Victor is the owner of an entertainment industry, he is a big believer of love, very possessive, obsessive and gets whatever or whoever he wants by all means. Lia is a writer that just lost her parents to an accident four months ago, a week after their funeral she found he fiancee cheating on her with her best friend and got very heartbroken coupled with the pain of her parent death, her best friend and ex kept taunting her wherever they see her as they live in a very small town so she decided to move far away to another state since her book is about to be turned into a movie. Viktor saw Lia for the first time in his company when she was looking for the meeting room as she was meeting her agent and he felt connected to her immediately but Lia had no interest in starting a new relationship, she only wants to have fun with no strings attached. When they met at a club Viktor's friend frequents , one thing led to other and they had a one night stand and Lia left while Viktor was still sleeping the next day Now Viktor wants more but Lia only wants one night stand with him Join them on their journey to see what happens
Chapter 1 New City, Old Wound
~Veloria Heights, Late Afternoon~
The city skyline rose like a shimmering promise in the distance, but Lia felt none of its allure. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tighter as she pulled up in front of the high-rise building. She'd imagined this moment a hundred times - her book finally being turned into a movie, a new chapter in her life, a fresh start - but now that it was here, all she could feel was the weight of the past clinging to her like fog.
She sat in her car for a minute longer, watching people hurry past with their sleek hair and confident strides. This place - Veloria Heights - was nothing like the sleepy town she'd left behind. And that was exactly why she chose it.
Four months ago, her world shattered. Her parents, her anchors, had died in a brutal car crash. A week after their funeral, she walked in on her fiancé and her best friend tangled in bedsheets. Betrayal and grief had blurred into one crushing darkness. Every street corner in her hometown whispered memories she couldn't bear to relive. So she ran. Far away. To a city where no one knew her name, no one would pity her, and no one would dare break her again.
Lia adjusted the strap of her leather tote bag and stepped out of the car, the wind catching strands of her long auburn hair. She didn't wear makeup today, didn't need armor. She was done pretending.
The towering glass building before her housed VMC Studios - one of the most powerful entertainment empires in the country. Her literary agent had fought tooth and nail to sell the adaptation rights of her novel, Ashes & Bloom, to them. Lia had agreed under one condition: she'd be involved creatively. She wanted control. After everything she'd lost, she craved it like oxygen.
Inside the sleek lobby, she was greeted by the scent of polished marble and perfume far too expensive for comfort. Everyone looked like they'd stepped off a runway.
"Hi, I'm looking for the meeting room? I'm supposed to meet with my agent and the production team," she asked the receptionist.
The woman barely looked up. "Take the elevator to the twenty-third floor. Second door on the left."
"Thanks."
Lia turned and walked toward the elevators, heels clicking on the floor, shoulders squared. She didn't notice the pair of eyes following her every move.
⸻
Viktor Maddox stood near the glass wall of the lobby, phone pressed to his ear but long forgotten. His assistant droned on in his earpiece about some contract negotiation, but Viktor's focus had shifted entirely.
He'd seen beautiful women. Slept with them. Dated a few - kept most at arm's length. But this one?
There was something raw about her. Unpolished. Real. She moved like she had a storm inside her. That kind of energy always intrigued him.
"Find out who she is," he said, interrupting his assistant.
"Who?" the voice on the other end asked, confused.
"The woman who just walked in. Red-brown hair. Black blazer. Carrying pain like a second skin."
"Sir?"
"Don't question. Just find out."
He ended the call, eyes lingering on the elevator doors until they closed.
⸻
On the twenty-third floor, Lia found the room and was immediately enveloped by handshakes and over-eager smiles. Her agent, Marla, introduced her to a team of producers and creative execs, most of whom she couldn't even remember five minutes later. They complimented her work, her "vision," and assured her they would honor the story's emotional depth.
She nodded politely, but her attention drifted.
Then, the door opened.
A man stepped in. Tall, broad-shouldered, and commanding without effort. He didn't smile - didn't need to. His presence said enough.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," he said, voice low and smooth like aged whiskey. His eyes - a cold steel blue - swept the room before landing on her. And staying there.
Marla straightened. "Mr. Maddox, we didn't expect you today."
"Change of plans." He walked forward and extended his hand toward Lia. "You must be Ms. Hart."
She took it slowly, the heat of his palm sharp against hers. "Lia."
"Viktor Maddox. Owner of this little empire." His lips curled faintly. "It's a pleasure."
She didn't return the smile. "Didn't expect the emperor himself to show up."
"I'm very hands-on when it comes to things I care about."
His words made something stir low in her stomach. She pulled her hand back.
The meeting resumed, but Viktor didn't leave. He took a seat across from her, his gaze never straying. Lia felt it like a touch - invasive, curious, hungry.
And for a split second... she didn't mind.
⸻
After the meeting, Lia stepped into the elevator alone, relieved to escape. But just before the doors could close, a hand reached in.
Viktor.
Of course.
She moved to the corner, tense.
"You write like you've been through war," he said casually.
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I read your book. Before the deal was finalized." He looked at her, dead serious. "It's not just a story. It's pain. Real pain."
She swallowed. "Glad you enjoyed it."
"I didn't say I enjoyed it. I said I felt it."
She stared at him, unsure whether to be flattered or disturbed.
"Are you always this intense with people you've just met?"
"No. Only the ones I want to know more about."
The elevator pinged. She stepped out without another word.
⸻
That night, Lia sat on her small apartment balcony, sipping wine and trying to erase Viktor Maddox's eyes from her thoughts. Men like him were dangerous. Not the kind that left bruises - the kind that left marks on your soul.
And she'd had enough of that.
She reminded herself: this was her new life. She was in control now. No love. No attachments. Just freedom.
But somewhere in the city, Viktor stared at a security camera screenshot of her leaving the building, zoomed in and sharp.
"She's interesting," he murmured to himself.
His assistant on the phone asked, "Do you want me to invite her to the gala Friday?"
He paused, eyes locked on the screen.
"No. Not yet. Let her come to me."
Whew!!!
I hope you enjoy the first chapter and more to come
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