Chapter 1

[Ravenna's POV]

The floodwaters were already swallowing the porch steps, turning our remote cabin into an isolated island of death, yet my husband still wasn't answering his phone.

"Mommy, I'm scared." Lyra hugged her teddy bear, her amber eyes wide with terror as thunder shook the floorboards beneath us.

I smoothed her damp curls, forcing a calm I didn't feel. "It's okay, baby. Daddy is coming."

But was he? It was our tenth wedding anniversary. Alistair Corvinus had brought us to this "summer camp" for a family weekend, only to vanish within an hour, claiming an emergency at the docks.

Now, the storm was hammering against the glass like a wild beast trying to get in. Mudslide warnings were blaring on the radio before the power cut out. We were trapped.

I dialed Alistair's number for the ninety-ninth time. My hands were trembling so hard I almost dropped the emergency satellite phone.

Busy tone. Again.

I walked to the window. The water was rising fast, black and churning. If rescue didn't come in ten minutes, we would be buried here.

I dialed one last time.

Click. It connected.

"Alistair! We're trapped! The water is—"

I never got to finish the sentence.

A woman's breathy, ecstatic moan filtered through the static, sweet and sickeningly obscene.

"Alistair... slower... You're wrecking me..."

My blood froze in my veins. That voice. It wasn't just any woman. It was Mallory Kane.

His first love. The woman who had supposedly left the country years ago.

"Honey, do you think Ravenna knows about Atlas?" Mallory asked casually between breaths, her voice dripping with satisfaction.

Atlas Corvinus. My son who drowned five years ago at the beach outside our vacation house.

"She doesn't," Alistair’s voice came through, calm and cold, a tone I had never heard him use. "He was dead weight anyway. Trading him for control of Pier 9 was the best deal the family ever made."

Thunder exploded near the cabin, or maybe it was my heart shattering into dust. My knees hit the floor. I clamped a hand over my mouth, biting down on my palm to stifle the scream clawing up my throat.

"You are really ruthless," Mallory giggled, and her laughter sent a chill through my bones. "But I guess it makes sense. Our son is the real Corvinus heir, and as for Lyra... She and Atlas were both Bastian Morell's kids, right?"

She said it so matter-of-factly, so certain.

"When the time's right, I'll take care of her," Alistair cut in, his tone casual. "The Corvinus family only needs one heir. I won't let any love child taint the bloodline."

She purred, "Poor Ravenna... She'll be devastated when you get rid of her kid."

Alistair paused. "She had two kids with another man, and that's an insult to me. Every single day, I pray for those two brats to disappear."

The phone slipped from my hand and hit the wooden floor with a thud.

It finally hit me that Atlas's death was not an accident. All this time, I had blamed myself for his drowning, tormented by guilt for years… It turned out Alistair had handed him over as a bargaining chip to secure control of the docks.

At that moment, I suddenly understood why he could say such things so easily.

I clenched my fists so hard that blood trickled down my palms, wishing I could drag both Alistair and Mallory straight to hell.

Years ago, when the Corvinus family was in trouble, I had used my connection with Bastian to help. I spent three days with him, negotiating how to divide the docks and funnel investment money to Alistair.

When I told Alistair about it, he had been understanding, saying gently, "I trust you. You did this because you love me, and I'll never forget what you sacrificed for me."

At this moment, his actions made it crystal clear that he had never trusted me at all. Both of my children's paternity had been called into question.

I had to thank Mallory for answering that call and letting me hear the truth.

I picked up the phone again and pressed 'dial'.

"Bastian," I said, my voice raw and rough. "I'll marry you. But you have to help me. I want the Corvinus family wiped off the face of the earth."

The line went silent for a few seconds. Then, his deep, husky voice came through. "I've been waiting ten years to hear you say that, Ravenna. In three minutes, my rescue helicopter will be at your location."

He paused before adding, "This time, I'm not letting you go."

My phone buzzed.

Mallory had sent me a photo of her hand resting on her slightly rounded belly, a triumphant smile on her face.

[The Corvinus family needs a legitimate heir, not like that drowned mongrel of yours.]

I stared at that photo as all my grief turned to ice-cold fury in an instant. It was their turn to die.