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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

The envelope sat heavy in my clutch the entire way home.

I didn't need to open it to know that the moment I did, I was in deep.

Kai was waiting when I stepped into my apartment, arms crossed, looking like he was ready to throw me off a rooftop.

"Tell me you didn't take the job."

I set my clutch down carefully, like I wasn't holding a loaded gun in the form of a sealed black envelope. "Would it make you feel better if I lied?"

Kai dragged a hand through his hair, pacing. "Cel, what the hell are you thinking? You don't work for people like Liam Kingston, you run from them."

"I tried that, remember? He caught me."

"And you think working for him is the better option?"

"I think breathing is the better option," I shot back.

Kai stopped pacing, jaw tight. We both knew I was right.

I could have fought, I could have run, but Liam would have found me again. This was survival. And if I was going to play this game, I had to play it smart.

I pulled out the envelope, fingers hesitating for just a second before sliding my nail under the flap.

Kai groaned. "You're actually opening it."

"Might as well see what I just sold my soul for."

I pulled out a sleek, black card with a single name written in silver ink:

And beneath it, a location and a time:

Midnight. The Cobalt Club.

Kai snatched the card from my hands, eyes widening. "This has to be a mistake. Nicholas Vale doesn't mess with Liam's people."

"Apparently, now he does."

Vale was one of the most dangerous information brokers in the city. A ghost—untouchable, untraceable. If you needed something stolen, blackmailed, or buried six feet deep, he knew a guy.

And Liam wanted me to meet with him?

"What does Liam want from Vale?" Kai muttered, flipping the card over.

No details. Just a name, a time, and a place.

"I guess I'll find out." I took the card back, slipping it into my clutch.

Kai grabbed my wrist. "Cel, think. You don't just walk into a meeting with Nicholas Vale. If you screw this up, it won't be Liam killing you—it'll be Vale."

I swallowed hard but didn't let my face betray anything. "Good thing I don't screw up, then."

But as midnight crept closer, and I slipped into a dress that made me look like I belonged at The Cobalt Club, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd just stepped into something way bigger than me.

And I had no idea if I'd make it out alive.

Chapter 32: The First Job