THE CURSED BILLIONNAIRE SLAVE

stories-Celestine, a shadow of something grander-yet here she was, stuck in a life that didn't belong to her, held tight by chains that weren't just metal but something deeper

rning, and a stubborn flicker of hope all mixed together. Today would test her, same as every day. But today felt different. Something in the air shifted, like the magic around her was waking up, hinting at a change she'd been waiting for without even knowing it. Beyond her room, the palace buzzed with its own quiet life. Servants shuffled through the halls, their faces blank, their steps hushed, bound by spells of their own. Whispers floated around-talk of Lucien's latest orders, strange visitors from far-off places. No one knew what went on behind the locked doors of his private rooms, but everyone could feel it: something big was coming, something that could tip the whole place into chaos. Down in the grand hall, a banquet was in full swing-fancy and rotting all at once. Chandeliers made of shimmering crystal lit up tables piled with food that seemed too rich for a place this broken. Celestine moved through it all like a shadow, surrounded by glittering nobles and masked strangers. She was beautiful, regal even, but she was still a prisoner here, watched by eyes she couldn't see. As night crept in, Lucien stepped out of the dark. His eyes-deep, almost black-locked onto hers from across the room. For a second, everything else fell away. That look said more than words ever could: they both knew pain, both carried fates they didn't choose. The noise of the party faded, and it was just them, tied together by something bigger than either of them could name. But even in that moment, trouble was brewing. Whatever connected them wasn't going to come easy-it never did in a place like this. Over by the wall, another woman watched them. Marielle-sharp-edged and dangerous, with a beauty that could cut you if you got too close. She was part of this mess too, pulled in by her own scars and secrets. She sto