Two days later, Ava and Alexander were on the road, en route to a neighboring city to attend a high-profile auction. Though the high-speed train would have been faster and far more convenient, Alexander had insisted on driving. “More control,” he had said, as if the winding roads offered something the rails couldn’t.Ava sat quietly in the passenger seat, reviewing the catalog of auction pieces. Her concentration, however, didn’t escape Alexander’s watchful gaze. “I noticed something last time,” he said, casually, his fingers tapping the steering wheel. “Your kitchen… there were no signs of recent use. Doesn’t your husband cook?”Ava hesitated. Her silence was enough of an answer.Alexander’s eyes stayed on the road, but his tone shifted, edged with curiosity. “You knew, didn’t you? About him sleeping with other women.”“Mr. Vanderbilt,” she replied softly, her voice even, “every family has its problems.”Before he could respond, the car jerked violently.Ava instinctively grabbed the
Dear Gentle Readers, do not worry, we have gone through this far with the story... this author will surely end with a grand happy ending***Alexander’s knuckles blanched as he gripped the steering wheel, fury burning through his veins. The car’s engine roared beneath him as he slammed down on the accelerator, slicing through lanes like a blade through silk. The moment he arrived at the Vanderbilt family office, he strode in, pulled out his phone, and coldly dialed a number.Victoria.She had already returned to the Laurent estate, her nerves fraying as the evening wore on. Trent’s delay hadn’t gone unnoticed. His silence—and Alexander’s earlier mention of an “investigation”—had set off alarm bells in her head. She had wasted no time alerting Diana.Diana Richardson, mild-mannered and always one to avoid confrontation, was out of her depth when it came to the vicious undercurrents of Vanderbilt family politics. Her only son, Raphael, had never shown interest in the family's legacy. And
Dear Gentle Readers,This author feels saddened by those who accidentally paid for what was supposed to be a free / non-paying chapter. Hence please enjoy... "Ava, you’ve been unusually fiery with me today,” Alexander observed, stepping closer. He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over her face, trying to read the storm hidden beneath her calm expression. “Why?” he pressed, voice low and measured.Ava’s jaw tightened, but her voice remained poised. “Mr. Vanderbilt, that’s a question I should be asking you. Miss Laurent is inside... yet here you are, chasing after me. Why?”Her words sliced clean, precise and without hesitation.Alexander didn’t have a clear answer himself. He was drawn to her, inexplicably and irrationally. A pull he couldn’t explain—one that ignored reason and protocol. Reaching out, he idly twirled a strand of her dark hair between his fingers, letting its silken texture slide over his knuckles.“You just saw your husband’s cowardice on full display,” he
Upon returning to the event, Alexander made a direct path to the private room Victor had thoughtfully offered him earlier. His soaked suit, stained with red wine and humiliation, was quickly discarded in favor of a fresh, tailored ensemble. He moved with a brisk efficiency, his expression unreadable—cool on the surface, yet his jaw twitched with barely suppressed tension.His reappearance, however, didn’t go unnoticed.The guests, already abuzz with whispered theories, watched him like hawks cloaked in cocktail attire. Their eyes sparkled with amusement and curiosity, fixating on the man who had just been publicly drenched by none other than Mr. Remmington’s elusive protégé—and had returned without missing a beat. There was something telling in his calm, too calculated, too composed.It only added fuel to the growing speculation.“Did you see how he didn’t even flinch when she threw that drink at him?”“I think he’s into her. Deeply. Did you notice how he tried to shield her? It wasn’
Dear Gentle Readers, This author failed to understand why the previous chapter is not free hence he is trying to upload once more... hope this time it worksThese days, whenever Ava saw Alexander Vanderbilt’s name flicker across her phone screen, a dull ache pulsed behind her eyes—like the warning throb before a migraine.“Mr. Vanderbilt,” she greeted flatly, voice neutral but braced.“Where are you? I’m coming to see you,” came Alexander’s deep, unwavering reply—less a question, more a command.Ava glanced around her room at Le Châteauesque Manor, heart racing. She dared not tell him the truth. Rising swiftly to her feet, she lied with practiced ease.“I’m at the Upper West Side.”Alexander was already halfway to offering to meet her there when she added, coolly but deliberately, “My husband is back tonight. So if you need me, Mr. Vanderbilt, I’ll have to request a leave of absence.”That one sentence—my husband is back tonight—stopped him cold.Earlier that day, she’d exchanged a br
These days, whenever Ava saw Alexander Vanderbilt’s name flicker across her phone screen, a dull ache pulsed behind her eyes—like the warning throb before a migraine.“Mr. Vanderbilt,” she greeted flatly, voice neutral but braced.“Where are you? I’m coming to see you,” came Alexander’s deep, unwavering reply—less a question, more a command.Ava glanced around her room at Le Châteauesque Manor, heart racing. She dared not tell him the truth. Rising swiftly to her feet, she lied with practiced ease.“I’m at the Upper West Side.”Alexander was already halfway to offering to meet her there when she added, coolly but deliberately, “My husband is back tonight. So if you need me, Mr. Vanderbilt, I’ll have to request a leave of absence.”That one sentence—my husband is back tonight—stopped him cold.Earlier that day, she’d exchanged a brief phone call with Liam Norton, who confirmed he was back in town visiting his sister. It wasn’t a complete fabrication. But Alexander didn’t know that.Sud