Prologue

It was a distant memory from years ago but she could still smell the smoke as she burned his empire to the ground. 

She remembered sitting in front of the glamorous mansion that had been his crowning jewel. A sprawling mansion that once belonged to one of the richest dukedoms in Europe. A mansion bought with the money he stole from her and her family. 

It had been euphoric watching it burn.

She had stayed until she saw it crumbled and turned to nothing but a charred mess.

But burning it did not burn away her rage, did not burn away her guilt.

Who knew loving the wrong man could have such consequences. But she had paid him a hundredfold for making a fool of her. Step by step she planned her revenge. A revenge so intricate, so masterful. She filled herself only with hatred for ten years. She waited and planned, she breathed only to make him suffer.

She took away everything and made him watch, made him feel as helpless as she once did. She took pleasure in his pain; it filled her with glee when she took another from him. His despair was her balm.

But after? After she won and after she ended it all, she found nothing.

It was like standing in the beach right after a storm.

Quiet. Desolate. Wretched.

There was no happiness, no happy ending. Only blood drenched hands.

She closed her eyes and hoped if there was another life, another chance she would be able to find the peace he took from her.