- Adriah’s POV - I woke up feeling so hot—it hurt.I caressed my arm, trying to lessen the heat, but goodness! It felt like I was being cooked in a bowl of fire.I looked around for something that could ease the burning. I needed ice—right now! But all I could see was my dark room with the lights turned off. I glanced at the window. It was pitch black outside. Then I looked at the table and saw the clock: exactly midnight.I had to open the window. I needed to feel the coldness outside, or I would die from the heat."Damn it!" I cursed when I tried to unlock the window but couldn’t. "Why can’t I open it?" I muttered to myself.I had no idea why this was happening. This had never happened before. Usually, this hour of the night was freezing, but right now, it felt like the opposite."Fuck!" I cursed again when it still wouldn’t open. The lock had always been easy, but for some reason, not tonight."You can’t open it," a man’s voice said from the corner.I immediately shifted into a de
- Jairah's POV -I rattled with fear and nervousness—Adriah should not get far from me, or I would be doomed.I immediately held King Jester's hand before he could get out of the room. "My King, please… let Adriah stay here. I will take the responsibility if she ever does wrong again," I pleaded, wearing my puppy eyes.He looked at me, and when he saw my miserable state, pity filled his eyes. He faced me and cupped my cheek. "But I can’t take the risk, Love. I can’t let her stay here or you’ll be in danger. She threatened you, and I won’t take any chances!" His voice carried anger and determination.I realized then that what I said earlier had been a wrong move."We’ve talked about this, right?" I asked in a soft voice, trying to calm his anger."I know, but… threatening you is too much. I couldn’t bear it. She may be your sister, but she’s getting overboard, and I’m full of her shit!""I will leave the castle with or without your consent. In the first place, I never wanted to be here
- Adriah's POV - "Wake up now, Adriah. Rest has ended." I heard a voice say.From the sound of it, I knew exactly who it was. However, I still pretended to sleep. I just didn't want to face her... I don't think I can.I am mad at her... furious to be exact, but I can't do anything. I have no power against her, and no one would ever believe me if I told them the truth. I just can't handle seeing her face without getting mad."I knew you're awake. Why don't you face me?" Jairah challenged, but I remained silent with my eyes closed."I tried killing you when you were asleep," she stated, which made me open my eyes and face her.My hands clenched on their own from the anger in me. She took everything from me—in fact, she stole everything I had, and that was more than death. She had killed me without her knowing... she should have killed me by stopping my heartbeat."What did I ever do wrong to you?" I asked her, despite the anger in me, as I sat on the edge of my bed.She evilly smirked.
- Adriah's POV -“No… don’t come closer. Please.” My voice trembled, breaking as tears streamed endlessly down my face.Even in the shadows of the night, the moonlight seeped faintly through the trees, casting a pale glow that revealed the silhouette of a man. His presence was terrifying. A deadly, suffocating aura clung to him like a shroud of darkness, making the air heavy, thick, and cold.I could feel it... the menace radiating from him.He stood there, unmoving, yet I felt the weight of his gaze locking onto me like chains I couldn’t escape from. He was grinning... I couldn’t see it clearly, but I knew. I could feel it.“You’re mine,” he said, his voice deep and cold, each word slicing through the night like blades.The sound sent chills down my spine. My body froze while my heart thundered violently against my ribs, as though it wanted to break free.But what terrified me most was the way my body betrayed me.Because despite the terror clawing through my mind, despite the sharp
- Jairah's POV -A day had passed, and I still hadn’t heard anything about Adriah. Maybe she was already dead. I was wearing her old clothes despite how disgusting they were because I had to keep her scent on me.It was the only way to keep King Jester fooled.But I needed to find her soon, to rub my dress against her body and steal her scent again. Otherwise, the truth would come out. Well, I guess I had to ask someone about her whereabouts. If she was already dead, then much better! King Jester would be mine and mine alone.“The King ordered to bring the Stealer back to the Golden-Silver Pack.”I froze mid-step.I had been walking down the hallway when I overheard those words, my whole body halting as though I had slammed into a wall.A group of servants stood nearby, whispering in hushed voices, gossiping about the latest scandal in the Kingdom. But it was the word Stealer that caught my attention and made me eavesdrop shamelessly.“She deserves it. She’s not worthy to be here,” on
- Jairah’s POV - He was terrifying, every bit the dangerous and untamed presence I had always known him to be. The moment I saw him, my body froze, and instinctively, I took a step back. My heart raced, pounding against my ribcage as if it wanted to escape. Even in the face of his commanding and frightening aura, I couldn’t stop my gaze from meeting his.Then something shifted. His fierce, dark expression softened just slightly, and his eyes flickered to a light gray, as if a shadow of realization had passed over him.“Jairah…” he murmured, stepping toward me with something I thought might be pity—or was it regret? His gaze was heavy, weighing down on me.My throat went dry, and I realized I couldn’t move. His presence was overwhelming, a storm of raw power and emotions I couldn’t fully comprehend. I managed to stammer, “I… I think I have… something I need to do,” and hurried past him, forcing my legs to move through the doorway.I walked faster, my mind trying to process what I had