acm0219

Once known as the naive and kind-hearted Ava Montague, she was betrayed, framed, and left to die by the very people she trusted most—her fiancé, best friend, and stepmother. But death did not claim her. Instead, a mysterious organization saved her and gave her a new identity: "The Vixen."
With a new face, a new name, and a burning desire for revenge, she returns as Celeste Vauxhall, a woman who plays by no rules but her own. She is no longer the weak, innocent girl she once was—she is now a master manipulator, using charm, intelligence, and deception to dismantle those who wronged her.
But revenge is a double-edged sword. As she gets closer to her targets, she finds herself entangled in a dangerous game of power, love, and deception. And when a mysterious billionaire with secrets of his own enters her life, the lines between vengeance and passion blur. Will she succeed in her mission, or will she lose herself in the very darkness she sought to control?

The Vixen

My past came back to haunt me in the form of a thick, gold-embossed envelope.

I stared at it, my fingers running over the familiar insignia pressed into the wax seal. It was an invitation—exclusive, prestigious, and dripping with wealth.

"You knew this was coming," Kai said, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. "You're ready."

It had been months since I woke up as Celeste Vauxhall. Months of training, of shedding my past like a snake slipping out of its old skin. I had become someone new. Someone stronger.

And now, I was walking straight into the den of the people who had tried to kill me.

"She's hesitating," Isadora mused from the chaise lounge, sipping her wine. "Doubt is a dangerous thing, darling. If you show even a crack in your armor, they'll slip in and tear you apart."

I clenched my jaw. "I'm not hesitating. I'm calculating."

Because this wasn't just any party.

This was their world. Liam and Serena would be there, along with their inner circle—people who had known me as Ava Montague. People who would scrutinize my every move.

One mistake, and they'd suspect something.

One wrong step, and I was dead all over again.

"Then let's make sure you don't slip up," Kai said, tossing a folder onto the table. "Everything you need is in here—who's attending, their backgrounds, who to avoid, who to charm."

I flipped through the pages, my eyes narrowing as I scanned the list. Every name was a reminder of the life I had left behind.

+ Engaged to Serena Laurent.

He had moved on. Publicly. Boldly. As if what he had done to me had been nothing more than a business decision.

A slow, cold rage coiled inside me.

"You'll need a date," Isadora said, amused. "Preferably someone powerful enough to make Liam uncomfortable."

Kai's smirk was instant. "I'll do it."

I gave him a once-over. Sharp. Dangerous. Unpredictable.

I picked up the invitation and slid it into my purse.

"Then let's give them a night to remember."

Chapter 8: The Devil’s Invitation