05

Five years later...

The tranquility she had felt moments ago evaporated the exact second Audrey Sullivan set foot in the city she had sworn never to revisit. The knot forming in her stomach wasn’t from travel sickness, but from the crushing weight of the surname she still carried in secret. She had spent those years hidden in the misty highlands of Inverness, Scotland, raising her children far beyond Di' Giovanni’s reach while climbing the professional ladder to become the right-hand woman of a prestigious landscape architecture firm.

"I need you to go, Audrey. You're the only one who understands the logistics of this contract," her boss had pleaded, appealing to her loyalty and dangling a bonus that would secure her little ones' college funds. "Alessandro Di' Giovanni will be in Dubai all week, so you’ll only be meeting with Marcus Thorne."

That guarantee was the sole reason she had agreed. The meeting was with the head of urban development and Alessandro's right-hand man. Audrey convinced herself she would slip in and out of the main tower like a ghost, completing the audit of the corporate gardens long before the master of the empire returned.

Stepping into the imposing glass-and-steel lobby of the corporation, the air conditioning struck her as glacial. Audrey adjusted the collar of her tailored suit, feeling the security cameras tracking her like inquisitorial eyes. She walked toward the private elevator with her heart hammering against her ribs; every corner of that building screamed the name of the man who had nearly stripped away her soul.

"Mrs. Sullivan is here for her meeting with Mr. Thorne," the secretary announced on the fortieth floor.

She forced her chin up while waiting in the boardroom, reviewing the blueprints across the table to steady her trembling hands. She was mere minutes away from finishing the job and fleeing back to Scotland.

Entering the executive office on the fortieth floor, Audrey was greeted by a sun-bronzed man with slightly tousled blond hair, golden curls falling rebelliously over his forehead. Though around Alessandro's age, Marcus radiated a magnetic youthfulness. He was tall, powerfully built, and possessed a smile so genuinely charming that she felt completely disarmed for a second.

"Mrs. Sullivan, an absolute pleasure. Mr. Di' Giovanni didn't warn me the firm was sending someone quite so..." he paused, running a gaze over her that wasn't professional at all, but rather one of pure appreciation—"captivating."

"I'm here representing Mrs. Sterling, Mr. Thorne," she clarified, forcing a professional cordiality as she sat down across from him.

Throughout the meeting, Audrey couldn't ignore the lingering glances Marcus kept throwing her way. They were subtle yet loaded with an interest she chose to ignore, knowing that if her boss ever found out, she'd immediately try to play matchmaker, obsessed as she was with finding Audrey a husband. The interaction flowed smoothly thanks to Thorne's easygoing charm, his lighthearted demeanor making Audrey almost forget where she was.

Once they finished reviewing the blueprints, she stood up to gather her belongings.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Thorne. I'll send over the final report tomorrow morning," she said, heading for the door with a hurriedness she tried to disguise.

"Wait, Audrey," Marcus stopped her gently. "Next week is the corporate anniversary. We're throwing a massive gala, and I'd love for you to be there. Consider yourself cordially invited."

"That's very kind of you, but I'm afraid my schedule in Scotland is quite tight," she replied with a strained smile. The last thing she wanted was to attend an event where Alessandro Di' Giovanni would be the center of attention.

After exchanging polite goodbyes, Audrey walked toward the elevator. The moment the doors slid shut and the car began its descent, the adjacent elevator opened on the fortieth floor. Out stepped Alessandro, enveloped in an aura of frigid, ill-tempered authority. He wasn't supposed to be there, but he had forgotten vital documents for his trip to Dubai.

He strode into the office with decisive steps, freezing when he saw Marcus holding a folder with a teasing expression.

"Come back for these, grump?" the blond asked, dangling the papers.

They were polar opposites. While Marcus was the jokemaker who took everything with irritating ease, Alessandro was discipline personified, a man of rigid rules and a severity bordering on cutting.

"I don't have time for your games, Thorne. Hand those over," he growled, snatching the folder from his grip. "I have a plane waiting."

"Always such a killjoy," his friend laughed, leaning back in his chair. "You really should stick around for next week's gala. You might learn how to enjoy life, or at least try not to terrify the guests. By the way, I just met the most gorgeous woman to ever step foot in this office. A true gem from the Sterling firm."

Alessandro, already halfway to the door, paused for a fraction of a second without showing a shred of interest. Marcus was an incurable casanova, and his 'gems' were usually nothing more than fleeting distractions.

"I couldn't care less who you've charmed today," Di' Giovanni replied coldly.

"I didn't charm her yet, though I plan to," the blond corrected with a flash of determination. "I even invited her to the party. Her name is Audrey Sullivan, and I swear to you, Alessandro, there's something about her..."

The name struck the room like a silent explosion. Alessandro tensed so violently his muscles seemed to turn to stone. He whipped around toward Marcus with such sudden ferocity that his friend flinched, dropping the pen he was holding.

"What did you say her name was?" the dark-haired man's voice dropped to a lethal whisper that sent a shiver down Marcus's spine.

"Audrey... Audrey Sullivan," Marcus stammered, bewildered by his friend's abrupt transformation. "Do you know her?"

Alessandro didn't answer. His mind flooded with the image of the woman who had haunted him for five years—the woman who had mocked him and fled with his blood in her veins. Without another word, he stormed out of the office like a tempest, his long strides echoing against the marble as he rushed toward the elevators. His heart hammered with a possessive fury threatening to overflow.

The hunter had just heard the name of his prey, and this time, he had no intention of letting her walk out of the building.