Velmore Corporate Tower – Midnight, 42nd Floor
The entire floor was silent except for the low hum of the city lights below. In the corner office, a woman in a crimson silk robe sat on a high-backed chair, legs crossed, the glow from the window outlining her poised figure.
The screen in front of her displayed live CCTV footage — Desmund Winslow inside his cell, speaking to her through a secure video call.
Desmund (on screen): "It's done. Lucian's guilt is eating him alive. Caliste's broken. You should be satisfied now."
The woman smirked, swirling the wine in her glass. Her reflection showed her cold beauty — sharp cheekbones, perfect curls, and eyes filled with bitter nostalgia.
Mirana Vale.
The same supermodel who once ruled fashion covers and walked every elite runway — and the same woman who had once claimed to be pregnant with Lucian Velmore's child.
Mirana: "Satisfied? Not yet, Desmund. I've waited years for this. Lucian took everything from me — my fame, my career, my dignity. What I lost, he'll lose tenfold."
Desmund (bitterly): "You're just like me then — both ruined by the Velmores."
Mirana (smiling): "Ruined, yes. But unlike you, I've learned how to rebuild."
She stood and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the sleeping city. The moonlight caught the glittering diamond band on her finger — the ring of Senator Aldous Murran, her new husband and one of the major shareholders of Velmore Group.
Mirana: "The board already listens to me now, Desmund. Half of them don't even know who I really am. And soon… Velmore will crumble from the inside."
Desmund smirked through the screen. "You always had a talent for manipulation."
Mirana (coldly): "I learned it from the best — Lucian Velmore himself."
She took a sip of wine, then tapped a folder open on her tablet — photographs of Lucian visiting Caliste at the hospital, Caelum leaving Velmore headquarters, and Victoria Velmore speaking with board members.
Mirana: "Everything is going as planned. Caliste will keep distracting him with her fragile emotions, and when the time comes, I'll take what's mine — his company, his reputation, and the name Velmore."
Desmund tilted his head, intrigued. "You still love him, don't you?"
Mirana froze for a moment, then smiled faintly — the kind of smile that hid years of resentment.
Mirana: "Love?" she said softly. "Love died the day he humiliated me and left me begging in front of the press. He destroyed me to protect her. Now, I'll destroy him… to remind him what it feels like to lose everything."
The call ended. Desmund's image disappeared from the screen, leaving Mirana alone in the dark office.
She glanced at her reflection in the window — flawless, untouchable — yet behind her eyes burned a storm of fury and pain.
Mirana (whispering): "You made me a monster, Lucian… now you'll live long enough to see what you've created."
She turned off the lights, leaving only the city glow behind her, like the fire of vengeance waiting to rise.
Morning sunlight spilled through the tall glass panels, but the atmosphere in the boardroom was anything but bright. Victoria Velmore sat at the head of the long mahogany table, her posture regal despite her age. Caelum sat beside her, flipping through pages of the latest financial report with a furrowed brow.
The board members exchanged wary glances. There were whispers of internal changes, unusual votes, and stock transfers — all happening under their noses.
Victoria (firmly): "I want an explanation for this sudden shift in share ownership. Three percent of the company transferred in one week — that doesn't happen without authorization."
One of the directors cleared his throat nervously. "It was a private transaction, Madam Velmore. Approved by one of our senior shareholders, Senator Murran."
Caelum's eyes narrowed. "Murran?"
"Yes," the director replied. "His wife has taken an active interest in company affairs lately. She's been attending meetings on his behalf."
Victoria leaned forward, sharp intuition flickering in her eyes. "And who exactly is his wife?"
The director hesitated, looking down. "Mirana Vale."
For a moment, the room fell completely silent.
Caelum froze, remembering the name — the same woman who once shattered Lucian and Caliste's marriage.
Victoria's fingers tightened on her pen, but her voice remained composed. "Mirana Vale... the model?"
"Yes, ma'am," another board member confirmed. "She's been very persuasive. She convinced some of the minor investors to shift their votes under her advisory."
Caelum exchanged a grim look with Victoria. He could see the concern in her eyes — not just about business, but about Lucian.
Caelum (coldly): "She's not here for investment. She's here for revenge."
Victoria sighed deeply, her voice low. "That woman nearly destroyed my grandson once. If she's back, she won't stop until she does it again."
She stood, her cane tapping against the marble floor as she walked toward the window. "Summon Elias. I want every document, every transaction under the Vale name traced. If she's plotting something against Lucian, I'll make sure she fails before she even begins."
Caelum nodded. "I'll handle it personally, Grandmother. And if I find out she's behind Desmund's moves too…"
His jaw clenched. "Then she won't just be fighting Lucian Velmore — she'll be fighting me."
Victoria turned toward him, her gaze softened but resolute. "Be careful, Caelum. Mirana Vale is not just a vengeful woman — she's clever. And clever women in pain are the most dangerous kind."
As the meeting adjourned, Victoria looked down at the file labeled Murran Holdings. Beneath it was a photograph clipped from an old magazine — Mirana and Lucian at a gala, smiling, before everything fell apart.
She whispered quietly to herself:
"History repeats itself… but not this time."
Private Lounge – Murran Estate
The faint scent of aged cigars and imported whiskey filled the air as the evening sun cast long shadows across the luxurious study. On the leather couch sat Senator Aldous Murran, silver-haired yet still commanding, his tailored suit stretched over his broad shoulders. Across from him stood Mirana, radiant in a black silk dress that shimmered under the golden light — her beauty almost cruel in its perfection.
Aldous raised his glass. "You've been rather busy lately, my dear. The boardroom whispers your name now more than mine."
Mirana smiled faintly, her crimson lips curving with practiced grace. "You gave me permission to play in the business, remember? I'm just… entertaining myself."
He chuckled. "Entertaining yourself by buying shares of Velmore Group?"
Mirana's smile hardened. "Not just buying, Aldous. Positioning."
She walked toward him, her heels clicking softly on the marble floor. "Velmore owes much of its empire to arrogance. And Lucian Velmore was always the proudest of them all. It's time he learned what happens when pride collapses."
Aldous leaned back, amused by her intensity. "Still bitter after all these years? My dear, that affair ended almost a decade ago."
Mirana stopped before him, eyes gleaming with quiet fury. "It didn't end — he ended me. He took everything I had. My career, my family's name, my reputation. He turned the world against me because I lied about a child."
Her voice cracked slightly, but she quickly masked it. "I lost everything. But now… now I have you. And through you, I have power again."
The senator swirled the amber liquor in his glass, eyeing her carefully. "And how exactly do you plan to use that power?"
Mirana smiled coldly. "Simple. Destroy Lucian Velmore — not through scandal this time, but through his empire."
She walked to the table, opening a folder filled with documents and photographs — shares, business records, and newspaper cuttings. One photo was of Caliste Winslow, holding Lucca's hand outside Estrella Villa.
Aldous frowned. "His ex-wife? What does she have to do with this?"
Mirana's tone sharpened. "Everything. She is his weakness. He may pretend to move on, but I've watched him, Aldous. Every time her name appears, his mask cracks. If I control her… I control him."
The senator raised a brow. "Control her how?"
Mirana leaned closer, her voice low and venomous. "She just lost her unborn child, didn't she? She's fragile. I'll make sure she's offered 'help' — maybe an investment, a sponsorship under my name. Then I'll turn her trust into leverage."
Aldous sighed, half-admiring, half-wary. "You're playing a dangerous game, my love."
Mirana smirked. "Dangerous games are the only ones worth winning."
She picked up a photograph of Lucian — cold, expressionless, taken from a business magazine. She ran her red fingernail over his face.
"I want him to lose everything," she whispered. "His company, his name, and that woman he still loves. When I'm done, Lucian Velmore will be begging for ruin."
Aldous chuckled, shaking his head. "You're ruthless, Mirana. Remind me never to fall on your bad side."
Mirana turned to him, her beauty almost ghostly in the dim light. "Don't worry, darling. You're the only one safe."
She poured herself a drink, raising it slightly toward his glass.
"To revenge," she said softly.
Aldous smirked and raised his own. "And to the empire we'll own once he falls."
Their glasses clinked — crystal ringing in the silence — sealing a pact born of greed and vengeance.
Outside the tall window, thunder rolled in the distance, as if warning that the calm before the storm was nearly over.