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.
Steve Bradley - real estate titan, empire builder and a proud father - rose from the leather couch, his face drawn in restrained emotion. One of Australia's most powerful real estate moguls, leaned forward, his knuckles pale against the edge of his desk.
"He's not the right man for you, Ally. You think he loves you now — but what happens when he finds out who you are? Who we are?"
Ally's chin lifted. She had rehearsed this conversation a dozen times in her head. But now, standing here, it felt different. He wasn't just challenging her relationship — he was challenging her judgment.
"Dad, I know you don't like Nick," she said carefully. "But I've seen the way he looks at me. The way he listens. He doesn't want my name, or the company. He wants me."
Steve turned his back, staring out the floor-to-ceiling window. His voice dropped low.
"The world isn't always that kind, Ally. Love doesn't hold up when tested by money and power. You come from a legacy. You carry a name that could open or destroy nations. If he ever knew..."
Ally stepped closer, voice firm.
"That's why I didn't tell him, I changed the surname from Bradley to Miller."
He turned sharply.
"What?"
"I told him I come from a simple background. I didn't want him to see dollar signs when he looked at me. I needed to know if his love was real."
Steve walked to her, slower now, more cautious.
"So you're testing him... and me?"
Ally blinked back tears.
"No, Dad. I'm choosing. I want to build something real. Not an empire. A home."
Steve's jaw tightened. Then slowly, he nodded.
"You're my only daughter. The woman I raised to lead in a man's world. And if you walk into that marriage blind, I'll still be here when it falls apart. But I want you to remember something."
He reached out, pressing a hand to her shoulder.
"You weren't born to fail."
---
Back to Present – Bradley Estate, New York
A tear rolled silently down Samantha's cheek.
You weren't born to fail.
Those words haunted her in the best and worst ways. A prophecy. A promise. And now, a challenge.
Jake's voice snapped her back.
"Sam? Where did your mind run off to?"
She turned slowly. "Back," she said softly. "Back to the last time I believed love was enough."
A tear slipped from her right eye, trailing down her cheek. Jake reached into his pocket and offered her a folded handkerchief.
She shook her head gently.
"No. This isn't a tear, Jake. This is the start of everything I've planned." Her voice was low, razor - sharp. "It's the spark that start a wildlife."
She wiped the tear away with the tip of her nail, slow and deliberate, like erasing weakness.
"My father told me I wasn't born to fail. Maybe I failed in that damn marriage. Maybe I failed myself… but this time, I'm walking into war with my eyes wide open."
Jake stepped forward and gently wrapped his arms around her, letting her rest against his chest.His fingers moved through her soft hair, grounding her.
"You've already won, Sam," he said.
She pulled back and met his gaze with iron resolve, her composure returning like a tide.
"Not yet. There's still more to uncover about the Carter family. And Elevate's New York expansion is in two weeks. If I'm going to reclaim my name and burn them down, I need every piece of this puzzle."
She walked to her private desk and picked up a sleek, black folder marked confidential.
"Start with Chloe," she added coldly. "I want her accounts, her contacts, and her secrets. She's been feeding off the Carter name like a parasite. Let's see how she handles exposure."
Jake nodded. "Right away."
She paused by the window once more, staring into the city that once swallowed her whole.
"This time," she whispered, "I won't just survive them. I'll outlive their legacy."