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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

Nero's words lingered long after he left.

It should have been simple. If I wasn't working for Liam or Vale, then I was free. Right?

Because in this game, standing alone wasn't an option. And if I didn't choose soon, someone would choose for me.

I exhaled sharply and moved to the kitchen, needing something—anything—to ground me. My hands were still shaking when I grabbed a glass of water, my mind racing.

But enough to warn me.

I moved on instinct, spinning just as the door creaked open.

A man I didn't recognize, dressed in all black, his eyes cold and calculating. An assassin.

I didn't have time to think. I dropped the glass, letting it shatter as I grabbed the gun Liam had given me.

The shot rang out, sharp and deafening. The man staggered back, clutching his shoulder, but he didn't go down.

I barely had time to react before he was on me again. We crashed against the counter, his weight pinning me down. The gun slipped from my fingers, skidding across the floor.

His hands wrapped around my throat, tightening. My vision blurred.

I swung blindly, grabbing the first thing I could reach—the jagged edge of the broken glass.

Then, without thinking, I stabbed.

The man let out a strangled sound, his grip loosening as I shoved him off me. He hit the floor with a heavy thud.

I gasped for air, clutching my burning throat, my pulse hammering in my ears.

This was a kill order.

Someone wanted me dead.

And I had a feeling I knew exactly who it was.

Chapter 42: The First Real Test