an's

e world fell apart, and I had spent every sin

de the grand ballroom of the St. Regis Hotel, lookin

-billion-dollar corporate empire, but none of it mattered. Power w

stal glass, ignoring the fake smiles

all I heard was the violent blast of the car bomb

ce of Elena Vale, the quiet, gentle gir

d me into a cold monster that

y all called me a ruthless titan who

oved money but they didn't know the

al killers for half a decade without finding a single clue, and Elena

ech on the lower floor," my chief operatin

lied in a flat yet sharp,

the balcony, walking toward the quieter corridors

llway, a frantic commotion

one call a doctor!

ed scream of a woman ech

cene. But the sheer terror in that mother's voice hit a raw nerve in

side the VIP lounge door. She was gasping for air, her tiny chest heaving viole

" the mother cried, her back turned to me as she knelt over th

ped my glass onto the carpet, stepped forward

l my private medical team stationed downstairs. "I have a team of

, thank yo

rned her head

roat. My entire universe grou

me was not a fragile, hel

freezing storm five years ago was

lena Vale wore an elegant, tailored n

iating absolute power. She was no longer the soft, naive girl who cried at my feet. She was now the f

" Elena

bsolute shock, but the surprise

urning ice. The warmth in her eyes vanished, replaced

diately shifted her body, blocking my view and putting herself directly between

st my ribs like a batte

ed out, completely stunned. "Wher

a razor blade. She scooped the small, gasping girl into her arms, holding

turned her head, resting her che

ace, and my entire body l

with fear as she looked straight at me. Those eyes were not brow

brown eye

at the small girl's face, my mind rac

r chin, she didn't just look like me. She was the exact carbon copy of t

t Elena's chil

e night I threw El

straight out of my lungs. Elena hadn't just run away because I broke

through her shallow breaths, her tiny fin

the quiet hallway,

ad

years building around my heart cracked wide

overwhelming shock, and raw ag

orced my own daughter to grow up without a father, unaware that s

en mind as she held the girl tighter, her eyes full of desp

yes fixing onto the terrified c

dangerous mixture of panic and newfound determination. "Bring the medi

na, meeting her co

time, Elena," I whispered, my voice cr