an's
e world fell apart, and I had spent every sin
de the grand ballroom of the St. Regis Hotel, lookin
-billion-dollar corporate empire, but none of it mattered. Power w
stal glass, ignoring the fake smiles
all I heard was the violent blast of the car bomb
ce of Elena Vale, the quiet, gentle gir
d me into a cold monster that
y all called me a ruthless titan who
oved money but they didn't know the
al killers for half a decade without finding a single clue, and Elena
ech on the lower floor," my chief operatin
lied in a flat yet sharp,
the balcony, walking toward the quieter corridors
llway, a frantic commotion
one call a doctor!
ed scream of a woman ech
cene. But the sheer terror in that mother's voice hit a raw nerve in
side the VIP lounge door. She was gasping for air, her tiny chest heaving viole
" the mother cried, her back turned to me as she knelt over th
ped my glass onto the carpet, stepped forward
l my private medical team stationed downstairs. "I have a team of
, thank yo
rned her head
roat. My entire universe grou
me was not a fragile, hel
freezing storm five years ago was
lena Vale wore an elegant, tailored n
iating absolute power. She was no longer the soft, naive girl who cried at my feet. She was now the f
" Elena
bsolute shock, but the surprise
urning ice. The warmth in her eyes vanished, replaced
diately shifted her body, blocking my view and putting herself directly between
st my ribs like a batte
ed out, completely stunned. "Wher
a razor blade. She scooped the small, gasping girl into her arms, holding
turned her head, resting her che
ace, and my entire body l
with fear as she looked straight at me. Those eyes were not brow
brown eye
at the small girl's face, my mind rac
r chin, she didn't just look like me. She was the exact carbon copy of t
t Elena's chil
e night I threw El
straight out of my lungs. Elena hadn't just run away because I broke
through her shallow breaths, her tiny fin
the quiet hallway,
ad
years building around my heart cracked wide
overwhelming shock, and raw ag
orced my own daughter to grow up without a father, unaware that s
en mind as she held the girl tighter, her eyes full of desp
yes fixing onto the terrified c
dangerous mixture of panic and newfound determination. "Bring the medi
na, meeting her co
time, Elena," I whispered, my voice cr
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