Far from the lives she had once touched and the family she had so abruptly left, Jessica Foster was reveling in the limelight of her new life. In the heart of Paris, her days were an indulgent mix of high fashion and darker passions. She’d become the muse of Alex Roberts, a powerful yet dangerous figure in the fashion industry. Alex had taken her under his wing, promising her fame and glory, but his interest in her was fueled by far more than ambition. For Jessica, every thrilling moment with him felt like a triumph over the life she’d left behind.

But her new reality wasn’t without its shadows. Behind Alex’s magnetic charm lay a sinister edge—a fact Jessica had learned the hard way. In their first months together, she had tasted both ecstasy and terror, often confused by Alex’s shifting moods. One evening, after an argument in which she had spoken out of turn, he’d had her tied to the bed. His punishment was brutal, his pleasure relentless, and her pleas were swallowed by the unforgiving darkness of his unyielding control. For two days, she lay exhausted and powerless under his will, her cries met with nothing but cold disregard. It was a treatment that left her numb, but in the twisted depths of her mind, she convinced herself it was love.

Now, as she stood by the open windows of Alex’s Parisian penthouse, overlooking the cityscape that had been her refuge, she felt his gaze on her, a look that was both possessive and calculating. They had just spent hours in tangled sheets, and though her body was spent, her mind swirled with a perverse sense of satisfaction. She knew how much power Alex had over her, yet she believed that this hold he had on her was just a part of their intense connection.

“Jessica,” Alex called out, his voice smooth but commanding. She turned to face him, already feeling the gravity of his next words. “It’s time.”

She looked at him, momentarily confused. “Time for what?”

“Time to go back. Back to where you belong. To Andrew King.” His tone was cold, reminding her that he wasn’t asking, but ordering.

Jessica pouted, a reflex she’d perfected in their time together. “Do I really have to?” she asked, hoping for even a moment’s reprieve from his demand. But as his gaze hardened, a shadow crossing his features, she froze. She knew that look. She’d seen it before.

“Yes,” he replied, voice laced with ice. “You will do as I say. And this time, no mistakes.”

“Yes, Alex,” she murmured, her voice subdued. Inwardly, she knew better than to resist him. She had experienced the full extent of his fury before, and though she convinced herself it was his way of keeping her in line, the memories haunted her every time he tightened his grip.

Alex moved to her, cupping her chin roughly in his hand. “Remember, you’re going back to reclaim what’s mine.”

Jessica swallowed, trying to ignore the surge of anxiety she felt. She hadn’t thought about Andrew or her old life for months. But now, with Alex’s command echoing in her ears, she nodded. “I’ll do whatever you ask,” she said, a twisted loyalty gleaming in her eyes.

She called her mother, Camilla, whose voice lit up with excitement when she heard Jessica was coming home. “When will you arrive?” Camilla asked eagerly, but Jessica ended the call abruptly, leaving her mother in suspense.

Jessica couldn’t help the malicious grin that spread across her face as she imagined her return. “Eva,” she muttered to herself, venom in her tone, “I’m coming back to take what’s mine—Andrew, the company, everything.”

Little did she know that her plans were far from a surprise. Across the ocean, Andrew, Tristan, and even Eva knew of her impending arrival, each waiting with a different kind of anticipation. The long-lost bride might think she was stepping back into a web she could control, but what awaited her was a trap she could never have foreseen. For those she left behind were no longer the same, and they were prepared to confront her treachery, each with a score to settle in their own way.