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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

Neon lights flickered over the rain-slick pavement as Kai drove through the streets, the hum of the engine the only sound between us. But I could feel the weight of his stare every few seconds, like he was waiting for me to snap.

"You're too quiet," he finally said, his voice low.

I should have brushed off what Liam said. I wanted to. But the problem with people like him was that they didn't waste words. Every sentence was a carefully aimed knife, meant to cut at just the right spot.

And this one? It had found its mark.

"If he's right," I said finally, "that means I've been moving exactly the way someone else wanted me to."

Kai exhaled through his nose. "You don't believe him."

"Then let's look at the facts. Who benefits the most from your moves?"

I frowned, watching the city blur past the window.

Not Damien. He liked chaos, but he never played unless there was something in it for him.

Not Liam or Serena. They wanted me out, not deeper in.

"We're missing something," I muttered.

Kai pulled the car to a slow stop in front of my apartment building. He killed the engine but didn't move. "Then let's find it before it finds us."

I nodded and reached for the door handle—then froze.

I felt it before I saw it. That sharp, instinctive chill running down my spine. A presence. A shift in the air.

A shadowed figure leaning against a streetlamp across the road.

Kai followed my gaze instantly, muscles tensing. "Friend of yours?"

The figure didn't move. Didn't react. But something about them—it wasn't the usual thug, the usual tail. This was different. Calculated.

Whoever they were, they wanted me to see them.

"Inside. Now," Kai ordered.

I pushed open the car door, keeping my movements casual as I stepped onto the sidewalk. The figure remained still, just a shadow in the neon glow.

But as I moved, so did they—disappearing into the darkness without a sound.

I was being hunted.

Chapter 20: Ghosts in the Shadows