CHAPTER ONE
ANASTASIA
I stood transfixed, my hand frozen on the cold metal handle of the door and my lips parted, my heart hammering so loud it could be heard in a mile.
Their voices came through the door in muffled fragments.
"She's a bitch, Mom. I hate her so much. She's taken everything from me... everything I ever cared," Lauren sobbed.
"Oh, darling... you still have me" my mother soothed. "No one can ever take me away from you."
My chest tightened.
I imagined her gentle strokes on Lauren's hair, trying to soothe her with those familiar reassurances that once belonged to me too. My hand trailed down the door as I struggled to stay upright. I stumbled back into the sitting room.
I wished I could go back—to the days when Mom would stroke my hair whenever I was sad, or when Lauren and I would bicker over whose turn it was to lay on her lap. But that time was gone. Since the incident, everything has changed. the walls. the air. even the way my mother looked at me.
I felt like a stranger in my home... alone!
And God... it hurts.
My phone vibrated in my palms, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Hello, Miss," a deep voice echoed from the other end. Formal.
"Yeah…" I answered, my mind still foggy. Now was not the best time to be solving puzzles.
"The boss said you should meet him at Sylvania in thirty minutes."
I sucked in a sharp breath.
I had almost forgotten about my meeting with Dominic Bernardino. The CEO of Bernadino Group of Company.
I was supposed to meet him at Sylvania—the most exclusive hotel in the city. A playground for billionaires and men who thought the world was under their feet.
Thirty minutes? It was at least forty-minute drive from our villa.
Before I could argue, the call ended. So rude.
I didn't waste another second. I grabbed my key and stormed out slamming the door behind me as I slid into my Mercedes and sped off, clinging to the hope that something good might come out of meeting Dominic Bernardino.
Up until now, he has only existed at the background of my mind, despite our parents being friends. From a distance, he always came off as arrogant and full of himself. Even when we attended the same parties or conferences—which was rare—we never exchanged a single word.
I was halfway through a red light when the buzz from my phone collided with the screech of my tires on the smooth road.
I groaned and pulled over.
Multitasking has never been my strong suit.
"Hello, Miss Hughes". my secretary's voice came through the line—if I didn't know better, I'd have thought she was yelling. "There's an urgent situation at the company."
My grip on the wheel tightened.
"Can't it wait?" I replied, stealing quick glances at my wristwatch.
I had barely six minutes left, and I wasn't even halfway to Sylvania.
"I'm afraid not, ma'am," came her high-pitched voice.
my heart sank.
One thing I knew about my secretary: when she said something was urgent, she wasn't bluffing. I'd learned that the hard way.
"I'm on my way." I took the next turn toward HGC—Dominic Bernadino could wait.
Within minutes I was pulling into Hughes group.
My secretary was already waiting at the entrance, her heels clicking anxiously against the tiles.
"What's going on?" I braced myself for bad news; things had been rocky at the company lately.
"One of the stakeholders is threatening to pull out their shares."
I clenched my fists, my breath quickening—not because I was losing a stakeholder, but because I'd nearly missed an opportunity to fix the persistent problem plaguing us.
"That's not new. Why the alarm this time?"
I forced myself to take a calming breath. She needed to explain quickly; I wasn't sure how long I could hold it together. Rubbing my palms together, we headed toward the conference room.
"It's not just any stakeholder, ma'am—it's Miss Lauren."
I froze on my tracks. She was right. This was serious. I ran my hand across my forehead, feeling the weight of it all.
"Tell me everything," I said, steeling myself for what was coming next.
"She called an emergency meeting with all the stakeholders and announced her plan to break away from Hughes Group and start a rival company. Sixty percent of them sided with her and the rest..."
She hesitated.
"They're suggesting a coup to overthrow". Her voice fell. "They want her as CEO. Though Lauren herself looked uncertain."
A pulse throbbed at my temple.
A coup.
In my company.
I swallowed hard.
My reflection in the glass door leading to the conference room revealed a pale face. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.
I took a steadying breath.
Gulped water from the bottle in my backpack.
Unwrapped a minted gum and threw it into my mouth.
I was ready.
Inside the conference room, their eyes darted toward me as I entered.
Bastards. They really were plotting a coup. Loyalty meant nothing to them.
"I understand your fears." I said calmly taking my seat at the head of the table. this company is under pressure. But a coup will destroy it faster than any crisis."
They shifted uncomfortably.
I scanned their faces, then noticed Lauren wasn't physically present—she was on a conference call. The brat had the audacity to speak to them remotely.
"You all have the right to stay or leave," I said firmly, "but for my father's sake, whom you all owe some loyalty, I ask for thirty days to set things right and restore this company's former glory. If I fail, you may choose to leave or vote someone else in as CEO."
Murmurs filled the room as they weighed my offer. The nerve of them, acting like they had the power to decide my fate.
After what felt like an eternity, a stout man with a perpetually surprised expression finally spoke.
"We'll give you the chance—for your father's sake. Thirty days."
I knew these men were weak-willed, so I wasn't afraid. The real problem was…
"What about Miss Lauren?" one shareholder asked, clearly reading my thoughts.
"I'll handle my sister," I said sharply.
I rubbed my forehead, trying to release the mounting stress. Lauren was difficult.
Just as I started to catch my breath, I remembered my meeting with Dominic. I quickly pulled out my phone and called the guy I suspected was his PA. That's when I noticed I'd missed a call from him.
"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. I had an emergency to handle, but I'm on my way now," I said, cutting him off before he could speak.
"I'm sorry, Miss. You can't meet with the CEO anymore," came his calm reply.
I slammed my fist on the steering wheel. I'd expected this. "Fuck!" I cursed under my breath. "I need to speak with your boss. Can you make that happen?" I tried to hide the desperation creeping into my voice.
"I'll try, Miss."
I hated that word 'try' because it felt like empty hope, a promise without a plan. People say they'll try but often do nothing.
I wasn't going to get my hopes up.
Just as I took the turn toward home, my phone beeped.
"You've got another chance, Miss," the voice said.
That was all I needed—another chance.
Without hesitation, I sped off toward the hotel.
The heat of the sun soothed my face as I arrived, a tall man in a black suit greeted me.
"Miss Hughes?"
"Yes."
He gestured for me to follow him, and we took the elevator to the top floor. At the entrance, he swiped a card key and opened the door.
I was welcomed by a sweet, flowery scent—laced with oud and a hint of wine. From where I stood, I could see the waves crashing along the shore and scattered figures on the beach, all through the floor-to-ceiling glass. The view was stunning. It was almost sad that no one else was there to enjoy it with me.
I was still soaking in the beauty of the moment when I felt a presence behind me. I turned sharply—then froze.
There, standing just inches away, was a man who looked like he'd stepped out of another realm. A demigod. He was so tall I barely reached his shoulder. Jet-black hair falling slightly over his face, framing his features that are almost too perfect to be real. those eyes...
They felt like they could see through the ocean. They made me feel bare and vulnerable.
It took me a moment to realize I wasn't breathing.
"You need my help," he said, with a smirk that tugged at one corner of his lips.
Of course, he was smug and arrogant. My judgement of him wasn't wrong after all.
"That's one way to put it," I replied, injecting every ounce of confidence I had left.
I wasn't sure if it was my tone or the wine in his glass that made his smile widen. He walked with unshaken poise to the couch opposite us, sat down, and swirled his wine. The silence that followed sent shivers across my skin.
"There's a condition," he finally said, lifting the glass to his lips.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Of course there was a condition. Nothing in the billionaire world came free.
"And what exactly is this condition?" I asked, trying to sound indifferent.
He didn't even flinch.
"You will marry me."