After being betrayed by her half-sister, Lyra, a young woman with a tumultuous past, left her golden world to go into exile abroad and escape the machinations of her family. Three years later, she returns with a heavy heart but determined to get revenge. However, she finds herself trapped in an arranged marriage intended to protect the interests of her sick grandmother. But who is this man who is really being forced upon her? To her great surprise, the billionaire she is to marry is not Finn, the man who betrayed her and with whom her half-sister had humiliated her. Instead, she finds herself facing a mystery incarnate: a charismatic and enigmatic billionaire she has never met. Why did he agree to this marriage? What is hidden behind his piercing gaze? As Lyra delves deeper into this new reality, she discovers that her half-sister and stepmother orchestrated the marriage to regain control of their family empire after discovering Finn was an imposter with no legitimacy. But why did they choose this man? And what does he really know about the real story? The mysterious billionaire, Alexander, is more than just a businessman; he is the true heir to a forgotten dynasty, returned to reclaim his lost heritage. In this arranged marriage, Lyra finds herself at the center of a thrilling power play, torn between family loyalty and her growing passion for the man she supposedly despises. Can Lyra untangle the threads of this complex plot and choose between revenge and love? What will she do when the truth about Alexander's intentions comes to light? The suspense builds at every turn: will her own secrets be exposed before she can act?
Chapter 1 Chapitre 1
The rain beat violently against the windows of the taxi as it wound its way through the familiar streets of Crescentville . Lyra pressed her forehead against the cold glass, her heart heavy, but determination burning in her eyes. It had been three years since she left this town, three years since she turned her back on everything she knew, taking with her the broken pieces of a past she could not forget. **Why was she coming back now?** It was a question she kept asking herself, but the answer was crystal clear. It was not out of nostalgia, nor out of hope of reconciliation.
It was for revenge.
The car stopped in front of the large family home, an austere stone monument that had always evoked more constraints than comfort. As she descended, she took a deep breath, trying to contain the bitterness that threatened to boil over. The scent of the wisteria in the garden seemed to have not changed, but everything else did. Herself, first of all. The naive and malleable young woman she had been had died the day her half-sister, Vanessa, tore her life into pieces.
The door opened before she even knocked. An older woman, her face scarred by illness but softened by a warm smile, stood there.
- ** Lyra , my darling, you are here.**
His grandmother. The only person in this family chaos who had always been on his side. Lyra gave a smile that she hoped was sincere and threw herself into his arms, breathing in the reassuring scent of lavender that had accompanied so many childhood memories.
- **Grandma, how are you? I missed you so much.**
- **So what about you? It seemed like I would never see you again. Come in quickly, it's cold outside.**
They entered the vast hall, where the dark walls and old carpets seemed even more oppressive than before. Lyra tried to chase away the unpleasant memories that threatened to invade her: the arguments, the manipulations, the betrayal. She was here for a reason, and she wouldn't let the past distract her.
His grandmother observed him with silent curiosity, as if trying to understand what was hidden behind this sudden return.
- **You must be tired after your trip. I prepared your room for you.**
Lyra put down her luggage and sat by the fireplace, letting the heat warm her cold hands. But the respite was short-lived.
- **Grandma...are Vanessa and my mother-in-law still here?**
The grandmother's expression hardened slightly, a shadow crossing her eyes.
- **Yes. They haven't changed, if that's what you want to know. Vanessa has even taken up more space than before in the company. But they weren't expecting you... and I doubt they'll be happy to see you again.**
Lyra gave a cold smile.
- **I didn't come back to please them. This time, I won't let it happen.**
A silence settled between them, heavy with unsaid words. Then her grandmother sighed, smoothing out the folds of her dress with nervous gestures.
- **There's something I need to talk to you about.**
Lyra looked up, wary. She didn't like her grandmother's tone, nor the unusual hesitation in her voice.
- **What is happening?**
- **A wedding, Lyra . An arranged marriage.**
The young woman blinked in disbelief.
- **A wedding? With whom ? For what ?**
The old woman straightened up, her voice taking on a firmness that contrasted with her apparent fragility.
- **This is about protecting the family legacy. The business that your father built, the one that your stepmother and Vanessa are trying to destroy little by little. If nothing is done, they will soon have everything in their hands. This marriage is a solution... temporary, but necessary.**
Lyra felt a cold shiver go down her spine. She had heard this kind of speech before. The "necessary" sacrifices, the "temporary" compromises. It never ended well.
- **And you think it's up to me to sacrifice myself?** she asked, her voice sharp.
- **No, my dear. But you are the only one who can do it. The man in question is ready to help us, provided you agree to become his wife.**
Lyra flinched slightly, as if her grandmother's words had slapped her.
- **And who is this man?**
Her grandmother hesitated, playing with the pendant around her neck.
- **His name is Alexander. An influential but mysterious billionaire. I don't know him personally, but his record is... impressive.**
Alexander. The name echoed in Lyra's mind, foreign and threatening at the same time. Why would such a powerful man want to get mixed up in their dysfunctional family?
- **And what does he gain from it?**
- **I guess he has his own reasons. But I can assure you that he has no connection with Vanessa or your mother-in-law. He insisted that everything be transparent and under contract.**
Lyra stood abruptly, her mind swirling with conflicting emotions.
- **No. I can't do this, grandmother. Not yet giving in to their schemes. I have already lost everything because of this family.**
Her grandmother placed a trembling hand on her arm, her pleading eyes meeting those of Lyra .
- **I know it's unfair to ask you that, my little one. But I'm old, and I won't be able to protect this heritage for long. If you refuse, everything your father built will disappear.**
These words struck Lyra in the heart. She had sworn not to let herself be manipulated again, but could she really turn her back on what was left of her father?
She looked away, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.
- **I want to meet him first. If I'm going to consider this marriage, I need to know who I'm dealing with.**
Her grandmother nodded, relieved.
- **Of course. I will organize a meeting tomorrow.**
Lyra remained silent, staring at the flames in the fireplace. She hadn't come for that. She had come to regain control of her life, not to hand it over to a stranger. But maybe this marriage was his chance to turn things around, take back the family legacy and finally escape Vanessa's shadow.
She took a deep breath, vowing to stay on guard. **Alexander** or not, she would never let herself be crushed again.
Night was falling on Crescentville , but for Lyra , it was only the beginning of a new chapter. A chapter where she intended to be the heroine, and no longer the victim.
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