The choice we made: The years we owed
Melanie Donaldson, a financial genius who worked her way from a scholarship student to an ambitious analyst at Kallen Capital, fell deeply and irrevocably in love with the firm’s powerful founder, Rhys Kallen. Their love was a fierce, unstoppable partnership built on shared ambition and profound mutual respect. Their world shattered when Rhys's past caught up, burdened by an unresolved emotional debt to his ex- lover, Eliza Moreau, the mother of his son.
Faced with a devastating, imminent discovery, Melanie realized the threat was too great. To protect Rhys and to shield her own secret family from the ensuing chaos, Melanie made the ultimate sacrifice: she vanished. She left behind a cold, professional resignation note, forcing Rhys to believe she was a mercenary who had judged his personal life and abandoned his duty.
Rhys, consumed by guilt and a blinding resentment fueled by his ex-lover and baby mama’s constant presence, spent seven years hardening his heart, unaware that his ex-lover’s manipulation was merely the weapon wielded by a mystery old sworn enemy—an unseen force determined to dismantle the Kallen empire and destroy Rhys and Melanie both.
Now, Melanie Donaldson is back. She is the untouchable CEO of a rival, ethical consultancy firm, forcing a dramatic, high-stakes collision with Rhys. He sees a calculating traitor; she sees the devastating, unresolved chaos she fled years ago.
Rhys wants professional revenge, but his heart demands the woman he hates. Their fierce "hate to love" battle will rage across international boardrooms, threatening to expose the devastating truth that separated them and finally reveal the existence of his hidden heirs, while they unknowingly fight a war orchestrated by their powerful, unseen enemy.