LOGINAveline
THE COLD marble floorboards felt like ice beneath my bare feet, but the heat inside the private study was suffocating.
I backed up slowly until the heavy edge of Alejandro’s mahogany desk pressed against my lower spine.
My hands reached behind me, gripping the smooth wood so tightly my knuckles turned ghostly white.
Seb didn't rush.
He stepped forward with a slow, heavy rhythm, his broad shoulders blocking out
AvelineTHE AFTERNOON sun over the Geneva Equestrian Club was bright, cold, and blinding.Crisp mountain air drifted over the manicured green paddocks, carrying the clean scents of fresh leather, damp earth, and sweet hay.Wealthy European aristocrats and high-society socialites sat under white linen umbrellas along the raised marble terrace, sipping champagne while watching thoroughbred horses trot gracefully around the dirt ring.I sat at a corner table with Alejandro, wearing an elegant cream-colored tweed blazer over a soft silk blouse, my dark burgundy curls pinned up neatly.Alejandro reached across the table, his warm fingers wrapping gently around my hand. His dark brown eyes were filled with that familiar, protective devotion that always made my heart feel steady.“You look like you belong here, my sweet girl,” Alejandro murmured softly, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of my knuckles. “Quiet, elegant, and breathtaking.”I forced a warm, radiant smile onto my lips, leaning
SebThe rain over Geneva had finally stopped, leaving the mountain air heavy, cold, and smelling of damp pine.I stepped out of the private elevator on the top floor of the Grand Hotel Bellevue, pulling my black server jacket off and throwing it over my arm.My knuckles were still red from slamming Aveline against the oak door in Vance’s study, and my jaw ached where her palm had struck my skin.She hated me.The realization sat like a piece of cold lead in the bottom of my stomach. She didn’t just fear me anymore; she despised the very sight of my face.She would rather stand beside Alejandro Vance, wearing his diamonds and carrying the sins of her bloodline, than step back into my arms.I unlocked the double mahogany doors of my private penthouse suite, stepping inside.I froze.The suite was not empty.The soft, warm interior lights were turned on. Sitting in the central leather armchair near the fireplace was Don Bernardo Moretti, wearing a tailored charcoal suit, a thick cigars g
AvelineMY LEGS were heavy, trembling under the weight of the emerald silk dress with every step I took over the thick Persian runners.Inside my chest, my heart was a wild, wounded thing, hammering against my ribs until I could barely draw air into my lungs.Don Dela Costa put a bullet in his brain.Seb’s gravelly voice echoed through my mind like a death knell.It clawed at my skull, threatening to tear apart every piece of peace I had fought so hard to build in Switzerland.My father had murdered Alejandro’s father.The man who cherished me, the man who had pulled me out of the gutter and wrapped me in gold and dignity, was hosting the daughter of his father’s killer.If the truth ever came out, the love burning in Alejandro’s dark eyes would turn to ash and bloody vengeance.I stopped outside the heavy mahogany double doors of Alejandro’s suite,
AvelineTHE COLD marble floorboards felt like ice beneath my bare feet, but the heat inside the private study was suffocating.I backed up slowly until the heavy edge of Alejandro’s mahogany desk pressed against my lower spine.My hands reached behind me, gripping the smooth wood so tightly my knuckles turned ghostly white.Seb didn't rush.He stepped forward with a slow, heavy rhythm, his broad shoulders blocking out the faint moonlight filtering through the tall arched windows.Something in him had died, leaving behind only the cold, lethal Don of Milan.“Stay back, Sebastian,” I said, forcing my voice to remain flat and steady, though my heart was hammering violently against my ribs.Seb stopped two feet away from me.“Or what, Belarina?” Seb rasped, his voice rough like rusty iron. “You’ll slap me again? You’ll tell me how much you hate
AvelineI SLIPPED into Alejandro’s private study, closing the heavy oak double doors behind me.I didn't turn on the main crystal chandelier. I leaned my back against the cold wood of the closed door, my chest heaving in short, jagged gasps.Underneath the heavy emerald silk gown, my skin was covered in a cold, nervous sweat.My hands trembled so violently that the diamond necklace at my throat clinked softly against my collarbone.He is inside the house, I thought, panic clawing at my throat like a wild animal. Sebastian is standing in the ballroom.I needed to gather my thoughts.I needed to figure out how to get Alejandro out of the main hall, how to double the perimeter security without raising suspicion, and how to survive the night without blood spilling over the marble floorboards.I walked over to the heavy mahogany desk, resting my hands against the polished edg
AvelineTHE GRAND ballroom of the Vance estate was bathed in blinding, golden light.Massive crystal chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceilings, casting shimmering reflections across the polished white marble floorboards.An elite chamber orchestra played a sweeping, romantic classical piece near the arched windows overlooking Lake Geneva.High-society guests—international diplomats, European nobility, and wealthy investors—filled the room, sipping vintage champagne and talking in hushed, polite tones.I stood near the edge of the dance floor, wearing a custom emerald-green silk gown that clung softly to my curves before sweeping down to the floor.The rich color contrasted sharply with my dark burgundy hair, which was styled in an intricate, elegant updo.Around my throat sat Alejandro’s brilliant diamond necklace, sparkling under the golden chandeliers like liquid ice.Alejandro stood beside me, immaculate in a tailored black tuxedo and a crisp white bow tie. His dark hair was combe







