A Heart Caught Between Hope And Fear

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• The Phoenix Bride Rises: Trust Was Her First Mistake    Fate's Choice

  Now fully recovered, the duchess summoned her son to her chambers. A tray of untouched tea rested between mother and son, steam now long dissipated. Duchess Evelyn Fleming leaned forward, her fingers gently rubbing the carved armrest of her chair.The silence between her and Cedric was not heavy, it was contemplative. But Cedric knew his mother never summoned him without reason. She looked older than usual today, though not weak. There was a strength in her bones that had carried her through decades of loss and expectation. Her voice, when it broke the silence, was soft.“Do you know why I hesitated about your marriage, Cedric?” He sat across from her, legs crossed, watching her closely. “You said you'd explain when the time was right. Is that now?” She gave a slow nod. “Yes. It’s time.” Cedric leaned back, arms folded. “Then I’m listening.”Duchess Eloise took a breath, gathering herself. “Over twenty years ago, your father, gods rest his s

• The Phoenix Bride Rises: Trust Was Her First Mistake    Children Of The Flame

  The twins may have been a little mischievous but they were quite observant. They noticed that ever since Aretha took their mommy's birth right, things had changed . Albeit slightly. The light in their mommy's eyes had dimmed. Her smiles became scarce. The two siblings decided to help their mother.Most of the manor slept, but in one quiet corridor, two small figures tiptoed barefoot across the carpeted floor. Cassian was on a mission. Celeste followed closely, her beloved stuffed fox tucked beneath her arm, eyes wide with excitement and a hint of mischief. “Are you sure we won’t get caught?” she whispered.“If we do,” Cassian said with the calm gravitas of a general, “we'll just say we were sleepwalking. That works on nannies.” Celeste snorted softly. “Sleepwalking with a laptop?” “I have layers to my plan.”They crept into Arla-Rosa’s study. The door was already ajar, the room steeped in the scent of parchment and herbal tea. Moonlight filt

• The Phoenix Bride Rises: Trust Was Her First Mistake    Where Are You, Little Flame?

  The firelight danced across the ornate frame in Miguel’s hand, casting golden flickers over the delicate image it held. A photograph, aged, delicate, and creased at the edges. It had been taken in the rose gardens of Vespas a little over two decades ago. Diamante stood barefoot on dew-kissed grass, holding a book to her chest, her expression somewhere between laughter and defiance. Her hair was wild with wind, her eyes bright with mischief, and her smile... He swallowed hard. That smile had undone kingdoms.Miguel sat alone in his private chamber, the wine untouched beside him. The royal court had gone quiet for the night, but his mind refused to rest. Aretha’s voice still rang in his ears. Her perfectly timed sighs, her overly humble curtsy, her generic memories crafted from stories fed to her by someone else."She smelled like roses,” she had said.Roses? Any servant could have said that. Half the palace gardens were roses. But Diamante had smelled of something else, amberwood, her

• The Phoenix Bride Rises: Trust Was Her First Mistake    The Impostor Arrives

  The royal gates of Vespas creaked open with a grandeur befitting long-lost royalty. Aretha Santon stepped out of the diamond-trimmed car with exaggerated grace, her head held high, and her newly tailored gown flowing like stolen silk over polished marble. The crest of the Vespas bloodline had been embroidered onto her sash in gold thread, bold, unearned, and glaring.Her carefully styled hair shimmered under the sun, and her demure smile drew murmurs of admiration from the crowd. A handmaiden from the Vespas palace held a golden parasol over her head, shielding her from the afternoon glare. Aretha walked with the grace she had spent days rehearsing, her eyes wide in feigned wonder at the opulence surrounding her.From the palace balcony above, Crown Prince Miguel Vespas stood still, unmoving, as the scene unfolded beneath him. A once-proud and passionate prince who had refused to remarry after Diamante’s disappearance, he had lived for this moment. And yet, something in him remained u

• The Phoenix Bride Rises: Trust Was Her First Mistake    Truths Across Lifetimes

  The sky outside the Fleming estate darkened, bruised with the deep blues and purples of an early evening storm. Arla-Rosa stood on the balcony of the east wing, the wind stirring her loose hair as she looked out over the gardens. Below, Cassian and Celeste were engaged in a dramatic game of pretend, Celeste was a noble knight, and Cassian, her brooding genius advisor. Their laughter echoed up to her, filling the space between the rage in her chest and the strange, aching calm in her soul.From inside the study, the heavy double doors creaked open. Cedric stepped out, shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows, his jaw tense. “I spoke with Reynard,” he said. “They’re coordinating with our international legal team. Once we expose the forgery, the monarchy will have to...”“No.” Arla-Rosa’s voice was soft but immovable. She did not look at him. “We’re not doing that. Not yet.” Cedric blinked. “What do you mean not yet? Arla, they’re parading as you. They’ve twisted everything. The world is watc

• The Phoenix Bride Rises: Trust Was Her First Mistake    The Imposter’s Stage

  Arla-Rosa was stirring the children’s herbal tea when her phone rang. The ringtone was familiar, a flute melody only one person ever used. Master Ye. She wiped her hands on a dishcloth and picked up, heart already picking up pace. “Master?”“Disciple,” came the grave voice from the other end. “Turn on the international news forums.” Her blood ran cold. “Now.” Without another word, she grabbed the remote and flicked on the smart screen above the kitchen island. Cedric, who was helping Celeste braid her doll’s hair at the dining table, looked up.Cassian was assembling a miniature planetarium Cedric had bought him last week. “What is it?” Cedric asked, walking over. Arla did not answer. Her eyes were locked on the screen. The news anchor’s voice was sharp and enthusiastic, clearly thrilled to be covering such a “heartfelt, tragic tale.”“Today, we bring you the moving story of a young heiress lost and found. Meet Aretha Santon, or, as she is now known, Aretha Lunaria, the long-lost daug