All Chapters of Masked By Millions : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Zara never thought fabric could make her feel power. But as she stepped into the minimalist studio overlooking Manhattan’s East Side, the scent of raw silk and ambition hit her like perfume. Her name—ZARA LANE—was printed on sample tags, elegant and bold. The birth of her clothing line. Real. Tangible. Hers.She ran her fingers over a blazer, sleek with cut-glass structure, tailored for the kind of woman who ruled boardrooms with her lipstick shade.“This line is going to wreck the industry,” Jasmine whispered beside her, her long-time best friend turned business manager. “You realize that, right?”Zara smiled faintly. “It better.”Her phone buzzed. Alec.“Board meeting wrapped early. Need to see you. Urgent. Come by the penthouse.”She hesitated. Ever since he came clean about his identity, everything had shifted. The lies were out, but the silence between them had grown louder. They were rebuilding—but rebuilding required truth, and truth never came clean.Zara grabbed her jacket an

Zara was everywhere. Billboards flashed her face above the skyline. News anchors dissected her every move. And online, a new nickname emerged, whispered like gospel: The Phoenix Heiress. Overnight, the woman they’d once mocked for dating “beneath her status” had become the headline of resilience, elegance, and defiance. But victory came with a price. Inside her newly fortified boutique headquarters, Zara stood before a digital mock-up of her relaunch line—Ashes Reign. She zoomed in on the flagship piece: a sculpted, ink-black gown with embroidered flames licking the hem. Jasmine entered, breathless. “The foreign investors approved the deal. We’re back in business, Zara.” Zara turned slowly. “We never left.” Jasmine grinned. “Your dad’s asking for you. Doctor said he’s cleared for a full statement tomorrow.” Zara nodded but didn’t move. Something in her gut twisted. Not fear—but that low burn of intuition. The kind that whispered: Watch your back. She pressed a key on the keyboa

The rooftop of The Delacroix Hotel had been transformed into a scene from a fashion fairytale. Twinkling lights strung through marble archways. Red velvet draping the runway. Golden chandeliers catching the light of the New York sunset.Zara stood behind the curtains, her heart pounding harder than it ever had—even more than when she faced down Vivienne, or when she confronted Alec.This was her baby. Her brand. Her defiance in satin and fire.She adjusted the headset clamped to her ear. “Model seven—look sharp. That slit is scandalous, not sloppy.”Jasmine’s voice crackled from the back. “Five minutes, boss.”Zara closed her eyes. Breathed. Felt the rush of her mother’s presence, her father’s pride, and a vengeance no longer fueled by fire—but finesse.Then Alec’s voice came, calm and devastating behind her.“Zara.”She turned. He wore a tailored charcoal tux, crisp, unbothered, sin carved into a man. But his eyes—those damn eyes—looked worried.“I need to talk to you. Now.”Zara ste

The folder Damien gave her sat like a landmine in Zara’s lap. One signature, and she’d have the resources to save her father. One signature, and she’d hand her soul to a man who didn’t even pretend to be decent.The warehouse lights flickered above her as she paced the cold concrete floor, her heels echoing like a countdown. She hadn’t spoken to Alec since she walked out. She couldn’t. Not until she made a move that could change everything—for them, for Lane & Co., for the man who raised her and now sat, shackled and trembling, somewhere in the shadows of Juliette’s empire.Her phone vibrated.Unknown number.She answered.“I see you’re already making friends,” Juliette purred. “Damien, really? I thought you had better taste than spoiled leftovers.”Zara’s grip tightened. “You kidnapped my father.”“And you think playing businesswoman will save him? You’re in a war, sweetheart. This isn’t fashion week. It’s blood.”“What do you want?”Juliette’s laugh echoed like static. “Your name. Y

Zara Milli Lane didn’t do fear—not the usual kind. But what she felt now as she stepped into the mirrored boardroom of Blackwell Enterprises wasn’t fear. It was war drums. Her father’s life was still hanging in the balance, and Juliette’s smug smirk from the other side of the glass wasn’t helping.Alec stood at her side, no longer in disguise. He was the man the world knew now—Alec Blackwell, billionaire tycoon, legal strategist, empire kingpin. The mask was off, and his empire was under siege.Juliette had returned not just to reclaim Alec—but to destroy what he’d built with Zara. And it started with her.Zara’s phone buzzed. A message. A picture.Her father—tied, blindfolded, a gash over his cheek.“I’ll cut deeper next time,” the message read. Signed: J.Zara’s fingers trembled. Alec leaned in.“What is it?” His voice was low, deadly.She showed him the screen.Alec didn’t blink. He turned to his assistant. “Double security. And get Kane.”Kane. The enforcer. The man who did Alec’s