LOGINAmber POVThe inside of the castle met every single fantasy I had ever built in my head as a little girl.No—It surpassed them.The moment the massive wooden doors opened, I forgot about the gunshots from earlier.Forgot about the Vincents.Forgot about the investigations and the endless tension that had followed us for months.For one impossible moment, I simply stood there staring like a child seeing magic for the first time.The entrance hall alone was breathtaking.Tall vaulted ceilings stretched overhead, faded paintings decorating the stone arches despite centuries of wear. Massive chandeliers hung above us, dark with age but still beautiful in a haunting way. Wide staircases curved toward the upper floors while sunlight filtered through colored glass windows, scattering fractured shades of gold and violet across the old stone floors.I actually felt giddy.Genuinely giddy.Of course, the place needed work.A lot of work.Cracks spread through sections of the stone flooring. Se
Amber POV The rest of the tour passed in a blur after that. Mostly because my brain remained completely stuck on the fact that we had potentially just discovered a hidden alexandrite source. Then they showed us the castle. And suddenly nothing else mattered. The structure rose directly from the mountainside like something stolen from a fantasy novel. Tall stone towers. Massive arched windows. Ancient ivy climbing across dark walls. It was breathtaking. I actually stopped walking entirely. “Oh,” I whispered. Jason immediately noticed my expression. I turned toward him slowly, completely serious. “Oh, Jason…” My eyes widened helplessly while staring at the castle. “We are buying this.” Several people behind us laughed quietly. I ignored them completely. “I want this,” I informed him firmly. “I need this castle.” And I really did. Because standing there beneath the mountain sky, staring at ancient towers wrapped in mist and stone— It looked exactly like something ou
Amber POVChaos erupted the second the shots rang through the mountains.Workers screamed and scattered in every direction, some dropping tools as they ran for cover while the police escorts immediately began shouting into their radios for reinforcements.The sharp echo of gunfire bounced violently against the cliffs surrounding the mines, making it impossible to tell exactly where the shooters were positioned.I hit the ground hard beside Jason behind one of the rocky inclines, my palms scraping against dirt and gravel while another shot cracked somewhere overhead.“Stay down,” Jason ordered sharply.His body shielded mine almost entirely, broad shoulders tense as he kept himself between me and the open terrain.The governor’s security detail was already moving, weapons drawn while officers rushed civilians toward the Jeeps farther behind us.Still, despite the numbers around us, I knew exactly how fragile this situation truly was.If Jason did not have the influence he carried—If p
Amber POVThe planning progressed terrifyingly fast after that.Within forty-eight hours, legal teams were mobilized, investment proposals finalized, and enough paperwork exchanged between Asher Corp, Sol Management, and Phoenix Ashes to make the entire trip look like nothing more than an aggressive family expansion strategy.Which, technically, it was.Just not entirely for business reasons.By the time we boarded my grandfather’s private plane, half the Asher board was already treating Jason like some kind of mythical creature.Not openly, of course.Executives of that level knew how to maintain professionalism.But every glance lingered slightly too long.Every interaction carried quiet curiosity beneath polished corporate masks.Because while most people knew Jason Sun as the billionaire head of Sol management and one of the most influential businessmen in the country—The older executives remembered something else.Someone else.His mother.Jason sat beside me near one of the lar
Amber POVBefore I could properly enjoy the absolute horror on the associates’ faces, the elevator doors behind us opened.And my grandfather walked out.The entire lobby straightened instantly.Executives who moments earlier had barely acknowledged me now looked one step away from cardiac arrest.My grandfather, however, seemed entirely unbothered by the tension surrounding him.The moment his eyes landed on me, his severe expression softened visibly.“Amber.”Not Ms. Asher.Not granddaughter.Amber.That alone sent another visible wave of shock through the lobby staff.He walked directly toward me, ignoring everyone else entirely before briefly squeezing my shoulder.“Come,” he said calmly. “The board is waiting.”Adrian looked deeply entertained by the chaos unfolding around us.The elevator ride to the executive floors passed in silence.Mostly because the board members inside looked terrified to breathe incorrectly near my grandfather.The moment we entered the conference room, e
Amber POVMy grandfather called me the morning after we finalized the Sum travel arrangements.Not as my grandfather.As Chairman Asher.“Come to the company tomorrow.”No greeting.No buildup.Straight to business.I leaned back against the kitchen counter while watching Jason argue with Alex over whether “tactical backpacks” were appropriate for a family trip.“I already manage Phoenix Ashes,” I reminded him carefully.“And you manage it well,” my grandfather replied immediately. “But Phoenix Ashes is still only one part of the Asher influence.”A pause.“As my granddaughter and heir, you will eventually be expected to help manage Asher Corp directly.”That made me go quiet.Because despite everything that had happened recently…Despite the investigations, the Vincents, the Beckers, the White family—There was still an empire waiting behind my grandfather’s name.And one day…It would become mine.“I’ve allowed you freedom because I knew you needed to build something of your own,” h
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







