Chapter One
The plane touched down with a jolt, and Olivia Smith gripped the armrest until her knuckles whitened. Twelve years. That was how long she had stayed away from this city, from the whispers of betrayal, from the family that demanded everything and gave so little in return.
Now, as the wheels screeched against the tarmac, she realized that the homecoming she had avoided for so long could no longer be delayed. Her father's sudden death had changed everything. His empire, the company he had built from nothing, was in jeopardy and with it the legacy of the Smith name.
The car waiting at the airport was sleek, black, and impersonal, the kind her family always sent. She slid into the back seat and stared at the city rushing past the tinted windows. Towers of glass reached into the sky, shining cold and ruthless in the late afternoon sun. Somewhere among them was Melt by Brown, the rival company that had risen like a storm under the command of Nathan Brown. His name, whispered with admiration and envy in the business world, had reached her ears even across the ocean.
But it wasn't Nathan she feared facing. It was Ethan.
Ethan Walker. Her ex. The man who had once promised her the world before tearing it from her hands with betrayal so sharp it had nearly broken her. And now, twelve years later, her family wanted her to marry him.
The Smith mansion loomed ahead as grand and intimidating as ever. Its iron gates swung open, and the car rolled down the long driveway lined with manicured hedges. Olivia's chest tightened as the house came into view, a fortress of stone and glass, cold and majestic. She stepped out, her heels clicking sharply against the polished marble steps, and was greeted by silence.
Her mother waited in the foyer, dressed in black silk that shimmered under the chandelier. Her beauty was as carefully preserved as the house around her, but her eyes carried the same chill Olivia remembered from childhood.
"You're late," her mother said, her voice cool, as though Olivia had simply missed a dinner party rather than returned after more than a decade abroad.
"I came as soon as I could," Olivia replied evenly, though her pulse raced.
Her mother's lips pressed into a thin line. "Your father's company is hanging by a thread. The board is restless. The only way to stabilize our position is through an alliance. Ethan is willing. You will marry him."
The words fell like a hammer, though Olivia had expected them. "You want me to marry the man who betrayed me?" she asked, her tone sharp. "To save a company that should never have been left so vulnerable in the first place?"
Her mother's eyes narrowed. "Don't be dramatic, Olivia. You have a duty to this family. Whatever happened between you and Ethan is irrelevant now."
Irrelevant. The word struck her like ice water. Ethan's betrayal had been many things, devastating, humiliating, unforgettable, but never irrelevant.
Before she could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hall. She turned and froze.
Ethan.
Time had not softened him. His hair was sharper, his smile colder, but his eyes still carried the same arrogance she remembered too well. He strode toward her with the confidence of a man who believed the world owed him everything.
"Olivia," he drawled, his voice smooth as silk, "you look… unchanged. Stunning, as always."
Her stomach twisted, but she held his gaze. "Ethan."
He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "We both know this marriage is inevitable. You can fight it if you want, but in the end, your family needs me. And so will you."
She wanted to slap the smirk from his face, but instead, she forced a cold smile. "We'll see." She walked past him and stopped, the looked back. "Don't get your hopes too high, Ethan. You can't always get what you want."
That night, Olivia couldn't sleep. She wandered onto the balcony, staring out at the city lights. Somewhere out there, Nathan Brown was ruling his empire. She had never met him, but his reputation spoke for itself: ruthless in business, guarded in love, a man who built walls higher than anyone dared climb. And yet, people whispered that he had a weakness, a secret buried in his past that could bring his empire crashing down.
Olivia didn't know why she thought of him now. Perhaps because, in a world filled with men like Ethan, Nathan represented something different. Dangerous, yes, but not dishonest.
Her phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts. A message flashed on the screen from an unknown number.
"Be careful who you trust. The deal with Ethan isn't what it seems."
Her pulse quickened. She glanced around the darkened balcony, but there was no one. Only the wind and the distant hum of the city.
A second message followed.
"If you want the truth, meet me tomorrow. Noon. Hotty Cafe."
Olivia's breath caught. Hotty Cafe, downtown, on the edge of the financial district. She had no idea who was sending the messages, but something in her gut told her it wasn't a trap. It was a warning. But who could have sent her an anonymous message? Who knew about her parents' deal with Ethan?
She tightened her grip on the phone and held it close to her chest.
If her family thought they could control her, if Ethan thought he could chain her to him again, they were all wrong. Olivia Smith had returned home, but she was no longer the naïve girl they remembered. Because Olivia has really been mistreated for her naive personality, but this time, she wouldn't let anyone treat her badly ever again.
And tomorrow, she would find out who was brave enough or foolish enough to send her that message