JOLIE

The flight to Italy had been long, but not as long as the anger simmering in Jolie's chest. She wasn't the kind of girl who bowed to anyone's will; she had a steel personality, a sharp tongue, and a habit of never letting anyone walk all over her. Yet circumstances had forced her to pack her bags and go to that father she hadn't seen in years—a powerful man who now demanded her presence for one specific reason: the family inheritance. Upon arriving at the monumental Italian villa, Jolie realized at once that this would be no vacation. Her father had rebuilt his life with a new wife, and as if that weren't enough, the house was dominated by her five stepsons. Five stepbrothers who looked down on her, convinced they could intimidate her. But Jolie faced them from day one with her head held high, answering blow for blow and making it clear that no one in that house would tell her what to do. She was there for business—to take her father's empire under her wing—not to play a bit part in their family theater. The trial by fire came a few days later. Her father had organized a highly exclusive, elegant business dinner—one of those evenings where the city's financial fates were decided. Jolie descended the villa's stairs wearing a dark dress that looked like armor, and an expression of utter disdain. The dining room was magnificent; the five stepbrothers were already seated, composed under their parents' stern gazes. Her father stood up the moment he saw her enter, flanked by an older, distinguished man. "Jolie, finally. Come, I want you to meet my most important business partner," her father said, indicating the man, then shifting his gaze to the figure standing right behind him. "And this is his son. You'll be working very closely together starting tomorrow." Jolie lifted her eyes, ready to dismiss the boy with her usual detached nod. But the words died in her throat. He was older than her, and nothing like the submissive air of her stepbrothers. He had broad shoulders, an impeccable dark suit, and eyes so dark and piercing they seemed almost illegal. On his lips hung a crooked, arrogant smile—the look of someone who had already figured her out without her having said a word. "Pleasure to meet you, Jolie. I've heard a lot about your... difficult character," he said, his deep voice vibrating through the room like a direct challenge. "We'll see if you live up to what's coming." Jolie gritted her teeth, feeling her blood boil. "I'm up for anything. And I don't appreciate provocations." He gave a mocking bow, never taking those predatory eyes off her. "That's not a provocation, little girl. It's a promise." Jolie held his gaze, refusing to yield, but inside she felt a strange, dangerous jolt. She couldn't have known it yet, as she sat down at that princely table, but that boy wouldn't just be a business partner. He was the beginning of her end—the man who, piece by piece, would dismantle every certainty she had, becoming the greatest, most obsessive, and inevitable torment of her life.

更新於 September 23, 2026