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3 Years laterThe backyard was filled with laughter and the smell of grilled meat. The entire family had gathered for a barbecue to celebrate Kai’s full recovery and the quiet peace that had finally settled over them. Alexander flipped burgers on the grill while Sophia arranged plates and salads on the long wooden table. Seraphina and Sebastian ran around chasing each other with water guns, their shouts mixing with Kai’s giggles as he watched from a lawn chair, still a little tired but smiling brightly.Veronica had flown in just for the weekend. She stood beside Octavia, sipping lemonade and teasing her about the slight bump that was starting to show under her loose sundress.“You’re glowing, babe,” Veronica said, nudging her. “Seriously. Something is fishy. But first, please go to your man, he has been staring at you like you hung the moon all afternoon.”Octavia laughed nervously, her hand resting on her stomach.Declan walked over carrying a tray of fresh drinks, his eyes lighting
Declan’s eyelids fluttered open slowly. The hospital room was quiet, filled only with the soft beeping of machines and the warm afternoon light filtering through the blinds. His body felt heavy, every part of him aching, but the first thing he saw was Octavia.She was sitting in the chair beside his bed, her hand wrapped tightly around his. Her eyes were red from crying, but the moment she saw him awake, her face lit up with pure relief.“Declan?” she whispered, leaning forward. “Oh my God, you’re awake. You’re really awake.”Declan tried to speak, but his throat was dry. “Octavia…” His voice came out raspy. “You’re here.”Octavia laughed through her tears and kissed his forehead, then his hand. “Of course I’m here. I haven’t left your side. Not for one second. The doctors said you were fighting so hard. I knew you would come back to us.”Declan squeezed her hand weakly. “Seraphina… is she okay?”Octavia nodded, smiling. “She’s perfect. She’s with Alexander and Sophia right now. She k
Alastair drove away from the family estate with a satisfied smile on his face. The road was dark and empty, the city lights glowing in the distance. He turned on the radio and hummed along to the music, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.“Finally,” he muttered to himself. “It’s done. Declan has nothing left. The empire is mine. Everything I worked for… it’s finally mine.”His phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw it was one of his men. He answered with a lazy grin.“What is it?” Alastair asked. “Tell me the good news. Are they gone?”The voice on the other end was panicked and breathless. “Sir! There’s a problem! Some of the explosives, they were still wired to the car! The remote trigger is still active! You need to pull over right now!”Alastair’s smile faded. “What? What are you talking about?”“Sir, the explosives in the basement — one of the backup detonators was linked to your car! It’s going to—”Alastair’s eyes widened. “What?!”The line went dead.A split secon
Declan was already in his car, speeding toward the family estate when his phone rang again. It was the private investigator.“Mr. Rothschild,” the investigator said. “We cleaned up the audio from the car recording. The name is clear now. It’s Alastair. He’s the one who ordered the brake tampering. He wanted you dead.”Declan’s hands tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. “Alastair? My own brother wanted me dead?”“Yes, sir. The voice is unmistakable. I’m sending you the cleaned file right now.”Declan’s voice was filled with shock and deep pain. “Thank you. I have to go. I’ll deal with this.”He ended the call, his heart pounding. “Alastair… why? Why would you do this to me? To my family?”He reached the estate and ran inside. Alastair was waiting for him in the foyer, holding a laptop.“You came,” Alastair said. “Good. Sign the papers. Transfer everything to me. The company, the shares, the accounts. All of it.”Declan stared at him, his face filled with bet
Two days later, Alastair paced the length of his penthouse study, phone pressed to his ear. His jaw was clenched so tightly it ached. The call he had just received changed everything.“You’re sure?” Alastair asked, his voice low and dangerous. “Declan knows about the slush fund? He’s already moving to shut it down?”The voice on the other end confirmed it. “Yes, sir. He’s working with Thompson. They’re tracing the accounts quietly. He hasn’t mentioned your name yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”Alastair ended the call without another word. He threw the phone onto the desk and let out a sharp, angry laugh that echoed through the empty room.“So close,” he muttered. “I was so close. And now he’s trying to ruin it all.”He walked over to the bar and poured himself a drink, but instead of sipping it, he hurled the glass against the wall. It shattered into pieces.“I’ve planned this for months,” he said aloud, his voice rising. “Months of moving money, turning board members, positionin
Declan pulled up to Alexander’s house with Seraphina in the back seat. The little girl was still clinging to his arm, her eyes wide and scared from everything that had happened.“Uncle Alex is going to take care of you for a little while,” Declan said gently as he unbuckled her. “Mommy has a slight issue at the hospital, and I need to go be with her. But I’ll come back as soon as I can, okay?”Seraphina’s lip trembled. “Is Mommy going to be okay? I don’t want her to go away like the bad lady said.”Declan hugged her tightly. “Mommy is going to be fine. She’s strong, just like you. I promise I’ll bring her home soon. Now go inside with Uncle Alex. I love you so much.”Alexander was already waiting at the door. He took Seraphina’s hand and gave Declan a nod. “Go. I’ve got her. Keep us updated.”Declan kissed Seraphina’s forehead one more time and ran back to the car. He drove as fast as he could to the hospital, his heart pounding the entire way.When he burst into the emergency wing, a
The car ride home was quiet. Declan drove carefully, glancing at Octavia every few minutes. She sat in the passenger seat, looking out the window. The fruit basket and flowers from her coworkers rested in the back seat.When they reached the house, Declan helped her inside. “Easy steps,” he said so
Fuck!“I’m sorry,” Declan immediately said, his voice hoarse. “lYou were falling. I didn’t think. I just reacted.”Octavia pushed against his chest, her face burning with embarrassment. “Turn around right now! This is so humiliating!”Declan immediately turned his head away, but he kept one arm aro
Declan stayed quiet, but his jaw was tight. He watched Alexander carefully. The silence between them felt awkward and heavy.Octavia turned to her brother. "Alexander... thank you. For everything."Alexander's face softened a little. "You don't have to thank me, sis. You're my family. I would do an
Octavia lay in the hospital bed, her body still weak from the poison. The room was quiet except for the soft beeping of the monitors. Declan sat in the chair beside her, watching her every breath. He had barely moved since she woke up.The door suddenly opened. Rowan rushed in his face full of worr







