*CHAPTER 1 – The Heiress of Two Worlds
The sun poured through the grand windows of the Willie International Group penthouse suite, kissing the marble floors and glinting off gold-lined decor. *Alexa Willie Zigna*, the only daughter of the powerful Willie family, was curled on a velvet chaise, her designer suitcase half-packed beside her. Her flight to London was in four hours, and she still hadn't picked which pair of heels would match her arrival outfit.
"Alexa!" her mother's voice rang through the hallway. "You're not going there to host a runway show."
"I'm not about to look like a disaster either, Mum," Alexa called back, slipping on her sunglasses with flair.
Her life was a delicate cocktail of luxury, control, and pressure. The *Willie name* commanded respect across business circles, and as the heir to an empire, Alexa wasn't just expected to carry it — she was expected to own it.
But she had other plans — *to breathe*.
The decision to study abroad wasn't random. Away from Lagos, from the boardrooms and constant judgment, she could finally be herself — unfiltered. She could figure out who *Alexa* was beyond the corporate legacy.
And fate, as unpredictable as ever, had something waiting for her there.
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*Three weeks later – London, England*
The city's air was different. It didn't carry her name like home did. She could walk past anyone here and just be another pretty face — not Alexa Willie.
She was adjusting to the rhythm of university life, until one rainy afternoon in a café near campus, she met him.
*Lixxie*.
Dressed in an all-black suit despite the casual setting, he was impossible to ignore. Their eyes met briefly when he offered her the only available seat at his table.
"You're Nigerian, aren't you?" he asked smoothly, sipping espresso.
"I was trying not to make it obvious," she smiled, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
They clicked instantly. Lixxie was bold, sharp-tongued, and had a dangerous charm that pulled her in. He said he was in London for "business cleanups," but didn't explain. And Alexa didn't ask — not yet.
Friendship bloomed quickly. Too quickly.
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*Back home in lagos…*
*Luxia* stared blankly at the business journal on his desk, but his mind wasn't on stocks or mergers. It was on her.
*Alexa.*
His best friend. His favorite argument partner. His constant source of chaos and calm.
And now… she was abroad. With some guy named Lixxie. He clenched his jaw. He wasn't just Alexa's best friend. He was the man who'd watched her laugh, cry, and fight for herself. He knew the softness behind her tough skin.
But he had been *too careful*, too late.
And now someone else had gotten to her first.
But Luxia wasn't known for backing down — not in business, and definitely not in love.
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