Stay Away, Mr. CEO! Novel – The Summons Home Night in Ravenska City was cloaked in mist, the cold air biting to the bone, as if freezing the heart of anyone wandering outside. But inside an old warehouse on the outskirts of the city, the atmosphere was heated by the desperate screams of a man kneeling with his hands tied, his face swollen and bruised. Standing before him was a graceful woman with a terrifying aura. She wore a long black coat that only heightened the oppressive presence she exuded. “Tell the truth. Why did you betray us? There’s no point in lying. You’ll die either way.” Aliana Zavier. Adopted daughter of Gabriel Corvo, the most feared mafia boss in Ravenska. At just twenty-five years old, Aliana had become a formidable figure in the underworld—not just due to her adoptive father’s influence, but because of her own unwavering resolve and fierce sense of justice. “I swear, Miss Aliana… I made a mistake. I didn’t mean to betray you… they pressured me…” the man whimpered, his voice trembling, his body shivering in fear. “Pressured?” Aliana stepped closer, her leather boots creaking against the damp warehouse floor.
Her dark eyes pierced through the man kneeling before her. “You think that’s enough of a reason to betray the Corvo family? You leaked information to our enemies, Alexei. How much did they pay you?” “N-not a dime… I… I was just scared—” “Scared.” Aliana cut him off, her voice icy. She bent down, her face level with his. “When you joined the Corvo family, what did my father say to you? Do you remember?” The man swallowed hard, but stayed silent. “I’ll ask again. What did he say?” Her voice rose an octave, the threat in her tone sharp enough to cut skin. “H-he said… betrayal is the greatest sin,” Alexei murmured, his voice barely audible. “Correct,” Aliana sneered. “And now you’ve committed that very sin. You know what happens to traitors, don’t you?” Alexei wept, begging for mercy, but Aliana remained motionless. Without hesitation, she drew a pistol from under her black coat. In a single breath, the gunshot echoed through the room, ending the man’s life. There was no hesitation on Aliana’s face—she never forgave betrayal. “Clean this up,” Aliana ordered coldly to the two men standing in the corner.
They nodded quickly, their bodies tense from witnessing Aliana’s ruthlessness. As Aliana holstered her pistol, a man burst into the warehouse. Tall and well-groomed, he wore a flawless gray suit despite the chaos around him. This was Rafe Donovan, Aliana’s personal assistant and right-hand man. “Miss Aliana,” Rafe said, approaching her, slightly out of breath though his expression remained composed. “There’s urgent news.” “Speak,” Aliana replied curtly, walking out of the warehouse as if she’d just completed a mundane task. Rafe matched her pace. “Your sister, Miss Alicia Zavier, has committed suicide.” Aliana froze in place. For a moment, only the sound of rain could be heard. Aliana turned to Rafe with a difficult-to-read expression. “My sister… committed suicide?” “Yes. You’ve been summoned by the Zavier family. They said the situation with Miss Alicia is grave.” Aliana stood still. She had always known her gentle, vulnerable sister lived under immense pressure—but suicide? That had never crossed her mind. Especially knowing how little tolerance Alicia had for pain; self-harm seemed unthinkable. Aliana was Alicia Zavier’s twin. But because twins were considered a “bad omen” by the old-fashioned Zavier family, Aliana had been given away at birth, raised far from home. She had grown up with her adoptive parents in Ravenska, about 6,000 kilometers away from Zenith, her birthplace.
Unlike the kind and yielding Alicia, Aliana had grown up under the care of a mafia family—independent, stubborn, and fiercely ambitious. Aliana scoffed lightly, a bitter smile curling her lips. “The Zavier family? They remember I exist now, after twenty-five years of throwing me away?” “They seem to have no choice, Miss, if they’re calling you back,” Rafe replied. “But you know this could be dangerous. If they truly want you to return, there must be a hidden agenda.” Aliana said nothing. In her mind, bitter childhood memories resurfaced. Parents who should’ve loved her had instead discarded her, deeming her cursed. No one could understand how hard she’d had to fight to survive—if not for Gabriel Corvo, the infamous mafia king, she might not have lived at all. “My sister… committed suicide,” Aliana murmured to herself. “Why? She had everything—family, wealth, a perfect-looking life. While I, the one they cast out, had to survive through blood and bullets.” Rafe watched her with concern. “Will you go, Miss?” Aliana inhaled deeply, then nodded. “I will. Not for them, but for Alicia.
I need to know what made my sister end her life.” “In that case, I’ll arrange our departure for tonight,” said Rafe. “No need. I’ll go alone,” Aliana cut him off. “You stay here and watch over the territory. I don’t want trouble while I’m gone.” “But, Miss—” “No buts, Rafe. You know I can take care of myself.” Rafe nodded, though his face clearly showed reluctance. “Very well, Miss. But please, if anything happens, let me know immediately.” Aliana didn’t respond. She simply stared out at the rain beyond the warehouse, her gaze narrowing. Several hours later… A black car cruised smoothly toward the Zavier family mansion. Throughout the journey, Aliana sat quietly in the backseat, her face expressionless. But her mind was in turmoil, wondering what awaited her in the place she was once meant to call home. After 25 years of living abroad and surviving in shadows as the discarded daughter, Aliana had never imagined returning. The ten-hour trip gave her more than enough time to revisit everything—especially the incident ten years ago when her parents rejected her for trying to see Alicia. Aliana’s emotions swirled—rage toward her parents mixed with worry for the twin sister she hadn’t seen in so long.
The car stopped in front of the grand old mansion of the Zavier family. Aliana was surprised to see numerous condolence wreaths decorating the front yard. Mourners had gathered, their faces solemn. Inside the car, Aliana could only stare blankly. Her eyes gazed through the glass, observing the foreign yet undeniable scene of grief. She knew now it was too late to see Alicia. Her sister was truly gone. Suppressing the surge of sorrow that rose in her chest, Aliana clenched her fists as memories of the past flashed by—especially the moment when she and Alicia had first truly connected. Aliana remembered how her sister had once said, “Sis… come get me. I want to live with you.” A single tear fell, but she wiped it away immediately. She fought hard to bury the guilt swelling inside her—for not being able to fulfill the one promise her sister had asked of her. The Cause of Death “Welcome, Miss Aliana. Master Ethan has been expecting you inside.” An elderly Zavier family butler opened the car door and bowed respectfully.
Aliana stepped out calmly. Her stride was slow but assertive, the long black coat she wore adding to her air of mystery. She walked forward without expression, though her sharp eyes scanned every corner of the courtyard, catching the stunned glances of the mourners. “They’re identical…” whispered an elderly woman to her companion. “She looks exactly like Alicia…” murmured another in awe. Aliana ignored the whispers. She was used to being the center of attention, and she hadn’t come to satisfy anyone’s curiosity. Her priority was uncovering the reason behind her sister’s suicide. As she entered the mansion, the mourning atmosphere thickened. The living room was filled with extended family and close relatives. Several stared at her in shock and curiosity. “She looks just like Alicia. I had no idea Uncle’s family had twins. It’s like seeing Alicia come back to life,” one cousin whispered. “There’s no difference between them,” another added. Again, Aliana ignored them. She had no time for small talk. The butler led Aliana into the family room, where Ethan and Olivia, her biological parents, awaited her. “Aliana…” Olivia immediately stood and rushed toward her.
Her face was swollen, eyes red from crying. She opened her arms to embrace Aliana—but stopped short as Aliana took a step back. Olivia froze in place, realizing the daughter she hadn’t seen in decades wanted nothing to do with her. “I’ve missed you,” Olivia whispered. Aliana’s face remained blank, unmoved by her mother’s sentiment. She had never received affection from Olivia, so treating her like a stranger felt only natural. “What really happened to Alicia?” Aliana asked coldly, not bothering with pleasantries—not even for her parents. Olivia began crying again, her body swaying. Ethan, who had been sitting gloomily on the couch, stood and walked over. He approached Aliana with no warmth in his expression. “Alicia couldn’t handle the pressure she was under. Last night, she ended her life.” Aliana didn’t flinch. She stood silently, face unreadable. Death was no stranger to her. As the adopted daughter of a mafia boss—revered and feared in the underworld as the “Goddess of Death”—she had seen many lives lost, some by her own hand. But this time, Aliana couldn’t deny the pain blooming in her chest. She never imagined she’d be attending her twin sister’s funeral. “Why did she do it?” Aliana asked in a voice so low it was almost a whisper. Ethan exhaled heavily. “Alicia was overwhelmed. She was supposed to marry Andrian Velor tomorrow.” Aliana raised an eyebrow.
She knew who Andrian Velor was—a young CEO notorious for being ruthless and ambitious. His reputation alone made rivals tremble. “You arranged for Alicia to marry Andrian Velor?” Aliana asked in disbelief. “Yes. Our family business is on the brink of collapse. Titan Group is our only lifeline. As a condition of their support, Lucian Velor—Andrian’s late father—asked me to betroth Alicia to his son,” Ethan explained. “Lucian was a dear friend. Before his death, he made it clear to Andrian: if he wanted to lead Titan Group, he had to marry a daughter of the Zavier family. That’s why the match was arranged.” “And Alicia’s feelings didn’t matter to you?” Aliana cut in, her voice sharp. “We had no choice!” Ethan snapped. “If the marriage failed, we’d lose everything.” Aliana scoffed bitterly. “Is that why you called me back? To replace Alicia?” Ethan didn’t deny it. “You and Alicia are identical twins. There’s no difference in your faces. It’s the only way to save our family. You must marry Andrian.” “I’m not part of this family,” Aliana retorted coldly. “You threw me away when I was a baby. You never cared whether I lived or died. And now you want me to save this family? You’re shameless.” Ethan tried to remain calm, though his patience was thinning. “Do you think we abandoned you for no reason? You and Alicia were twin girls.
In our ancestral belief, female twins are a bad omen. Raising you together would’ve doomed us all.” “That curse already came true,” Aliana replied. “And not because of me or Alicia. But because of your own actions.” The room fell into tense silence. Olivia, momentarily composed, began sobbing again. Ethan said nothing. “I won’t marry Andrian Velor. I won’t involve myself in this family’s mess,” Aliana declared firmly. Ethan’s voice dropped to a low tone. “You should know, Aliana, Alicia’s suicide is directly tied to this marriage. She was threatened. Humiliated.” Aliana’s eyes widened in shock. Olivia, still crying, finally spoke. “Perhaps death wasn’t a bad thing for Alicia. Her life was too heavy to bear. Rather than suffer endlessly, maybe it’s better she rests in peace.” She took a shaky breath before continuing. “Alicia was assaulted. That night, she was left on our doorstep. Her body was covered in bruises. She carried a threatening note and forged documents meant to destroy her reputation.” Aliana clenched her fists, her body rigid. “Threats? What kind of documents?” “Photos, falsified evidence… They made it look like Alicia embezzled company funds,” Olivia explained haltingly. “They framed her for crimes she didn’t commit. They threatened to expose everything if Alicia went through with the marriage to Andrian.” Aliana felt her world unravel. Anger and sorrow churned inside her. Her sister hadn’t just been threatened—she’d been broken. “From that night on, Alicia could never live in peace.
Fear haunted her. She thought she was a burden to the family,” Olivia added. “She tried to take her life several times… but last night, she finally succeeded.” Aliana’s fists trembled with rage. She never imagined her sister had endured such cruelty. With effort, she restrained the pain tearing through her. “Who did this to Alicia? Do you have any leads?” she asked, her voice like ice. “We believe it was Bianca Lorraine,” Ethan answered confidently. “She’s the one behind this.” “Bianca Lorraine?” Aliana narrowed her eyes. “And what makes you suspect her?” “Bianca is Andrian’s lover,” Ethan explained. “But his late father disapproved of their relationship and demanded he marry into our family instead. Bianca’s also the Vice CEO of Titan Group. A woman like her wouldn’t sit still while her position was threatened by Alicia.” Aliana listened without reacting. She refused to believe assumptions.