"You divorced me like I was nothing. Why do you care who I marry now?" “Because I still love you, Alessia. And he’s my enemy.” “You should’ve thought of that before you threw me away.” Alessia Velez gave everything to her cold, ruthless husband, Roman Velez. On their fifth wedding anniversary, he handed her divorce papers without a word, never knowing she was pregnant. She agreed to Zane’s fake marriage proposal for revenge but now Roman wants answers. And custody. And her heart, once again. The past was built on betrayal, but the present is tangled in lust, lies, and secrets. Alessia is the ultimate prize and both men are willing to burn everything to claim her. But what happens when the woman they both want has secrets of her own? The war over love, legacy, and lies begins now.
View MoreThe ballroom at the Velez Estate gleamed with gold and crystal, every corner dripping with wealth and elegance. It was a scene stolen straight from a luxury magazine spread. Guests twirled in couture gowns and designer tuxedos, glasses clinked, laughter bubbled, and cameras flashed from discreet corners.
But amidst all the celebration, Alessia Velez stood perfectly still beside her husband, trying to remember how to breathe. Every event was like this, her heart would race and search for perfection, not a hair that's out of place. Her silver gown shimmered like ice, perfectly tailored to accentuate the curves that Roman once couldn't keep his hands off. Tonight, she felt like a mannequin on display very polished, posed, and utterly hollow inside. Roman Velez, billionaire tech mogul and the coldest man she'd ever known, had barely looked at her since they arrived. He had fucked her, minutes before they got into the car but now, she is a ghost. He was sculpted to perfection in a three piece black suit, his raven-black hair slicked back, jaw sharp enough to cut glass. He didn't smile, he never did unless he was winning something or ruining someone. Tonight, it would be both. Alessia's fingers tightened around her champagne glass. Her lips held a polite smile as the string quartet played softly in the background. This was their fifth wedding anniversary. Five years of standing by his side, of trying to crack through his armor. Five years of cold sheets and colder silences, five years of a marriage signed in a contract. But some part of her had still hoped, hoped he would touch her again tonight, hoped that he would say something kind and remember who they used to be. It may have been just love on paper, but years ago? He was in love. Roman walked toward the stage with effortless grace, took the mic from the event coordinator, and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming." There was applause, cheers, whistles, camera flashes, and the silence. Alessia held her breath. "Tonight isn't just about celebrating Velez Tech's international expansion or our fifth wedding anniversary," Roman continued, his deep voice echoing through the hall. "It's also about... clarity." Alessia blinked. What? She has read his speech for tonight and this wasn't it. He has always made sure that she would reach his speeches, and signal when something wasn't right. She was a wife to the world but something less behind the camera. Roman reached into his suit pocket, the guests leaned in. He pulled out a cream-colored envelope, the kind their legal team used. "Alessia," he said, his tone calm, emotionless, final. "Sign these." The room fell silent, someone dropped a fork, the sound resonated and there were a few gasps. Alessia's throat closed. “What... what is this?" He walked back toward her, placed the envelope in her trembling hands. "Divorce papers." Roman didn't need her opinion, he didn't need her anymore either, not for the sex– he referred to the sex as ‘good’ and nothing more, his routine strippers gave him more. He didn't need her for anything anymore, and what better way to let the world know that he was done. She stared at him, heart pounding so hard she could hear it over the music. She stared at the crowd, and gulped. She was losing her mind, the room spun and every other sound drowned away. "Roman, not here, not like this," she whispered, with a smile, trying to take hold of the situation. He leaned in, lips brushing her ear, the way he used to before he had made her knees weak. But now, his voice was cold steel, this wasn't a role play sex scene, this wasn't where she would beg up to make her cum. This was real, Roman was done with her. "You thought I wouldn't find out about Zane Wolfe? The messages? The meetings? You betrayed me." Roman yelled out, Alessia's eyes widened, he had gotten it all wrong, he could have asked her. Her body trembled. "Nothing happened, Roman. I never slept with him, you know I didn't. We were talking about something else." He pulled back, his face unreadable. "It doesn't matter. I can’t trust you anymore. And I won’t let you humiliate me." The crowd was frozen, watching, the reporters had their microphone inches away from them, the camera flashed over and over getting every angle possible. Alessia looked down at the papers, it had her name, his name, the date of marriage. And the reason for the divorce: Spelled out in Roman bold, “Irreconcilable Differences.” Her lips parted. "This is how you end five years?" He didn't respond to her question, he ignored and whispered. “There's a Sudan outside, in it is your belongings and a check for ten million dollars. I don't want to see you, I have a restraining order too. Her hand shook as she took the pen the legal aide brought forward, she looked at the paper and saw his signature. She couldn't cry, she gathered every ounce of strength and confidence. She signed the papers and stared at him, gasps rippled through the room. Roman gave a single nod, the cameras kept flashing. Alessia’s hand dropped the pen like it burned her. She turned and ran. The bathroom was too white, too bright. Alessia collapsed on the marble floor, heels tossed aside, her chest heaving. How did it come to this? How had the man she gave her entire heart to throw her away like a business liability? She gripped the edge of the counter, staring at herself in the mirror. Her mascara had run, her lips trembled. Her phone buzzed. A message from her doctor. She had missed the appointment, but they had results. With shaking hands, she tapped to call. "Alessia? I'm so glad you called back," her OB said. "I wanted to confirm your test. The bloodwork is accurate. You’re…" There was a pause, there was silence and just then, her head spun and her world froze. "You're pregnant." Alessia dropped the phone. She sat frozen on the floor, hand hovering over her stomach. She couldn’t breathe. Roman had just divorced her. And now... she was carrying his child.The late-afternoon light slanted through the tall windows of Zane’s office, striping the polished desk with gold and shadow. He sat in his leather chair, sleeves rolled back, pen poised above a column of numbers.Contracts that were dry, necessary, predictable. He liked predictable.The phone on the corner of his desk buzzed, the vibration sharp against the wood. He almost ignored it, until he saw the name flashing on the screen.Roman Velez. His hand froze mid-note, pen tip bleeding a small pool of ink onto the page. He wondered why Roman would call him. Or why he had his direct line. He picked up, his tone clipped. “Roman.”“We need to meet.” Roman’s voice was calm, deliberate. The kind of calm that meant trouble.Zane leaned back slowly, weighing the sound of it. “I’m busy.”“You’ll make time.” A pause. “It’s about Alessia.”A muscle jumped in Zane’s jaw. Roman had a way of saying her name like it was still his to claim, like the divorce hadn’t happened, like the ink on the cust
The automatic doors hissed open, letting in the faint smell of antiseptic and something sharper that made Alessia’s stomach turn. She hugged her bag closer, head down, trying to keep her breathing even. The ultrasound appointment wasn’t supposed to be a big deal. Just a routine check. Just her and the baby.Except… he was there.Roman leaned against the reception counter like he owned the place. Crisp suit, tie knotted too perfectly, dark hair pushed back as if he’d stepped out of some high-profile meeting just to taunt her. His gaze slid over her slow, deliberate, like she’d walked in wearing a dress made of glass.“Alessia,” he said, her name rolling out like a challenge.She didn’t stop walking. “What are you doing here?”“Coming with you.” He straightened, falling into step beside her. “It’s my child too.”A bitter laugh threatened, but she swallowed it. “You weren’t invited.”His jaw flexed. “I don’t need an invitation.”The nurse called her name, and before Alessia could shut hi
The city was turning dark, neon buzzing on like it couldn’t wait. Rain threatened somewhere up high, thick air smelling like wet concrete. Zane kept his cap low, his face shadowed. Across the street, Roman’s glass tower stabbed into the sky, cold and ruthless. It swallowed everything.Inside, marble floors gleamed, the smell of leather and coffee thick in the air. People whispered deals, heels clicking, voices low but tense. Zane moved like a ghost—unseen, unwanted, stepping into Roman’s world.A hand on his shoulder made him turn. Sasha. Used to be Roman’s right hand with the law, now Zane’s secret weapon.“He’s desperate,” she said, voice tight, like steel wrapped in silk. “Pushing through deals that’ll crush anyone in his way. Trying to squeeze us dry.”Zane’s eyes cut sharp. “Who’s in? When’s it done?”Sasha pulled out her phone, fingers fast. “The merger closes next week. And get this—Roman filed emergency custody papers. Fast track. No warning.”Zane felt ice crawl down his spin
The next day. “I am being watched.” Zane muttered as he walked around his office. He cleared his throat and sat behind the large oak desk, reviewing contracts when an envelope slid silently under the door.He didn’t look up. Without hesitation, he reached down and picked it up. The envelope was heavy, unmarked, with no return address.With precise fingers, he tore it open and pulled out a stack of photos. The images were dark and grainy: a man lying face down in a rain-slicked alley, clothes soaked in blood. On the back of one photo, scrawled in rough handwriting, was a single word: Belgrave.Zane’s face tightened, but he didn’t flinch. The name Belgrave stirred memories he had buried deep memories he never intended to share with Alessia. The man in those photos was no ordinary threat. He was the ghost from Zane’s past, the man Zane had been hunting for years.Alessia’s father.Except Alessia believed her father was dead. She never knew the truth that Belgrave had disappeared, pre
Back at home.The door to the shower clicked shut behind Alessia and the hot water roared to life, steam curling thickly around the white tiles. She stood beneath the spray, hands pressing hard against the cool tile wall as if she could push the weight of the day away. The media’s flashing cameras, the press’s sharp tongues, the ever-present pressure pressing on her chest — and underneath it all, the steady thrum of new life inside her. A life she barely felt ready to protect.The sound of a quiet knock pulled her from the fog of her thoughts. Lena’s voice came soft but firm.“Alessia, are you alright?”She wrapped a towel around herself and opened the door. Lena’s eyes flicked over her with a mix of concern and something else: steel beneath silk.“I’m tired,” Alessia whispered, hair dripping down her shoulders.Lena nodded slowly, stepping inside. “I know this isn’t easy. But you’re stronger than you think. Remember, Zane’s here. For you. And the baby.”Alessia managed a small, frag
Alessia felt empty, her shoulders slumped. Her eyes had bags. The house around her felt less like a sanctuary and more like a battlefield. Every whispered rumor, every leaked story, every sideways glance carried the weight of the war she never wanted to fight.She stopped and turned to face Zane. His eyes were steady, as always controlled, like a man who built walls around his heart to keep the world out. But tonight, there was something else there. Exhaustion? Sadness? A flicker of doubt?“This isn’t your fight,” she said quietly, voice barely above the steady tick of the grandfather clock. “You can walk away. You don’t have to burn yourself down for me.”Zane’s gaze sharpened. “Don’t insult me like that.”Alessia swallowed hard, the lump rising in her throat heavier than usual. “I’m serious.”He stepped closer, voice low. “I don’t get to walk away from you.”She looked down, biting her lip. “I’m not the prize here. I’m the war.”“And I’m the soldier,” he said simply.The room was
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