تسجيل الدخولLUCIENI remained silent, allowing him to continue.“At that time, his condition had already worsened considerably,” Grandpa said slowly. “The doctors had practically sentenced him to death. Yet instead of worrying about himself, the thing weighing most heavily on his mind was his granddaughter.”“Helene.”My fingers twitched faintly against the wheelchair’s armrest.“He told me he’d failed her.” Grandpa’s voice lowered. “Apparently, during his frequent business trips, his longtime ex-wife—Henri’s mother—never stopped meddling in the Laurent household. Over time, Henri and his wife became obsessed with one thing: producing a legitimate male heir.”His expression darkened slightly.“They were terrified that my old friend might have illegitimate children outside who would one day fight them for the inheritance.”I said nothing.“By the time he realized how serious things had become, it was already too late.” Grandpa exhaled heavily. “The two girls—Camille and Helene—had already been neg
HELENEAfter taking a few sips of water, the coughing finally subsided.“Are you alright now?” Old Mr. Blackthorne asked, concern evident in his voice.“Yes, Mr. Blackthorne,” I replied somewhat sheepishly as I screwed the cap back onto the bottle before bending slightly to place it beside my chair. “Thank you for your concern.”“Why are you addressing me so formally?” the older man frowned. “We’re family now. You should call me Grandpa, or Old Man like Lucien does.”I froze for the briefest moment.In that instant, I understood what his words truly meant.He had accepted me as Lucien’s wife.A faint smile tugged at my lips.Although his acceptance technically shouldn’t matter much considering Lucien and I were only a temporary couple, having it was undoubtedly better than not.“Grandpa,” I called obediently.“Good. Good,” he repeated with visible satisfaction, clearly pleased by the address.Just then—“What’s making you smile so happily, Grandpa?”A familiar voice drifted in from th
HELENESeeing the bewilderment in Lucien’s eyes, a faint sense of embarrassment crept over me.To someone like me, there was hardly any place more irresistible than a room filled with thriving plants.From the moment we stepped into the sunroom, I had already been captivated.The warm air, the dense greenery, the quiet vitality flowing through the space…To ordinary people, it might have simply felt relaxing.But to me, it felt alive.The bond between plants and my abilities had always been mutual.When I nurtured them with my power—helping them grow, healing their damaged roots—they, in turn, fed me traces of their vitality.It was precisely because of this cycle that my abilities had continued to develop slowly over the years instead of fading completely in a world nearly devoid of supernatural energy.So while Lucien and his grandfather became absorbed in their chess game, my attention gradually drifted toward the surrounding plants.And that was when I noticed it.Amidst the count
LUCIENI tapped the armrest of my wheelchair, slow and deliberate, trying to keep the irritation building in my chest from surfacing.This was exactly why I avoided returning to the old house when I could. Too many people here fancied themselves clever.It hadn’t even been long since the accident, yet they were already beginning to show their hand. If her subtle expressions were anything to go by, even Helene—who was meeting them for the first time today—seemed to have seen through them.That said…My eyes narrowed slightly, suspicion flickering beneath the surface.Could people as foolish as they were truly be capable of orchestrating something like that?The moment the thought surfaced, I cut it off, as I had done countless times before.Speculation was useless. What I needed was evidence. Cold, irrefutable proof.Tuning out the voice droning beside me—and ignoring my mother’s expectant gaze—I let my eyes pass briefly over Ethan before settling on Isabel.“Where’s the old man?”“
HELENEI had already expected that I wouldn’t be meeting just Lucien’s mother and grandfather. Still, the moment I stepped into the living room—at least twice the size of the Laurents’—I couldn’t help but feel taken aback.The entire Blackthorne family was here.Sebastian Blackthorne, Lucien’s grandfather, had three children with his late wife.Vivienne Blackthorne, Lucien’s mother, was the eldest and had only one child: Lucien.Marcus Blackthorne, the second child and only son, had two sons and a daughter with his wife.Eleanor Blackthorne, Isabel’s mother, was the youngest, with a son and a daughter of her own.And now, every single one of them was present.Weren’t they all supposed to be busy?And hadn’t Isabel once said her parents were traveling the world?Yet here they were.My steps faltered slightly, and I instinctively glanced at Lucien beside me.Perhaps sensing it, he tilted his head a little.“Nervous?” he asked under his breath.Before I could answer, he added, “Don’t be.
HELENEThe Blackthorne Estate sprawled across the hillside, stretching over acres as far as the eye could see—an unapologetic display of wealth and power.The car carrying Lucien and me passed through the towering iron gates before coming to a smooth stop at the main entrance.A line of staff stood waiting.At the forefront was a middle-aged man with perfectly slicked-back hair and an air of practiced professionalism.I recognized him immediately.Alaric Winston—the estate’s head butler.And the reason I knew him so clearly—My gaze flickered briefly to the man seated beside me.—could be traced back to last night.After Isabel and Adrian left, I had remained in my assigned room, intending to stay out of Lucien’s sight for the rest of the day. With our earlier meeting as reference, it had become painfully clear that neither of us knew how to interact with each other beyond negotiations and carefully defined terms.I didn't want to risk another awkward encounter. But after missing bot
LUCIEN For the first time in my life, I felt as though I wasn’t intelligent enough. From everything Helene had said so far, it was obvious she found the idea of replacing Noemie and marrying me just as ridiculous as I did. She had even clearly foreseen the consequences it could bring—especially fo
HELENE“What exactly is going on between you and my cousin?” Isabel asked.The moment the question left her lips, a single thought crossed my mind.As expected.When I saw her standing outside my door earlier, I had already guessed why she came. And, as it turned out, I wasn’t wrong.Thinking about
HELENEI sent Grandma a message to let her know I’d received the package she’d sent, having spotted it by the front door earlier.Knowing how rarely she checked her phone, I didn’t expect a reply anytime soon.Fortunately, the produce was still fresh as I sorted everything into the refrigerator. Ot
ISABELFollowing the words I’d meant as comfort, I was caught off guard when Helene lowered her head and whispered an apology.Then came the tears. One after another, large drops slipping silently down her cheeks.“I—I didn’t mean to blame you,” I stammered, panic rising as I reached out to wipe t







