MasukElara had made it her mission ro avoid Alexander at all costs. After all their interactions so far, she knew it would be dangerous to let him get close. She couldn't forget what she was here for--revenge. She had to made Alexander and his father pay for what they had put her and her family through. She sat back at her desk and stared at her computer screen. Suddenly, an email notification popped up. It was from Ethan Varney, an old friend she had met after she fled the city years ago.Ethan was a powerful businessman in finance. He was rich, handsome, and incredibly kind. He had tried to date her even while she was pregnant, but Elara’s heart had been too broken to let anyone in. Now, he was emailing to say he was coming to Vanguard City for a big business deal. He wanted to see her again.Elara thought about it. Ethan was a good man. He was persistent, sweet, and great with Lyra and Leo."It’s not such a bad idea," she whispered to herself. Her heart thumped with excitement, makin
"Mr. Sterling," she said, her voice sharp enough to cut. "Your questions are inappropriate and honestly irritating. You are pushing it right now."Her blood was boiling. Alexander stayed silent, completely taken aback. In all the years he had known her, he had never seen her this upset. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but she cut him off before he could make a sound."I have people waiting for me at home. If you'll excuse me."She turned and began to walk away. Alex felt a sharp pain in his chest, almost as if he were clawing at it. 'People waiting at home? Did she mean a husband? Had she really moved on that much?' To him, it felt impossible. He couldn't accept that he had been replaced so easily."At least let me drive you home," he suggested desperately.Elara didn't stop. She looked him up and down with a look of pure disgust and kept walking toward the exit.Alex shot up from his seat and started following her. He didn't care about the people watching or how he looked. So
Leo stayed quiet for a moment. He pouted, then finally spoke. "My name is Leo and my sister's name is Lyra. And my mummy..." He stopped for a second. "Can you help me find her? It is her first day at her new job. I want to wish her good luck."Alex felt his heart melt. What a sweet boy, he thought. He knelt down to be at Leo's height."Okay, Leo. Let’s go to the security room," Alex said. "My company has many cameras. We can find your mummy on one of the screens."Alex reached out his arms, and Leo climbed right in. As Alex held the boy, he felt a strange connection to him. He wondered if seeing Elara again was making him feel this way.The truth was, Alex had stayed single all these years. He always hoped he would find Elara again. Now he had found her, but she had run away before he could explain anything.The elevator doors opened, and Elara stepped out with Sashi. Her heart stopped when she saw the scene in front of her.Her son, Leo, was being held by the man who had broken her h
"I'm so sorry, Ethan," Elara said, her face flushing with embarrassment as she grabbed her clutc"It’s no problem, Lara," Ethan replied with a calm, easy smile. "I always knew you were a workaholic. We’ll reschedule.""Thank you for being so understanding," she said, feeling a wave of relief. Ethan gestured to the menu. "At least let me get you some take-out to go. You shouldn't work on an empty stomach.""Okay, thank you," she agreed. She waited for him to stand up and walk her to the door, but he stayed rooted in his seat. He gave her a polite wave but didn't move an inch toward the exit.'Is he avoiding Alex? But why?' The thought flickered in her mind, but her entire train of thought was derailed the moment she stepped onto the sidewalk.Alexander was there, leaning against his black Mercedes Maybach. The streetlights caught the sharp lines of his suit and the dark intensity in his eyes. Her heart got caught in her throat. He looked like a dream—a perfect, handsome dream—and it w
Alexander stopped mid-punch, his glove hanging heavy in the air. He was at the gym with his best friend Eren Lakeland and childhood buddy, Ryan Montrose, trying to blow off some steam.Boxing was his only escape. After Elara had practically called him a sex offender earlier, he felt sick and upset. He couldn't believe she thought so poorly of him after everything.He wiped sweat from his forehead and picked up his phone. He saw a text notification from Vivienne. He had been so caught up in his feelings for Elara that he had completely forgotten Vivienne even existed.He was about to toss the phone back into his bag, but a picture on the screen caught his eye and made his blood run cold.It was Elara. She was standing in front of a high-end restaurant, and a tall, handsome man was leaning down to kiss her forehead.A second later, another message from Vivienne popped up: [The woman you're head over heels for doesn't have the decency of being faithful to her husband. Is this what you wa
Elara's phone rang from the night stand making her groan. 'Allistar must have plugged it,' she said cleaning her eyes as the bright morning light stung her vision. She reached out with a shaky hand and grabbed the device from the nightstand. When she saw the name Ethan flashing on the caller ID, a genuine smile appeared on her face. She slid the bar to answer, but she didn't speak right away. She just held the phone to her ear, letting the quiet hum of the connection settle her nerves. "Hello, Elara?" Ethan’s voice was always so warm and gentle. She let out a soft, intentional breath into the receiver so he would know she was on the line. "Good morning, Lara," he said, and she could almost hear the smile in his voice. "I just wanted to inform you that I've landed in Vanguard City and I’m properly settled in. I actually called you several times last night, but you weren't reachable. I was getting a bit worried about you." "But wait—" Elara started to say, wanting to expla







