MasukInside, Blair sat on the sofa, her hand resting on her slight belly, while Roman stood nearby deep in conversation with Luca. Two-year-old Olivia was showing off her drawings to anyone who would look."Aunt Keira!" Olivia shouted, abandoning her colouring-in to run across the room. Keira bent down,
Olivia, growing restless, wiggled off Blair’s lap. “Can I go play with my blocks?”“Yes, but stay in the playroom,” Roman told her. “I’ll be there in a minute.”As Olivia skipped off, Roman pulled Blair to her feet and into his arms. “You look tired. You should have let me bring someone in to handle
“Mama! Look!”Blair looked up from her laptop to see her two-year-old daughter, Olivia, proudly showing off a crayon drawing that was mostly colorful scribbles.“That’s beautiful, sweetheart,” Blair said, genuinely impressed with the artwork of her toddler. “Is that our family?”Olivia nodded madly,
"Is that what you think?" Niko's voice was dangerously quiet. "That your only value is as a... what? A royal broodmare?""It's the reality of our position," she insisted. "The Wystovian crown needs an heir. You need an heir. And I can't—" Her voice broke.Niko crossed the distance between them in th
"I'm trying to protect him—""From what? From having a choice?" Keira's voice grew stronger. "You're deciding what's best for Niko without asking him what he wants. That's not protection, that's control."Amelia stared at her, startled by the blunt assessment."Look, I get it. The pressure is overwh
Amelia shook her head, the weight of her failure pressing down on her. "The doctors say there's nothing wrong with Niko, which means the problem lies with me. I'm considering stepping aside, letting him divorce me so he can marry someone who can actually give him an heir." She glanced at Keira, sudd
Definitely a test. Keira kept her voice steady. "Change is inevitable. The key is making sure it serves the people rather than destroying what they value.""An interesting perspective." Was Mitchell here to test her as well? If he was, she wished she had known that before she and Alexei had their li
Alexei shuddered above her as his own release tore through him. His fingers dug into her hips with bruising intensity. He collapsed against her back, their sweat-slicked bodies pressed together, both of them trembling in the aftermath. For several moments, they remained frozen in that position, thei
Maria straightened, her polite mask slipping for just a moment before sliding back into place. "I'm sorry?""You heard me." Keira crossed her arms, fixing the other woman with a level stare. "Ever since you introduced yourself, you've been making little digs disguised as pleasantries. So, what's you
"Worth fighting for," Keira clarified. "Worth standing beside even when it's difficult. Then yes."The King studied her for a long moment, then turned to his son. "Alexei, leave us."Alexei immediately stiffened. "Father—""It's an order, not a suggestion."Keira felt panic rise in her chest, but sh







