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The Bait

Author: Miss Allyy
last update Last Updated: 2025-07-09 08:28:12

The silence in the penthouse was a living thing, curled between them like smoke from a lit match. Zara sat on the edge of the velvet chaise in Alec’s office, legs crossed, arms folded, while Alec paced—shirt sleeves rolled up, his jaw flexing with tension.

“They used a ghost number routed through Belarus. Then rerouted again through Morocco. Whoever sent that message doesn’t want to be found,” Alec muttered, frustration bleeding through every syllable.

Zara didn’t blink. “Then find them anyway.”

He stopped. His eyes met hers. “We will.”

“We?” she echoed. “Alec, this isn’t just about me anymore. My father’s been taken again, my brand’s being dragged online by accounts linked to Juliette, and my mother hasn’t answered my last three calls. You said you had this.”

“I do. But you have to let me work.”

“Work faster.”

He stepped forward, closing the space between them. “Zara—”

She stood up, chin lifted, fury dancing in her chest like gasoline near a flame. “I swear to God, if one more person
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  • Masked By Millions    The Devil Wears Blood Red

    The night of the Ascend Gala arrived like a storm dressed in diamonds. Held at the grand ballroom of the Morrovia Hotel, the event had never seen so many eyes—or so many wolves in silk.Zara Milli Lane stepped out of the Blackwell car like a loaded gun in heels.Her gown—Bound by War—was a masterpiece of crimson and midnight-black silk, sculpted to the body like a second skin, with structured shoulders and a trailing hem that whispered of war cries and whispered vengeance. Every inch of her screamed survival, elegance, and control.The moment she entered the ballroom, silence followed. Then flashes. Then gasps.Because everyone had seen the press conference. Everyone had seen her challenge. And now?She was here to prove she wasn’t bluffing.Alec walked beside her, all sharp edges and dominance, dressed in custom Valentino, black-on-black, no tie, no apologies. His hand rested at the small of her back—protective, possessive.“Smile,” he murmured in her ear as they approached the steps

  • Masked By Millions    Dressed For Blood

    It was 11:58 a.m.Two minutes before Zara Milli Lane would address the world. Two minutes before her brand—her life—either crumbled or became untouchable.She stood behind the velvet curtain of the press hall at Blackwell Towers, the iconic skyscraper Alec owned in Midtown. The logo of Milli Lane glowed behind a sleek glass podium onstage, surrounded by journalists, photographers, and fashion insiders from every continent.But it wasn’t the cameras she feared.It was the vultures waiting to twist her silence into surrender.“Are you sure about this?” Alec asked, standing beside her in a black-on-black tailored suit, as ruthless and regal as sin.Zara adjusted her gloves—black leather. No jewels. No softness. Only fire.“She tried to erase me, Alec. My name, my identity, my father—”“She won’t win.”“No,” Zara whispered, “she won’t.”The lights dimmed. The event host gave a final warning.Zara stepped onto the stage.The first flash hit her cheekbones like lightning. The roar of questi

  • Masked By Millions    Red Threads And Razor Hearts

    Zara Milli Lane wasn’t just awake—she was alive in a way she hadn’t been in years.The new collection, Bound by War, wasn’t just a fashion statement—it was a declaration. Each thread, each sketch, each molten line of fabric was dipped in vengeance. She was going to weaponize her pain, stitch it into silk and steel, and make sure Juliette choked on the very gowns she once mocked.Alec leaned against the doorway, watching her with that particular hunger in his eyes. He hadn’t slept. Neither had she. And somehow, the insomnia felt like a ritual now. A prelude to the chaos they were about to unleash.“She won’t see it coming,” he murmured.“She’ll feel it in her bones,” Zara replied without looking up from the sketch she was pinning to the wall. “This line isn’t for the masses. It’s for war. It’s for women who’ve bled and still wear heels.”Alec stepped in, his voice a velvet rasp. “And you’re the Queen of them all.”Zara turned to face him. She was still in her paint-stained robe, hair w

  • Masked By Millions    Bed Of Blades

    The war began with a press release.ZARA MILLI LANE UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY FRAUD.The headline flashed across every fashion blog, news site, and social feed within minutes. Zara’s heart pounded as she stared at the words on her screen, her phone already buzzing with calls from lawyers, agents, and her head designer sobbing into voicemail.“She leaked fake documents,” Zara muttered, pacing across the penthouse. “She created a digital trail.”Juliette Ashford’s revenge was brutal, public, and impossibly swift.Alec entered the room holding a steaming cup of coffee. “I’ve seen worse,” he said calmly. “We’ll dismantle it. But you need to stay silent—for now.”Zara whirled on him. “I’m not hiding behind press silence, Alec. She dragged my name through mud in front of the whole damn world.”“Exactly why you don’t respond emotionally.”She stalked toward him. “Do you even feel anything when this happens? Or is it all just another chessboard to you?”His jaw flexed. “Yo

  • Masked By Millions    The Queen Wears Red

    Zara Milli Lane didn’t realize she’d stopped breathing until Alec touched her wrist.“You’re freezing,” he murmured, his breath brushing her temple.She blinked at the grand ballroom now swarming with guests in sequins, velvet, and secrets. But none of them mattered. Not when Juliette Ashford stood just across the marble floor in a scarlet dress, sipping champagne and smiling like the Queen of Deception.Zara’s eyes didn’t leave Juliette’s for a second. The woman raised her glass in mock toast.“Why is she here?” Zara’s voice was low, venom-laced.Alec’s jaw tightened. “Because she wants war. And now she has it.”Zara’s palm curled at her side. She’d dressed to impress, not to battle an ex-mistress with a vendetta. Yet here she stood, dragged back into the depths of power plays and past lovers who never really left.“She’s the one who kidnapped my father,” Zara said, her voice cracking.Alec didn’t respond immediately. Then: “I know.”She spun toward him. “You knew?!”“Not until recen

  • Masked By Millions    Public Reckoning

    Zara Milli Lane stood on the edge of the Palais de la Lumière in Paris, her gaze fixed on the tumultuous crowd gathered in the square below. The city’s night sky was alive with neon and smoke, a living gallery of fractured hopes and roaring ambition. Tonight wasn’t merely another fashion launch; it was the moment every lie, every betrayal, every burning secret would be laid bare before an unsuspecting world.She wore a gown of midnight blue, its fabric a cascade of intricate lace and strategically placed metallic embellishments that caught every flicker of light. Yet for all its beauty, the dress was her battle armor—a symbol that she had risen from the ashes of every humiliation thrown her way. Every stitch, every thread, bore witness to the struggles of a girl who fought not just for survival, but for her rightful place in an empire built on blood, sweat, and uncompromising passion.Alec Blackwell arrived moments later. No longer the faceless billionaire in disguise, he stepped forw

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