Samantha walked back to the window where she had stood before Jake entered. Her eyes lingered on the skyline beyond the study window, her mind drifting — far from the golden haze bathed in twilight, far from the revenge waiting to unfold. Instead, it wandered back ten years… to a time when she wasn't Samantha Bradley, the steel-hearted heiress prepared to destroy an empire.
She had been Ally Miller.
A woman in love.
And a fool.
---
Ten Years Ago — Australia
The afternoon sun bled across the sprawling estate grounds, casting soft gold over manicured lawns and white marble railings. Inside the private study of the Bradley mansion, the air was thick with tension.
Ally stood across from her father, her fingers twisting the engagement ring on her hand — the symbol of a promise she had no idea would lead to ruin.
