THE SPIRITUAL SPRING EMPIRE A Modern Romance Novel
PROLOGUE: THE GILDED CAGE
The scent of sandalwood and expensive whiskey hung heavy in the air, mixing with the clink of crystal glasses and the murmur of idle chatter. In the corner of Richard Harrison’s penthouse ballroom, Vivian Chen stood frozen, her champagne flute halfway to her lips as the scene from the novel she’d read just last week played out before her very eyes.
“Olivia Montgomery, Richard Harrison’s fiancée, stepped onto the marble terrace, her silk gown catching the glow of the garden lights. Behind her, Vivian Sterling – Richard’s long-time lover and the mother of his three illegitimate children – watched with eyes full of jealousy. That night, a fire would break out in the terrace pavilion, leaving Olivia with scars that would shape the rest of her life. And Vivian would bear the blame, setting in motion a chain of events that would destroy her family forever.”
Vivian’s fingers tightened around the glass until she feared it would shatter. This wasn’t fiction. This was her life now.
Just forty-eight hours ago, she’d been Vivian Chen – twenty-eight-year-old CEO of a tech startup that specialized in agricultural innovation, known in Silicon Valley as a ruthless “girl boss” who could turn any failing venture into gold. She’d been celebrating her company’s successful IPO when a server had tripped, sending a tray of champagne flutes crashing to the floor. The last thing she’d seen was the flash of broken glass and the warm splash of alcohol across her skin.
Now she was Vivian Sterling – thirty-two-year-old mistress to one of New York’s most powerful real estate tycoons, stepmother to his ten-year-old son Alexander (the novel’s male lead), and biological mother to fourteen-year-old Marcus, with twins on the way. According to the story, Marcus would grow up to be a violent mafia boss driven by resentment over his illegitimate status, the twins – a daughter named Lena and son named Theo – would become a reclusive genius scientist and a troublemaking delinquent respectively, and all three would meet brutal ends at the hands of or because of the story’s protagonists.
A shudder ran through her, making the diamonds on her wrist chime like tiny bells. She’d read countless romance novels to unwind after long workdays, but she’d never imagined she’d end up trapped in one – and as the villain, no less.
“Lost in thought, my dear?” Richard’s voice was smooth as silk, his hand settling on her waist in a possessive grip. He was handsome in a cold, calculated way – sharp jawline, silver-streaked black hair, eyes that looked at people like they were assets to be acquired or discarded. “Olivia will be here soon. I want you to be on your best behavior.”
Olivia. The woman whose life she was supposed to ruin with an arson attempt that would go almost-right – almost killing her, almost destroying her beauty, almost pushing Richard into marrying her out of guilt. But “almost” wasn’t enough for the story’s plot, and Vivian Sterling would pay the price, along with her children.
I will not do this, Vivian thought, pulling away from his touch. I will not let my children become monsters. I will not let that woman get hurt. And I will not stay trapped in this life.
That night, while Richard slept soundly beside her, Vivian slipped out of bed and padded to the walk-in closet. She didn’t take the designer gowns or diamond jewelry – those were Richard’s gifts, and she wanted nothing that tied her to him. Instead, she packed practical clothes, her late grandmother’s jade pendant (which she’d found tucked away in a drawer), and every penny of cash she could find in the house. As she zipped up the suitcase, a warm sensation spread from the jade pendant to her entire body, and suddenly she was standing in a vast, sunlit space.
Rolling fields stretched as far as the eye could see, bordered by a crystal-clear stream that sparkled like liquid starlight. In the center stood a small stone cottage, and above her head, a semi-transparent
