Chapter 1: Crossed Destinies

Ariane – United States

That morning, I wake up with overflowing energy. My heart beats fast, my body seems to vibrate with excitement. Today is the last day of classes. The end of a chapter. A new beginning.

My name is Ariane Akon Leslie, I am 19 years old, and I am in my final year of business management at a prestigious university in New York. My friends describe me as a classic beauty: brunette, long hair that cascades down to the middle of my back, a determined gaze, and an hourglass figure. I do not define myself by my looks, but by my fierce determination to win.

I share an apartment with my best friend, Marianne, who is currently away on a trip with her boyfriend. The calm in the apartment allows me to savor this unique day. I leap out of bed, rush to the bathroom to enjoy a hot bath. The water relaxes my muscles, but my mind is racing.

After a quick shower, I have breakfast: smoothie, whole-grain toast, and scrambled eggs. Simple but effective. Then I prepare myself carefully: chic suit, light makeup, elegant heels. Today, I am going to pick up my diploma. This paper is much more than an academic parchment: it is a weapon, a symbol of my sacrifices.

As I leave the university, diploma in hand, I feel immense pride. But also a vertigo: and now? The future is a minefield, and I will have to fight, once again.

Returning to the apartment, I come face to face with Marianne.

— Marianne? You were supposed to come back this weekend!

— That idiot is cheating on me, she says coldly.

— Are you sure?

— I searched his phone while he was in the shower. Three months of messages with a girl named Sofia...

I grit my teeth. Marianne is one of the few people I care about. She doesn’t deserve this.

— Come on, this weekend, let’s go out to a club!

— No, I don’t feel like doing anything right now…

— What if there’s another explanation? Maybe that girl is just flirting with him…

— You think? she asks with a glimmer of hope.

— Maybe, I say cautiously, not wanting to give her false hopes.

— And you, how’s your job search going?

— I’ve submitted several resumes, I’m waiting. Fingers crossed.

She watches me, then gives me a weak smile.

— You know you’re strong, Ariane. You will succeed.

— Thank you. And you, take some time to rest. We’ll find a solution. I love you.

— I love you too, sweetheart. Good night.

The next morning, I rush to my inbox. Zero messages. My heart tightens. Still nothing.

 Why does fate keep punishing me? Why do others succeed, and not me?

Nothing has ever been given to me. Since my birth, I have to wrestle every little happiness from life.

My mother used to say that my arrival in this world was a miracle. The pregnancy was high-risk, the doctors didn’t believe it. And yet, I held on until the end, against all odds.

But the story of my birth is tinged with pain. My mother was young, in love with a popular boy from her high school. What she didn’t know was that their relationship was just a bet. A cruel humiliation. He disappeared as soon as he got what he wanted.

When she discovered she was pregnant, she panicked. Her mother, furious, threw her out. Family shame. My mother found refuge in a center for young single mothers, without a penny to her name. Those people helped her without expecting anything in return.

She is everything to me. But she left too soon. I was fifteen when she died in a car accident. The driver was drunk. He died on the spot. She suffered. And I… had to learn to survive without her.

I discovered her diary while sorting through her things. That’s when I understood where I came from. What she endured. What she sacrificed for me.

I vowed to never trust a man. Never. They are the ones who destroyed my mother. They are the ones who break naive women. I will be different.

I want to become rich. Powerful. Unreachable. And avenge my mother by crushing those who rejected, humiliated, and broke her. I want them to see me shine, and regret it.

I am gifted. I skipped several grades. I speak four languages: English, French, German, and Russian. I am still a virgin, by choice. Because one day, maybe, I will meet a rich, worthy man who will understand the value of who I am. But I am not betting on love. I am betting on strategy.

 The nightclub this weekend? A good idea. I will scout the sharks. And perhaps catch a big fish.

Auracio – Italy

I wake up, as always, before dawn. Two naked female bodies are still sprawled on either side of me. Remnants of last night. A celebration evening, after sealing a historic deal with the American mafia boss. A pact that will bring me billions.

I am Auracio Ferrari, the head of the Italian mafia. My name makes people tremble. I am a king without a crown, a God without faith. Anyone who betrays me signs their death warrant.

Without a glance at the two women, I get up, shoo them away, and head to the shower. My body is covered in scars, trophies from past battles. Each mark, a story. Each victory, another domination.

Downstairs, my two loyal lieutenants await me in the living room.

— Good morning, Boss, they say in unison.

— Is everything ready?

I never respond to pleasantries. Respect, for me, is measured in silence and obedience.

— Yes. The plane takes off in two hours.

— Perfect.

I give my final instructions on the incoming drug shipments and on the acquisition of a company in Russia. I am not just a trafficker. I am a strategist. I diversify my businesses: clubs, hotels, crypto, oil. If one pillar falls, the others hold the structure.

We walk through the long corridor leading to the elevator, then descend to the basement. My personal garage. About twenty luxury cars. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Maserati. I collect them like trophies.

One of my passions. The other is power. And this trip to the United States… is just the beginning of an expansion.

In the New York night, two worlds are about to collide. She wants wealth to avenge her mother. He has everything, except one thing: a weakness to exploit. Destiny watches them... and smiles.