LOGINSCARLETT'S POVI stood completely still after Jordan's confession, staring at him as though I had suddenly forgotten how to understand the man in front of me. The words kept repeating inside my head, especially the part where he admitted the contract was the only thing he regretted.I had spent so long convincing myself that our marriage was nothing more than an arrangement that hearing him reject that idea made my chest tighten. I wanted to believe him immediately, but years of disappointment had taught me to question anything that sounded too good to be true.“What exactly do you mean by that?” I asked carefully, searching his face for hesitation. “You said the contract is the only thing you regret, but Jordan, that contract is the reason we are standing here together. Without it, none of this would have happened.”Jordan remained quiet for a moment, and I watched his expression soften as though he was choosing his next words carefully. He stepped closer before answering, refusing t
JORDAN'S POVI broke the seal slowly, already expecting something terrible, but nothing prepared me for what I found inside. The letter contained names, agreements, payment records, and detailed plans surrounding Charles. Cassian had not simply wanted my throne. He had planned to use my son to control the kingdom.My eyes moved across the first page, and my jaw tightened when I saw references to several outside packs. Cassian had been building alliances long before anyone suspected him. If I had fallen, those packs were prepared to recognize him as the kingdom's new ruler.The next pages were worse because they revealed exactly how Charles was supposed to become leverage. Cassian intended to use the threat against my son to force the council and loyal packs into surrendering authority. He had planned everything around fear, believing nobody would risk Charles's life.I felt my fingers tighten around the letter as anger settled heavily inside me. Charles was a child. My son had never a
JORDAN'S POVThe moment Elaine finished speaking, every thought about the stolen documents and political conspiracy disappeared from my mind. Cassian could want the throne, the kingdom, or my life, but wanting Charles changed everything. My son was no longer simply caught inside the conflict. He had become the target.I turned toward the guards immediately, forcing my voice to remain steady despite the anger burning through me. “Get to the palace now and secure Charles,” I ordered sharply, pointing toward the nearest warriors. “Nobody approaches him without my permission, and anyone who attempts to enter his chambers is to be stopped immediately.”Scarlett moved closer to me, her expression filled with fear she was trying desperately to hide. I could see her fighting the urge to run straight back to our son. I reached for her hand and squeezed it, silently promising her that Charles would be protected.Elaine watched us carefully, realizing that Charles had become the one thing capabl
SCARLETT'S POVFor years, I had imagined what it would feel like to stand in front of Elaine without Rowan, the council, or an entire pack watching us. Now that moment had finally arrived, and strangely, I felt calmer than I expected. I tightened my grip around the file and met her eyes.Elaine stepped from the darkness slowly, her clothes still carrying traces of her escape through the underground passage. She looked nothing like the woman who once stood beside Rowan with confidence. Her eyes were harder now, but beneath them, I noticed exhaustion and something dangerously close to desperation.“You always had everything handed to you,” Elaine accused bitterly, folding her arms as she stared at me. “Your family, your position, Rowan's loyalty, and eventually the crown. I spent my entire life watching you receive things I had to fight for.”I felt anger rise through me, but I refused to let her turn this into another conversation where I became responsible for her choices. “You didn't
SCARLETT'S POVI refused to remain inside the palace while Jordan went after Elaine. He argued that the chapel could be dangerous, but I reminded him that Elaine had already made me the center of her plans. If she was hiding something about my past, I needed to see it myself.Jordan finally agreed, though his expression made it clear he hated the decision. We rode toward the eastern gardens with several warriors surrounding us, while the abandoned chapel waited beyond the overgrown trees. The closer we came, the quieter everything became, making my stomach tighten.The chapel had been abandoned after a fire years ago, but I remembered hearing whispers about it during my first weeks in the kingdom. Servants used to speak about strange passages beneath the building, though nobody seemed willing to explain where they led or why the royal family had sealed them.When we reached the chapel, I immediately noticed something that made me stop. The weeds around the entrance had been disturbed
JORDAN'S POVThe moment the guard announced that Elaine had escaped, I felt every muscle in my body tighten. For several seconds, nobody moved, as though the words needed time to sink in. Then instinct took over, and I immediately ordered the palace sealed before she could get far.I turned toward the nearest guards and gave my orders without allowing myself time to think. Every entrance and exit had to be watched, every servant questioned, and every hidden passage searched. Elaine knew the palace well enough to disappear, and I refused to underestimate how much damage she could cause.My greatest concern was Scarlett and Charles. Elaine knew enough about Scarlett's past to hurt her, but now that she had escaped, she could decide to stop hiding and expose everything she knew. Worse, she could target Charles simply because hurting him would be the easiest way to hurt Scarlett.I ordered several warriors to remain outside Scarlett's chambers while another group escorted her to a secured







