So when he appeared in the doorway of that seedy private room, the tension inside snapped like a pulled thread.The men inside froze, instinctively zipping up and stumbling back like guilty schoolboys. Whitney, disheveled and tear-streaked, began to sob as the weight of what could’ve happened crashed down on her.Lucca turned toward Serena, his voice low but firm. “Is this the girl you’re looking for?”Serena gave a silent nod. One look at the trembling figure in the corner had been enough—Whitney was in deep, and luck had only barely swung her way.“You take her,” Lucca said, his tone brooking no argument. “I’ll deal with them.”“Thank you.” Serena didn’t hesitate. She stepped forward and reached for Whitney’s arm.Whitney blinked through her tears, trying to focus. “Who... who are you?”“I’m Serena,”
On the way back into the city, the shadow of the trailing car finally disappeared in her rearview mirror. Serena exhaled, her grip on the steering wheel loosening for the first time in miles. But as the silence settled, she wondered if she was just fooling herself. Would someone like Alexander really waste his time following her? She doubted it. The man had more pressing things to handle.Back at E.A. Corporation, Serena slid into her office and sent a quick message to Whitney: Let’s meet—need to talk. But Whitney was still bitter, her mood soured by the swirling gossip linking Serena to Simon. After a delay, Whitney replied with an address—not to a sleek, high-end venue like Broadway Bar, but to a smaller, low-key bar. She wasn’t quite Broadway-level yet—just a minor celebrity hovering on the edges of the A-list.Serena texted back: [Cool. Around 8. I’ll find you in the private room you mentioned.]Just after she hit send, her phone lit up with another call—this time from the Vander
Dear Gentle Readers, Firstly this author would like to apologize for the timeline-confusion in Chapter 262 (perhaps the worsened flu has gotten its way into his ability of simple copy & paste). It has been fixed at his end but his editor needs to approve it first before it is fixed at readers’ end. That being said, thank you Massiline Makichi for noticing and please enjoy this freebie chapter as a token of apology and gratitude for your continuous support. Yours, E.C. P.S. while this author was checking this chapter again and again before updating, he notices comment about being changed twice for same words or so, please forgive this author and know that it is NOT intentional. This author has never cheated on his readers and always give freebies chapter (against his editor’s wishes and the correct way to publish here) whenever he could ... ***In the other car, Alexander Vanderbilt sat in silence, reclining in the driver’s seat, the window slightly cracked to let in the crisp mount