LOGINAmber POVThe inspection had barely reached the halfway point when my phone started vibrating.Once.Twice.Then continuously.I frowned.That was never a good sign.Jason noticed immediately."What happened?"I checked the caller ID.Pamela.Definitely not a good sign.I answered immediately."Pamela?"Her voice exploded through the speaker."Amber, we have a problem."Of course we did.I stepped away from the historians."What kind of problem?"Silence.Then:"The castle."My stomach dropped."What about it?"Pamela sighed."Someone posted images online."My eyes narrowed."The fake images?""Yes."A pause."The futuristic ones."My stomach dropped even further.The images Alice, Rose, and Iris had created.The bait.The trap.The fake version of Ember Castle.Glass towers.Neon lighting.Futuristic bridges.Holographic displays.The trap we had prepared for the Vincents."What happened?"Pamela sounded exhausted."The images are everywhere."A pause."They're claiming that's what y
Amber POVThe moment the historians stepped out of their vehicles, the inspection truly began.And it became immediately obvious that Dr. Edmund Vale was determined to find something wrong.Anything.His eyes traveled over the outer walls.The towers.The restored battlements.The stonework.Then he turned sharply toward me."What materials were used for the exterior restoration?"No greeting.No pleasantries.Straight to the interrogation.I smiled politely."Good afternoon to you as well, Dr. Vale."His jaw tightened.The governor suddenly found the sky fascinating.Jason looked away.Which meant he was hiding amusement.Dr. Vale ignored my comment."The stone appears original.""It is.""The mortar?""Restored.""The roofing?""Restored.""The windows?""Restored."His eye twitched slightly.Clearly that wasn't the detailed answer he wanted.Meanwhile, Professor Alina Marek was having a completely different experience.Unlike Dr. Vale, she wasn't looking for flaws.She was looking
Amber POVThe day of the castle inspection arrived with the kind of tension that made even the morning light feel suspicious.There were eight approved historians.Only eight.Originally, the Continental Historical Alliance had proposed fifteen.Jason and I rejected seven.Not politely.Not vaguely.We sent full evidence packets.Bank transfers.Emails.Old photographs.Consulting agreements.Private invitations.Proof that every rejected historian had some connection to the Vincent family.Some were direct.Others were buried beneath layers of foundations, advisory boards, academic grants, or “private cultural sponsorships.”But they were there.And I exposed every single one.The Historical Alliance reacted within hours.By the next morning, all seven had been removed from the inspection team.By the next afternoon, they had lost their positions entirely.Apparently academic institutions did not appreciate their historians being tied to a family legally banned from entering Sum.Who
Amber POV The words sent chills down my spine. An incident. Something planned. Something deliberate. I continued. "We brought Jason to the Alliance." A small flicker of hope appeared. Then vanished immediately. "Unfortunately, our castle had already been compromised." My hands tightened around the page. No. "Someone inside our organization betrayed us." Jason cursed softly. "Jason was taken from the castle and returned to Vincent control." The words felt like a punch to the chest. I turned toward Jason. His face had gone completely expressionless. That somehow worried me more. He wasn't angry. He wasn't shocked. He looked tired. As if a part of him had always known. The letter continued. "We searched tirelessly." "We failed repeatedly." "And it remains our greatest regret." I swallowed hard. "Jason remained imprisoned for another year." Another year. An entire year. While everyone searched. While his grandparents looked for him. While Rebecca tried to
A strange ache settled in my chest.Because I remembered none of it.Not a single second."What is this?"Jason's voice sounded almost hollow.I didn't answer.Because I didn't know.Then I found the letter.A single folded page hidden beneath the photographs.My hands shook as I opened it.The handwriting was elegant.Careful.Old-fashioned.I began reading aloud."If you are reading this, then the castle has finally returned to where it belongs."Jason moved closer."The children in these photographs were brought to Ember Castle by the Ember Alliance."My pulse stopped.The Ember Alliance.Not the Ember family.An alliance.A group.I continued reading."Both children were rescued."The words seemed to echo inside the car."Neither belonged at the places where they were found."I swallowed hard.Jason had gone completely still."The girl remained with us for several months."My hands tightened around the paper."The boy vanished shortly after these photographs were taken."Jason cur
Amber POVThe gala ended far better than anyone had expected.Which, considering it had included an attempted public humiliation, a conspiracy, and a four-year-old being credited for helping launch a school, was saying something.The atmosphere had completely shifted after the video was exposed.People weren't whispering about Jason anymore.They were whispering about Eleanor Vincent.And not kindly.Several guests approached us throughout the evening.Business owners.Government officials.Investors.Families.Many of them wanted to shake Jason's hand.A few apologized.One elderly businessman looked positively embarrassed."I owe you an apology, Mr. Sun."Jason blinked."For what?"The man cleared his throat."I saw the first video."A pause."I assumed the worst."Another pause."I should have known better."Jason simply nodded.The man looked relieved.The interaction repeated itself several times throughout the night.To my surprise, however, the most overwhelming support came fr
We didn’t warn them. We simply arrived. Jason walked at my side. The children stayed close, Marcus just behind us — calm, immovable, inevitable. The moment we entered the company lobby, the air shifted. Whispers followed us. Phones were lowered. Eyes widened. “Call the board,” I instructed t
We drifted into lighter topics after that — Molly’s upcoming clothing line debut, fabric choices, venue rumors, guest lists. It felt almost normal. Almost. Then another call came through. Grandfather. “Molly, I’m sorry — I have to take this. I’ll call you back.” Her teasing hum was the la
High above them, the balcony doors remained slightly open. Madam Sun stood in the shadows, one hand resting lightly against the carved stone railing. She had not meant to watch. And yet— There they were. Jason, bare-chested, having clearly abandoned formality the moment he stepped upstair
The door swung open.Oscar didn’t hesitate.He shoved forward immediately, trying to push past Jason.“Where is she?” he demanded.Jason didn’t move.Didn’t stumble.He absorbed the force like it was expected and blocked him with one arm.Oscar was furious.Not irritated.Furious.His eyes were wil







