로그인Amber 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
Amber POVThe ballroom remained completely silent.The screen still displayed the message.IS THIS REALLY WHO YOU WANT HERE?I slowly turned toward Jason.He looked furious.Not guilty.Not nervous.Furious.Which immediately told me something important.He recognized the footage."Amber."His voice was low.Controlled.Dangerously controlled."I can explain."I blinked.Then another memory surfaced.A business gala years ago.A drunken Jason.Marcus.A business card.My eyes widened."Wait."Jason looked at me.I frowned."Was that the night I gave you Marcus's card?"His expression immediately changed.Recognition."Yes."The answer came instantly."That was that night."The governor along with several members of the organizing committee approached our table.He looked between Jason and the frozen image on the screen.Then, to everyone's surprise, he asked:"Mr. Sun."Jason looked up."Did Eleanor Vincent take advantage of you?"Silence.Complete silence.I actually stopped typing.
Amber POV One week later, Jason and I found ourselves attending the most ridiculous event of the year. The Sum Charity Gala. Ironically, neither of us expected to win. Not because our projects weren't successful. But because our biggest competition was sitting three tables away from us, elegantly dressed in silver and looking entirely too pleased with herself. Mrs. Sun. The woman had built an entire school before the first student attended a single class. A school with scholarships. Boarding facilities. University partnerships. Horse stables. Science laboratories. And enough extracurricular activities to make grown adults tired just reading the brochure. Naturally, everyone adored her. "I still think she's going to win." I whispered. Jason followed my gaze. "Of course she's going to win." A pause. "The school hasn't even opened yet and somehow half the continent wants to send their children there." I laughed. The ballroom itself was magnificent. Crystal chandeli
Amber POV Governor Henry's laughter eventually died down, though the amused look never fully left his face. I suspected it would return every time he remembered that the mighty Vincent family had launched a legal challenge based on evidence produced by a four-year-old with access to editing software. "You should still take this seriously." His tone shifted enough that both Jason and I immediately paid attention. I nodded. "I do." Because despite the humor of the situation, the Vincents weren't stupid. Dangerous people could make mistakes. That didn't make them any less dangerous. Henry opened the folder again. "The Continental Historical Alliance has accepted the complaint." That got my attention. "They have?" The governor nodded. "A team will arrive in Sum in three weeks." Jason leaned forward slightly. "How large of a team?" "Six specialists." A pause. "Architects, historians, restoration experts and preservation consultants." I considered that for a moment. Th
Adrian left the office, but not before stopping at the door. “You will regret ever standing in my way, Amber.” His voice was low. Controlled. Promising. Then he walked out. I remained standing in front of Grandfather’s desk, the Zoom meeting still active behind me. The screen displayed a gri
By the time Jason returned with the doctor, Madam Sun and I had already reached an understanding. Not friendship. Not trust. A truce. The terms were clear. The online rumors surrounding me would be handled by the Sun family’s media division immediately. The slander from the White Group would n
My feet moved before my mind could catch up. In two strides, I reached them. My hand shot out, gripping the woman’s forearm mid-motion. “Just what do you think you’re doing?” She stiffened. Slowly, she turned her head and gave me a once-over—from my heels to my face—clearly unimpressed.
I didn’t cry. I didn’t shake. I didn’t look back, or mourned the life and the years i will never get back, lost forever. I just went home, time to pack and say goodbye to my old life. The penthouse doors opened with biometric recognition the moment I stepped inside. Floor-to-ceiling glass. Marb







