Three Years Later...

Dami's POV

I bowed my head slightly as I walked into my boss's office. Today marked three years since I started working for him, three years of rebuilding myself piece by piece.

"Dami, today makes it exactly three years you've worked for me. You served me well, and I'm proud of you. Out there, I hope you use everything I taught you for yourself." Lycan's lips curved into a rare smile.

He wasn't an ordinary man. He was a notorious mafia lord I had met in London. Our first meeting was pure chance, an encounter in a nightclub that turned into an offer I couldn't refuse. Money, power and a second chance at life.

My voice had returned after three months of therapy, and since then I had become unstoppable. I wasn't the same weak, broken girl Axel once discarded. I had changed, hardened and grown stronger.

"Thank you for everything, boss," I said firmly.

Without another word, he handed me an envelope. I opened it, and the sight of the cheque inside made me gasp. The figure written across it was staggering.

"I believe this will be enough for you to start a new life. I wish you all the best, Dami. You may leave now," Lycan said with a wave.

I bowed with a small salute before walking out of his office, my heart pounding. The money he gave me was more than enough to buy a new future.

Shortly after I returned to London three years ago, I lost my grandmother. It was as if she had been waiting for me to come back before joining my late grandfather. Since then, Lycan had taken me in, shaping me into someone unrecognizable. And all that time, only one thought kept me alive was revenge. Revenge on Axel for all what he had done to me.

As I drove back to my apartment, my mind was a battlefield of plans and memories. The moment I stepped in, I was greeted by Sophia, the girl Lycan had placed under my care for training. After a year together, she had become more like my sister.

"You're leaving?" she asked sadly, noticing the envelope I tossed on the table.

"I don't know yet. My head is a mess. But I'll figure something out," I replied with a sigh.

She sighed too and wrapped her arms around me. "You're not leaving without me. I belong to you, not Lycan. Wherever you go, I go."

I kissed her forehead with a small smile. "No problem."

The Next Morning

The first thing I did when I woke was grab my phone. Scrolling through my Instagram feed, a post stopped me cold. Axel's company, Storm Enterprises was crashing. Worse, it was up for sale.

My heart raced, my lips curling into a dangerous smile. A plan began to take shape. This was finally time for me to get my revenge.

"Sophia, I'm going to New York," I announced as I stormed out of my room.

She arched a brow, half-curious, half-concerned with sleepy eyes. "Why?"

I inhaled sharply, my voice steady and cold. "To destroy my ex-husband. Axel hurt me once, but now it's my turn. I'm going to buy his company and make him regret ever crossing me."

"Dami," Sophia frowned, worry clouding her eyes. "You don't have to do this. You've healed. You've moved on. Why reopen old wounds? I think this plan of yours will only hurt you more."

"I want him to feel the same pain he inflicted on me," I said, my voice like steel. "And nothing will stop me."

She studied me for a moment, then smirked, her eyes lighting up. "Well, I love the sound of this already."

"Good," I said. "Start looking for a house in New York. Buy it while I handle the company's purchase. Life has been too boring. I need to do something, something interesting."

Sophia nodded shaking her head. "This is going to be a diaster. And a crazy ending because you will fall for this man again."

I ignored her because i knew that can never happen.

New York

The moment I stepped off the plane, I inhaled deeply, savoring the surge of power that coursed through me. I wasn't the timid, mute girl anymore. I was stronger and untouchable.

"Have you made payments for the house?" I asked Sophia as we settled into the waiting car.

She shook her head.

"Why not?"

"I haven't seen the house yet. Unlike you, I don't throw money around blindly," she teased.

I rolled my eyes and hit her arm playfully. "Don't start."

She shot me a sharp look. "You didn't even ask why Axel's company was for sale before buying it. That's reckless."

"I don't care why," I shrugged. "All I care about is revenge. The rest will sort itself out."

Sophia sighed, her voice softer now. "I just hope this doesn't backfire on you."

"It won't," I said with finality.

As the car rolled on, I gazed out the window. The streets began to look familiar. The closer we got, the harder my heart pounded.

When the driver finally pulled up, my breath caught in my throat. I knew this place. My pulse hammered violently.

"This... this is Axel's house," I whispered.

Sophia shook her head. "Maybe you're mistaken. How can he sell both his company and his house?"

Before I could answer, the agent appeared, greeting us warmly. He rang the doorbell, and my stomach twisted into knots. The door opened, the fear of seeing Axel almost made me throw up.

Sophia held my hand, and squeezed it which made me a little calm then i looked up. Not Axel but his sister, Alexa.

Her eyes widened in shock. "Da... Dami?" she stuttered.

Sophia and I exchanged a quick glance.

Then another voice floated closer. His mother.

The moment she stepped into view, the glass cup in her hand slipped and shattered against the floor.

I smirked, stepping forward, my voice dripping with mock sweetness.

"Hello, Mrs. Storm."

Dami's POV

As I walked into the house, I was met with faces twisted in shock and anger. Axel's mother froze, her eyes wide as if she had just seen a ghost.

"You... you can talk?" she stammered, her voice trembling with disbelief.

I smiled sweetly, savoring the moment. "Let's talk business, please," the agent interrupted, stepping forward and handing me the papers.

Inside, the familiar surroundings wrapped around me like ghosts from the past. Nothing had changed. The curtains, the paintings, even the faint smell of lavender yet Mrs. Storm and Alexa looked worn out, older, thinner, and hollow-eyed.

A quiet part of me wondered what kind of storms had passed through this house in my absence.

"These are the people interested in buying your son's house to repay his debts," the agent announced.

Their eyes widened; their mouths hung open.

"You're selling Axel's house? Why?" Alexa demanded, panic threading through her voice.

The agent's tone was steady, almost bored. "He borrowed ten million dollars from our bank. This house was the collateral, and he hasn't repaid a dime. We are fully within our rights to sell it to recover the money."

Mrs. Storm staggered backward, clutching her chest until Alexa steadied her. Her daughter's glare could have burned holes through me.

"Are you her boss?" Alexa sneered at Sophia.

Sophia chuckled, her confidence like silk. "Dami is my boss. I'm her personal assistant. She's the one buying this house."

The shock on their faces was delicious.

"No... no, this can't be. You cannot buy this house! It's ours!" Mrs. Storm's voice rose, trembling with rage.

I crossed my arms calmly and turned to the agent. "Let me sign the cheque."

He handed it over. With one swift stroke of my pen, I wrote fifteen million dollars. The agent smiled, satisfied.

"These are the documents, ma'am. You are now the legal owner of this house. Congratulations." With that, he left, closing the door behind him.

"You bitch!" Alexa spat, fury twisting her face.

I laughed softly, almost musically. "You have two hours to leave my house." My tone shifted, sharper and deadlier.

"You don't have the right! This house isn't yours. It belongs to my son!" Mrs. Storm protested.

"This house has been bought, ma'am. It belongs to Dami now," Sophia said smoothly.

"How dare you? How dare you do this to us?" Mrs. Storm cried, her voice breaking.

I tilted my head, my smile cold. "You're a lawyer, aren't you? Then sue me. Let's see how far that gets you."

Alexa whispered frantically into her mother's ear. Their faces crumpled into defeat. I savored it.

"Now you know how it feels," I said, my voice cutting through the silence. "When someone rips away what matters most to you. I'll be back tonight, and I expect you out of my house."

Sophia and I walked out, the weight of victory wrapped around me like a cloak.

"I didn't know you could be this ruthless," she said as we got into the car.

"I'm not ruthless," I replied firmly. "They are evil. And I'll go to any length to make them crawl at my feet."

The agent handed me two more documents, one for Axel's company, which I had already paid for online, and the other confirming the house. My fingers tightened around them.

"Axel's company is next. I need to see the look on his face," I said, a thrill running through me.

Sophia laughed. "This is like watching a movie. I can't wait for the drama."

"Neither can I," I smirked. "The day we divorced, he called me useless. His family mocked me, humiliated me. Now, it's my turn to set the stage."

When we arrived at his company, my heart raced. This building, this empire, had been Axel's pride, a gift from his late father. For him to put both it and the house up as collateral meant something had gone terribly wrong.

"Let's go," Sophia urged.

Inside, the receptionist a young redhead greeted us warmly. "Good morning."

"Good morning," we echoed, handing her the bank's letter. Her eyes widened, her lips parting in disbelief.

"Your boss is upstairs?" I asked. She nodded mutely.

We stepped into the elevator. My reflection in the polished steel doors looked calm, but inside, memories clawed at me. Axel's laugh. Axel's anger. Axel calling me useless.

"You're nervous," Sophia whispered.

I clenched my fists. She was right. Seeing him would reopen wounds, but I forced my breathing steady. "I can do this."

The elevator chimed. We stood before his office. Sophia squeezed my hand before pushing the door open.

Axel looked up. His eyes widened, his face draining of color.

"Dami..." he breathed, my name trembling on his lips as his gaze swept over me.

I flipped my hair back, a smirk curving my lips. "Show some respect. I'm your new boss."

He blinked, stunned. His brown hair was slicked back, his once bright blue eyes dull with weariness. He was still handsome, but to me, he was uglier than ever.

"You can... talk?" he whispered.

I ignored him, glancing instead at the receptionist who had followed us inside.

"Miss Winter," she said respectfully, "this is your office, as the new CEO of the company."

"CEO of my company?" Axel's voice cracked in disbelief.

"Your company was sold to me to repay your debts," I said, my tone sharp as a blade. "I'm in control now, baby boy."

"This is not possible!" His voice rose, desperate and ragged.

I pulled the documents from my bag and walked toward him, my heels clicking like a countdown to his doom. "See for yourself."

He snatched the papers, his hands trembling. His face twisted in horror as he read. "No... no, this can't be happening. You can't do this to me, Dami!" Sweat dotted his forehead, and his chest heaved.

I leaned close, my eyes locking onto his. "You know what this feels like, Axel? It's the same pain you gave me when you stripped away my worth, when you and your family crushed me. And I'm only just beginning."

"If this is about what happened between us years ago, I'm sorry, Dami. Please, don't take my company. It's all I have left," he pleaded, his voice breaking.

I smirked, unshaken. "I haven't even started with you. I'll take everything, piece by piece, until you're left with nothing but shame."

He tried to speak again, but his phone rang. He picked it up with shaky hands.

"She did what? She bought my house?" His eyes darted to me, panic flooding his features. The phone slipped from his grasp.

His knees buckled. He staggered, falling hard against the floor.

For a fleeting second, my heart skipped a beat. In that vulnerable moment, I saw a glimmer of the man I once loved.

But I pushed it aside. Love was weakness, and I couln't afford that now.

Axel's POV

"Axel!" A familiar voice cut through the darkness, dragging me back to reality. My eyes flickered open and landed on her, Dami. My Dami. Except she wasn't mine anymore.

She stood tall, elegance wrapped around her like a second skin. Her lips curved in a cold, mocking smile as her eyes pierced into me.

"If you're going to die, please do it outside my office. I don't have money for your burial," she said flatly, her heels clicking as she turned away.

For a moment, my mind went blank. Dami, the woman I once cast aside without a thought. The woman who couldn't speak a word back then now her voice was sharp, clear, and cutting. My mute ex-wife had become my new boss, the owner of both my company and my home.

I stared after her, disbelief gnawing at me. Where had she gotten the money? The bank loan I had taken was fifty million dollars. Fifty million. My entire life, my company, my house had been swallowed as collateral. Now everything was hers.

A bitter wave of regret churned in my chest. My mother and sister had pushed me into divorcing her, convincing me she was nothing. And Samantha my fiancée, the woman who bled me dry with her endless demands, had been the nail in my coffin.

Dami's voice pulled me back.

"Leave my office, Axel. Or do you want me to embarrass you in front of everyone?" Her tone sliced like a blade, her eyes flashing with the kind of fire I had never seen in her before.

"I have nowhere to go, Dami," I stammered, shame clinging to every word. "My sister said you're going to throw them out of the house. Please, don't do this."

She turned, her expression carved from ice. The softness I once knew was gone. She was a stranger now, a queen on her throne looking down on the beggar who once held her heart.

"Don't you dare call me Dami. It's Miss winter to you," she snapped.

Her name, her new name, hung heavy in the air, a reminder that she had shed her old self, the one who used to love me.

I swallowed my pride and nodded. "Miss Winter, maybe we can settle this.."

Her brow arched, lips curling with cruel amusement. "Settle? Do you want me to offer you a job?"

The words burned, but I managed to nod. My stomach twisted at the humiliation, but without her, I was nothing.

She leaned forward slightly, her voice smooth but laced with venom.

"The only position I can offer you is that of my driver. You'll open doors for me, run errands, and stand by when I need something. That's all a man like you is worth now."

A mocking smile spread across her lips as she watched the color drain from my face.

My pride screamed at me. I was Axel, the man who once owned this empire, who once had it all. Now she wanted me to parade as her servant? My staff would laugh, the whispers already snaking through the building.

"A driver?" My voice cracked with disbelief. "Do you know how that will look? What do you want them to think that their former boss is now nothing but a chauffeur?"

Her smile widened, wicked and triumphant. "Careful, Axel. I can have you thrown out this instant. This company is mine now, and I'll do whatever I please. Do you accept my generous offer or not?"

Her words left me cornered, stripped bare. My pride had already been shattered, this was just another blow. With clenched fists and a bitter taste in my mouth, I whispered, "I accept."

"Brilliant." Her voice was laced with cruel satisfaction. "Report tomorrow at eight. Don't be late."

I held back the tears burning behind my eyes as she dismissed me with a wave of her hand. Grabbing my phone, I forced myself to walk out, her cold gaze searing into my back.

The stares of my staff pierced me as I left. Pity, mockery and shock. Maya, the receptionist, gave me a look that twisted the knife deeper. Word spread fast, the mighty Axel had fallen.

By the time I reached home, my chest was heavy with humiliation. My mother and sister were waiting, their faces stormy.

"Axel! How could you?" My mother's voice thundered, rage trembling in every syllable.

My patience snapped. "How could I? You brought this upon us! You pushed me to divorce her. You and Samantha drained me, bled me until there was nothing left!"

"Shut your mouth!" she spat. "Did I tell you to take a loan? Did I tell you to use your property as collateral?"

"Yes, you might as well have!" My voice rose, raw with fury. "You, Samantha, and Alexa destroyed everything. Do you know how much you spend on shopping every week? Do you realize how recklessly you live while I fight to keep us afloat? Now look at us. Look at me!"

Alexa stepped in quickly, her voice softer but edged with fear. "Arguing won't fix this. The damage is done. What's the next step?"

I sagged into the chair, defeated. "There is no step. She owns everything now. The company, the house and everything."

"What?" My mother's face drained of color. Alexa's lips parted in shock.

"We're at her mercy," I said quietly. "Until I find a way to rebuild, I have no choice but to obey her."

"This isn't just revenge," Mom whispered, horror lacing her words. "She's destroying us."

I shook my head. "She didn't destroy us. Without her, strangers would own all of it. She saved it, in her own way."

But deep down, I knew. This wasn't salvation but it was punishment.

"She's going to throw us out. She said she would," Alexa murmured, panic in her voice

.

Silence fell, thick and suffocating. My chest tightened with regret, memories of the woman I had once held close gnawing at me. If I had known she would rise like this, if I had known what she would become...

"We'll have to convince her," Alexa said suddenly, determination hardening her voice. "You have to make her fall in love with you again. That's the only way."

Her words hit me like a blow. Love. Was it survival I wanted or did I still crave the woman I had lost?

I closed my eyes, the weight of it pressing down on me. Perhaps Alexa was right. Perhaps the only way to reclaim my life... was to reclaim Dami.