The Billionaire's Shattered Vow

e distance. Two weeks had passed since the explosive media meltdown in Manhattan, and the French capital was currently playing host to the annual W

irrors at the Palace of Versailles, a room dripping in histo

d windows overlooking the manicured palace gardens,

ess silhouette, her dark hair styled into an elegant, high chignon held together by a multi-million dollar diamond tiara from the Montgomery estate reserves. Her makeup was sharp, her crimson lips forming a

crusted armor, Elena's sou

ance kneeling on the wet white concrete of the airport hangar, his sharp jaw bleeding, his emerald-green eyes weeping with a raw, agonizing, and completely unhinged level of paternal desperation. No matter h

f extreme, hyper-alert vigilance. His eyes constantly scanned the glittering ballroom. "Vance Enterprises' board officially voted to suspend Ethan Vance from his duties as CEO last week following the

wounded animal is at its most dangerous when it is backed into a corner, Marcus. Ethan Vance didn't become a titan by

's security mesh is entirely biometric, and we have ten elite French operators patrolling the

as holding, a sudden, heavy silence began t

violins in a wave of utter confusion. The high-society chatter of the French elite died down into a collective, stu

ohol across the hem of her black velvet gown. She didn't need to look at the doorway to know who had just arrived. The air inside the grand palace room instant

ilded doorway, cutting through the crow

had arrive

a flawless, custom-tailored midnight-black Italian tuxedo that accentuated his broad shoulders and muscular frame, a crisp white shirt buttoned tightly to his throat. His dark hair was perfectly styled back, his sharp jaw

audits, walked away from his board of directors, and burned his remaining l

pered frantically near the bar. "The one from the global news b

before him, terrified to even cross his path. Marcus immediately stepped into the center of the floor, his hand sliding inside his tuxedo jacket toward his concealed firearm

Marcus, his emerald eyes never leaving Elena's pale face. "I am going to say this exactly one time for the sake of your family's safety. Five minutes ago, Vance Enterprises officially finalized the acquisition of the historic preservation trust that owns

Versailles. Overnight. Just to bypass her security protocols and corner her in front

past her security chief, her dark eyes flashing with a brilliant, furious fire as she faced her ex-husband. "Let him appro

den light of the chandeliers, casting a dark, possessive shadow over her entire body. The intense, radiating heat from his c

ile spreading across his handsome lips. "But you are shaking. Tell me... is it because you are cold? Or is it because you final

ld ones. "You abandoned your company! You walked away from a federal audit! Your board suspended you! You are destroying

cally brushing against her velvet bodice, his eyes tracking every breath she took. "You thought you broke me when you exposed my sins to fifty million people? You thought you ruined my life by dropping my stock values? I don't care about the billions, Elena!

acking down her pale cheeks. "You signed the divorce papers five years ago! You told me our love was a simulated lie! You cast me out into a midnight stor

Ethan's handsome features. He flinched, his jaw clenching so hard a violent muscle ticked repeatedly in his cheek. He reached out, his large, warm hand

lesh felt like a literal electric current traveling straight

s a monster. I let a dead man's revenge poison the only pure, beautiful thing I ever had in my miserable life. I spent five years living in darkness, believing that my revenge had brought me peace, but the second I saw Leo's emerald eyes... the seco

fused to let her go, his thumb gently caressing the inside of her pulse point, where her heart was hammering a

fying smile-the smile of a predator who had just successfully sprung the ultimate legal trap around his target. He slowly reached into his tu

paralyzing terror as she stared

tion that cut through her soul like a blade. "As the biological, DNA-confirmed father of Leo and Ava, I have officially established a legal residency here in Paris. This document is a mandatory, court-ordered joint custody

completely, leaving her pale and breathless against his broad chest. He had legally caged her insid

way from her ear, his warm breath fanning against her neck. "As the primary trustee of the St. Jude educational network, I have officially transferred the twins' enrollm

ith a devastating mixture of absolute rage an

on and my daughter for their first day of French classes. And you will be standing right there next to me, holding their hands. Every single morning. Every single afternoon. Every single parent-tea

completely unbreakable defiance as she stared up into the emerald eyes of t

warfare. "You think you can force me to love a monster again? I will fight you in every court in Paris. I will turn every single board member against you. I w

unyielding level of absolute adoration as he tightened his grip on her wrist, pulling her

under the glittering chandeliers of Versailles. "Because I would rather burn in eternal damnation with you and my children by my side

dark, terrifying passion she couldn't control, knowing with absolute certainty that