The morning began like any other, but I should have known peace never lasted in my world anymore. When I opened my phone, I was greeted by dozens of missed calls, countless messages, and endless notifications. My name was already trending online, and the first headline I saw almost made me laugh out loud.“HAYES HEIR CAUGHT CHEATING WITH HIS FIANCÉE’S SISTER!”The article was everywhere. Photos of Julian kissing Clara in a hotel lobby, Clara’s hand clinging to his shirt, his face buried in her neck. Every gossip page, every business outlet, every social platform had the story. It spread like wildfire, unstoppable, and the world was devouring it.I stared at the screen, taking a moment to let it sink in. Five years ago, this would have broken me. Five years ago, I would have locked myself in my room and cried until I couldn’t breathe.But not now. Not in this life. Now, all I felt was the faintest curl of satisfaction, a sharp and quiet smile tugging at my lips.They thought they were
“Are you angry at me?” I asked before I could stop myself.Lucas had been staring at the door until Vanessa left completely. Only then did he turn back to me, a cold smile playing on his lips.“Why would I be?” he asked, stepping closer.I immediately took two steps back. His brows lifted for a second in surprise before his lips curved into a smirk.I didn’t even realize I was doing it at first, but deep down, I knew why.I had asked him for a “hot distraction.” I told him it would mean nothing after tonight, that he would still just be the man giving me power for my revenge. But the truth? His touch made me crazy. I knew if I let it go too far, I wouldn’t be able to stop.Could I really handle being Lucas Black’s plaything? I didn’t have the answer to that.What I did know was this: it was better to stop now before I lost control. Revenge was my purpose. Revenge was why I was reborn. I couldn’t let anything—even Lucas—pull me away from that.And I wasn’t about to become the problem i
I stared at the woman standing at the door, my mind replaying every whisper I had ever overheard about Lucas Black’s fiancée.People had often spoken about her in hushed voices, calling her the untouchable jewel of high society, saying her name was Vanessa.And now, as I looked at her flawless face twisted in fury, I realized the stories I had once heard were absolutely true.My chest tightened for a moment, not because of fear, but because I had completely forgotten that this woman even existed.I had walked straight into Lucas’s life in this new chance, forgetting he already had someone else who claimed his name.My hands gently pushed against Lucas’s chest, creating enough space between us for me to breathe, while my gown shifted.I pulled the thin straps over my shoulders again, adjusting the loose nightgown quickly, trying not to look like his toy—even though that’s exactly how I seemed right now. It was my fault anyway, because my foolish mind had forgotten he already had a fian
Lucas closed the door behind him with a solid click, his eyes already locked on mine with a heat that refused to let go."Now, let me give you the hot distraction you’ve been begging for, Miss Lancaster," he murmured, his voice low and husky, every word sliding over my skin like a slow, possessive caress.Call me crazy, but I know I am. If I were the old Eva, I wouldn’t have taken this step; hell, I wouldn’t even be able to meet Lucas’s eyes.But today… Today, the new part of me craved someone who could touch me like no one ever had. Someone who could pull me out of my own mind and make me forget—just for tonight. After this, it won’t happen again. Because once tonight is over, power and revenge will be the only things I live for.Before I could catch my breath or form a single word, he slammed me back against the wall, his body locking mine in place.A sharp gasp escaped me as his hands captured my wrists, forcing them high above my head, then his mouth crashed onto mine, without war
By the time I reached Black Corporation, it was already very late, but my mind was already locked on my mission.I didn’t care that it was late, or that most of the building was empty because I knew exactly where I needed to be.The elevator doors opened to the top floor, and I stepped out, completely certain of what I was about to do.Lucas Black’s office door was closed, but the light inside was still on, shining through the glass and showing that someone was still there.I didn’t knock; I pushed the door open and walked in, and found him standing by the window with a drink in his hand.His tie was gone, his shirt slightly open at the collar, and his gaze was fixed on the city like he owned every inch of it.He turned slowly when he heard me, his expression unreadable, his eyes narrowing slightly as if measuring the reason for my presence.“I didn’t call for you at this late at night,” he said, his tone calm but sharp, like he was already trying to figure out my angle.“I know you d
I wish I had been reborn on the day my mother died. Maybe then I would’ve known what truly happened. The guilt of believing I caused her death has been eating me alive all these years. And maybe… just maybe, I could’ve stopped it from happening.But did I really kill her?Or was it someone else?I’ve never been able to find the truth. That day has haunted me ever since. I still remember every detail like it just happened.I caught my father fucking Clara’s mother—Patricia—in the very bed he shared with my mother. I was only fifteen, and what I saw shattered me completely. I felt heartbroken, sick, and betrayed. I told myself I would tell my mother everything the moment she came home from work. But then my father and Patricia saw me standing there. I ran. But not for long.My father caught up with me and started begging—begging me not to say a word to my mother. I could tell he was scared, terrified of losing everything. The truth is, my mother owned the house. Everything my father had