Five Years Later...
"Caden Valtore, heir to the Valtore Corporation, is returning today."
"The king of the business world makes his long-awaited return."
"Marcelo Valtore's son, the prodigy billionaire, lands in Virelia today after five years of international expansion."
The headlines buzzed across every news outlet in the country. Cameras flashed. Reporters scrambled for prime angles. The airport's private terminal was swarming with journalists, all eager to capture the arrival of the most elusive name in Virelia's corporate sphere.
Among them was Annalise Moreau, now a rookie journalist, her hair tied up in a tight ponytail, microphone in hand, her heels clicking against the pavement as she rushed forward with her cameraman, Jason, panting behind her.
"There's the jet!" Jason shouted, lifting the camera to his shoulder. A sleek, obsidian-black private jet descended like a predator. Even the way it landed was powerful.
"No one's gotten a clear picture of him in years," Annalise whispered to herself, her voice tight with anticipation.
The plane door opened.
A sharp line of men in black suits immediately stepped out, their earpieces glinting under the golden light. Then, a figure emerged behind them.
Caden Valtore.
The cameras went wild.
He walked with the confidence of a man who ruled everything he stepped on. His tailored white shirt clung to his broad chest, the top two buttons undone to reveal a peek of a dark ink tattoo spiraling across his collarbone. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and his sleek black trousers fit like they'd been sewn directly onto him.
A pair of silver-rimmed sunglasses shielded his eyes, but the smirk curving his heart-shaped pink lips was unmistakable — magnetic, dangerous.
A small diamond stud glittered in his left ear.
Jason's jaw dropped. "This guy's freaking dosted."
"Shut your mouth, Jason!" Annalise hissed, though she couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her. "We need to get moving if we want the exclusive footage."
"On it." Jason jumped into the news van, already directing the lens toward the line of identical black vehicles.
The convoy was massive. Twenty-one cars, each jet black with tinted windows, moved in flawless synchronization. The Lamborghini that Caden entered slid into the middle like a king among pawns.
"Twenty-one cars!" Annalise gasped. "What the hell does he think he is? Royalty?"
She didn't realize then that she wasn't entirely wrong.
Somewhere far from the frenzy, in a marble-floored mansion glittering with chandeliers and glass, a sharp slap echoed through the hall.
"You humans can never do anything right," hissed a cold, haughty voice.
The servant shook, trembling under the weight of her mistress's fury. The woman was in her forties, dressed in emerald silk, her icy gaze lethal.
A young woman descended the stairs, her presence halting the storm brewing below.
"Auntie," Lilith Valtore said calmly.
The woman turned with a syrupy smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Lilith, darling. You're awake."
Lilith's eyes flicked toward the shaking maid and gestured subtly for her to leave.
The convoy came to a stop in front of the sprawling Valtore estate. The gates opened like the maw of a beast, welcoming its ruler.
Annalise and Jason, having chased the convoy since the airport, parked a few meters away. She practically jumped out of the van, struggling to catch a glimpse over the rows of suited guards.
Caden stepped out.
"Ah, these people are so annoying," Annalise grumbled, as the guards pushed the journalists back with mechanical precision. "You'd think he's some sort of dictator."
They didn't get a single picture.
Inside the estate, Marcela Valtore, Caden's aunt, straightened her spine and fixed her lipstick. As Caden passed her without a glance, she grit her teeth.
"Caden," she snapped. "I'm talking to you."
He didn't turn. Didn't pause.
Lilith's voice rang down the hall. "Wow. You look different."
Caden stopped just in front of her, smirked. "I know. But you're not looking bad yourself."
Just as Lilith's lips parted, ready to speak more, he was already walking up the grand staircase.
She stared after him, a strange hollowness in her chest. "He's changed," she whispered. "So much, he's almost... unrecognizable."
Outside the estate gates, Annalise watched the house fade from view. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She didn't know why she'd felt that jolt when he stepped out of the car, didn't understand the chill that slid down her spine when she saw his smile.
She didn't know that five years ago, the man she was now chasing for a story… had already left his mark on her.
Literally.