LOGIN✦THAT NIGHT✦◈D'AMATOS' EMPIRE◈ Daisy pushed open the front door and stepped inside quietly. The moment Isolde saw her, she stood up at once, worry flashing across her face.“Why are you just coming back, Daisy? And why didn’t you pick any of my calls?”Before Daisy could answer, she moved slightly aside, and Amanda walked in from behind her.For a moment, Isolde froze. Her eyes darted between Daisy and Amanda, disbelief flooding her features. Slowly, she took a step forward, tears already welling in her eyes. Then she ran the rest of the distance and pulled Amanda into a tight embrace.Amanda’s arms wrapped around her mother, trembling slightly. After a long moment, they withdrew, but before Amanda could speak, Isolde pressed a finger gently to her lips.“It doesn’t matter,” she said, her voice breaking with emotion. “All that matters now is that I have my daughter back.”She turned to one of her men.“Tell the staff to set the tables and open the cellar. We celebrate tonight, and I
◈AT NIGHT◈Henry lay on his bed, eyes fixed on the POP ceiling above him. The lights were off, and the room was dark, but the faint glow from the hallway slipped through the narrow gap beneath the door, catching the edge of the white plaster design.His fingers found his braid again. He ran them down its length, slow and thoughtful. It still felt soft and ordinary, yet after what he had seen, it didn’t.He exhaled and turned onto his side. The sheets were cool against his skin, but his thoughts refused to rest.Amanda’s braid wasn’t just hair, it was a weapon. And all this time, she had made him keep his for the same purpose.He tugged lightly at the end of it, frowning. Outside, a dog barked somewhere on the estate, the sound drifting through the quiet and fading into the night.Henry shut his eyes, but sleep didn’t come. His mind kept turning, chasing questions no one would answer.He remembered Asher’s voice, calm yet firm.“You must be brave, Henry. Act with wisdom. You are the he
✦AT DUSK✦ Asher shifted aside, his breathing uneven as his chest rose and fell against the pillow. Caleb lay beside him, eyes half open, strands of hair clinging to his forehead. For a long moment, neither of them moved. The silence wasn’t empty; it was full of unspoken thoughts.Asher turned his head first. “You’re staring again,” he murmured, voice still hoarse.Caleb smiled faintly, his lips barely curving. “I’m not. You’re just… hard not to look at.”“Flattery this early in the evening?” Asher chuckled quietly, rolling onto his side to face him. “You must want something.”“I already have what I want,” Caleb replied softly.Asher’s brows furrowed slightly. “Okay?”Caleb’s gaze trailed from Asher’s face down to his hand resting near his chest.Asher reached for him then, fingers brushing lightly against Caleb’s jaw. “Hey,” he said. “Right now, it’s just us.”Caleb looked at him. “You say that like you can stop time.”“I can’t,” Asher admitted. “But I can make you forget it.”Caleb
Isolde sat behind her carved mahogany desk, posture perfect, silver rings glinting as her fingers tapped once against a glass of untouched wine. Across from her, Daisy stood with her chin lifted slightly in defiance.“You’ve been avoiding me,” Isolde said, her voice cool and steady.“I’ve been busy,” Daisy replied.“Busy,” Isolde repeated, eyes narrowing. “With what? Secrets?”Daisy’s lips curved faintly. “You have enough of those for both of us.”The smile that followed from Isolde wasn’t warmth. “I am your mother, Daisy. I will not tolerate evasions. Not today.”Daisy met her mother’s gaze without a word.Isolde leaned back in her chair, watching her daughter carefully. “You carried a child, yet you still refuse to tell me who the father was. I find that insulting.”“It’s not something I wish to discuss,” Daisy said evenly.Isolde’s voice hardened. “You are under my roof. You will discuss what I demand to know.”Daisy took a step closer. “Mother, not today. Please.”That word made I
“Again,” Amanda said firmly, her voice echoing through the wide, marble-walled training hall of the mansion.Henry wiped the sweat from his brow, chest heaving, his small hands clenched into fists and his eyes locked on his mentor.“You said that five times already,” Henry said, breathless but defiant.Amanda’s lips curved faintly. “And you think five is enough to make you strong?”“I’m not weak,” he replied.“No,” she said, circling him slowly. Her boots made soft sounds against the polished stone floor. “But you’re not strong yet, either. You want to survive?”Henry nodded, jaw tight.“Then fight me.”He moved quick and impulsive. His fist shot toward her ribs, but Amanda caught it mid-air, twisting her wrist so fast he had to spin to avoid being thrown. He landed, stumbled, and launched again with a low kick.She stepped back, letting the kick slice the air just before her leg, then countered with a sweep that took Henry off his feet.He hit the mat with a thud, gasping.Amanda sto
“You’re quiet again,” Asher said, his tone calm yet curious. He lounged on the couch, one arm stretched lazily along the backrest, his gaze fixed on Caleb who stood by the window, lost in thought.Caleb turned, his back against the wall. “It’s about Ruby,” he said softly.The name hung between them.Asher straightened, eyes narrowing slightly. “You already know his name.”Caleb crossed the space between them, stopping close enough to feel Asher’s breath. “Amanda told me everything,” he murmured. “Please, Asher, think this through. Amanda has always been loyal, and if she says he acted out of ignorance, then I believe her.”Asher tilted his head, studying him. “You trust me, don’t you?”Caleb’s gaze held steady, his blue eyes glimmering. “You know I do.”A faint smile curved on Asher’s lips as he stepped closer until their chests almost touched. “Then you should understand that everything I do is to protect this family. If he hadn’t reunited with Amanda, he would still be out there, pl







