Bound by vow, burned by secrets

e soft morning light filtering through familiar curtains. This wasn't the sterile white of a hospital room, nor the

face, not loving, but victorious

and stinging, blurring the edges of the familiar mahogany dresser, the stack of unread novels, the half-packed box she remember

er crashed, a symphony of screams. Her last breath, ragged and cold, tasted of iron and shattered dreams. She remembered Julian's eyes, distant and cold, not filled

as too weak. Too petty for some

s. A gasp tore through her. It wasn't a nightmare. It was a second chance. The date on her phone, glowing innocently on

chered my family's name. They stol

tures, circling, always circling. She remembered the subtle pressures, the manipulated reports, the sudden downturns that had forced her father to make desperate choices. Then cam

ne. The viper

of her second chance fueled an unexpected surge of power. No more tears. No more fear. She wouldn't just survive

x needs fuel

Sterling Group was too powerful to tackle alone. Elias Sterling was a phantom, his hands never directly touching the instrume

eded a

hushed whispers in boardrooms, his name synonymous with ruthless ambition and untouchable wealth. She'd heard fleeting rumors, too, of his familial struggles, pa

ss arrangement for a man who

e needed power. It was a transaction she was willing to make. He might be cold-hearted, but he wasn't Elias Sterling. He w

e in a way it hadn't for a long, long time. This wasn't a dream. This was a second chance. And she wouldn't waste a si

ttered notes from her father's final, desperate attempts to save their company. Documents she'd dismi

en flickered to life, casting a pale glow on her determined face. This time, she would not be

t agenda:

ed: "Arthur Thorne." Arthur Thorne. The name echoed in her mind, a sudden, chilling connection. He was Lucien Kane's biggest corporate rival, the man trying to usurp his empire