For three years, Althea lived in the shadow of an arranged marriage with Damian Crowe, a billionaire as ruthless as they are insistent, known for his dark things and his absolute control over the elite. This marriage, designed by their families to unite two dynasties by the decline, quickly turned into a nightmare. Ignored by Damian, and closely monitored by his allies, Althea has discovered a world of unavowable secrets and questionable transactions. One night, she comes across compromising information that could ruin Damian and her whole family. Realizing that she is only a pawn in their game, she disappears without warning, leaving behind an empire in danger and a man plagued by her own demons. When Althea resurfaces three years later, she was unrecognizable: independent, formidable and armed with a infallible strategy to undermine the power of Damian. In parallel, it becomes the target of the rivals of the latter, who see in it the key to destroy the reign of the Crowe. But Damian did not say his last word. Torn between his desire to reconquer and the fear of the truths that Althea could reveal, he embarks on a battle where love and destruction are intertwined. Does Althea play a vengeance game, or is it about to overthrow a world that she has sworn to never suffer?
Chapter 1 Chapitre 1
Althea shivered as the frigid air filtered through the city streets. Her hand tightened on the strap of her bag, as if this simple gesture could give her the strength to contain the flood of emotions rising within her. Three years. Three whole years of fleeing, rebuilding, planning his return. She hadn't anticipated how strangely familiar everything would be, or how seeing those illuminated skyscrapers would bring back memories she'd tried to bury.
A taxi had dropped her off at the corner of a street she knew well. The building stood before her, imposing and cold, like a monument both attractive and intimidating. The last few meters seemed to last forever. She took a deep breath, adjusted her coat, then walked through the large glass doors. The hall, sumptuous and dazzling, greeted him in an almost oppressive silence, disturbed only by the clicking of his heels on the marble floor.
The doorman, a middle-aged man with an impassive face, greeted her with calculated deference.
- Good evening, Mrs. Laurent, he said, using the pseudonym she had given to rent the apartment.
She just nodded, controlling the worry that threatened to break through her mask of calm. Every detail mattered, every movement had to feel natural, even if his heart was beating wildly. She crossed the hall, entered the elevator and pressed the button for the thirty-second floor. When the doors closed, she finally let out a sigh, her hands trembling slightly.
Arriving on her floor, Althea opened the door to a luxuriously furnished, refined and functional apartment. She stopped in the middle of the living room, her eyes scanning the area. Everything was perfect, too perfect, as if this place had been designed for someone else. She placed her bag on the glass table and walked towards the bay window. The view overlooked the entire city, a sea of sparkling lights that seemed to stretch on forever.
She took her phone out of her pocket and dialed a number she knew by heart. The voice that answered on the other end of the line was calm, almost clinical.
- Are you up?
- Yes, she replied, looking at the city lights. Everything is ready.
The call was brief, but enough to remind him that this return was not an impulse, but a carefully planned mission. Her heart had hardened over the years, and every step she took now was calculated with icy precision.
A few miles away, Damian Crowe stood in his office, a glass of whiskey in his hand. His intense blue eyes stared at the crackling fire in the fireplace. The report on his desk contained information that should have satisfied him. Yet he felt a tension he hadn't felt in a long time.
- She's back, confirmed Marcus, her loyal right-hand man, as he entered the room.
Damian didn't answer immediately, his fingers playing with the glass he held. He finally got up, walking around his desk to stand facing the window. The city spread out before his eyes, vibrant and alive, but his mind was elsewhere.
- Where is she? he finally asked, his voice cold and sharp.
- In an apartment in the city center. She uses the name Laurent. No suspicious movements at the moment.
Damian nodded, but his thoughts were swirling. Althea. Just saying her name in his mind brought back memories he would have preferred to forget. Their last confrontation, three years earlier, remained etched in his memory like a wound that refused to heal.
He saw himself again in his office, facing her. She had thrown a file onto her desk, her eyes gleaming with anger and determination.
- I know what you're doing, Damian.
He had feigned indifference, but the contents of the file were impossible to ignore: evidence of his illegal activities, questionable banking transactions, clandestine deals. He had tried to dissuade her, to explain to her that the world in which he lived was much more complex than she imagined, but she had not wanted to hear anything.
That evening she had left, but not before giving him one last look, a mixture of defiance and pain. Since then, he had wondered if she would ever come back. Now that she was here, he had to understand why.
- Continue surveillance, he ordered Marcus. If she moves, I want to know immediately.
Marcus nodded before leaving the room, leaving Damian alone with his thoughts. He knew that this return was not trivial. Althea was not the type to do things randomly. She had a plan, and he had to find out what it was before she put his empire in danger.
Back in her apartment, Althea opened a file that she had carefully kept during her years in exile. The photos, the readings, the evidence... Everything was there, intact, ready to be used. But this time, she wouldn't just brandish this evidence as a threat. She would destroy Damian piece by piece, methodically, mercilessly.
She placed the file on the table and headed to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. The tension in her shoulders didn't ease, but she refused to give in to worry. Every move she had made for three years had led to this moment. There was no room for doubts.
A noise at the door startled her. She put down her glass and walked slowly towards the entrance. When she opened it, she found a package lying on the floor, with no sender. Suspicious, she picked it up and placed it on the table before carefully opening it. Inside was a simple piece of paper, folded in half. When she unfolded it, her heart skipped a beat.
**"Welcome home. »**
The message, although brief, was heavy with innuendo. Damian knew she was there.
Althea clenched the paper between her fingers, her eyes hardening. If he thought that a simple message would be enough to destabilize her, he was sorely mistaken. She was ready for this game, and this time, she intended to win.
She returned to the bay window, her gaze fixed on the city that stretched out beneath her feet. This return was only the beginning. Damian Crowe didn't yet know what awaited him.
Chapter 1 Chapitre 1
05/01/2025
Chapter 2 Chapitre 2
05/01/2025
Chapter 3 Chapitre 3
05/01/2025
Chapter 4 Chapitre 4
05/01/2025
Chapter 5 Chapitre 5
05/01/2025
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