Adrianna thought freedom was finally within reach… until betrayal ripped it away. Framed for a sin she didn’t commit, she’s sold like property to the cruelest Alpha King alive. Broken and hopeless, she’s ready to give up—until fate reunites her with the last person she ever expected: Eric, the mysterious fighter who once saved her life. But Eric isn’t just a loyal right-hand man anymore. He’s her only chance at survival… and the man willing to risk everything—his profession, his honor, his life, his crown—for her. Their escape sparks a deadly manhunt, their names smeared as murderers, their love tested by secrets darker than either of them imagined. When Eric discovers he is the lost heir to a powerful kingdom, their forbidden bond faces its greatest trial: betrayal from within. Enemies circle. Family turns against them. And with a kingdom at stake, one brother’s jealousy could destroy everything Eric and Adrianna have fought for—including their unborn child.
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ADRIANNA’S POV The night was long. I had slept like never before. I turned to the other side of my bed, groaning a little as my heavy eyelids fluttered open only to see the face of a man I had never seen before directly facing me, our warm breaths clashing and noses almost touching. My breath caught as I instantly became wide awake and jumped out of bed. Realizing I was naked, I quickly grabbed the duvet to cover myself. The man was also naked. I gasped intensely, more shocked than ever. Who the hell was this man? And how did he get into my bed? Realizing what was happening, he woke up, yawning in satisfaction as he did. The moment his eyes met mine, they shimmered with affection that irked me to the bones. “You’re up early, sunshine,” he said, smiling sweetly at me like I was his newlywed bride. I scowled at him as if to kill him with my eyes, rage filling me. This man was out of his senses! Why was he calling me his sunshine? “Who are you and how did you get into my bed?!” I ripped the words angrily from my throat. I couldn’t remember a thing from last night. I felt like I had woken up from a terrible coma. Every memory I had of yesterday was vague. But whoever this man was, I needed him out of my bed, my room and the castle immediately. If Hermes finds out about this then I’m done for. He’ll punish me beyond anything I can imagine. He had threatened to castrate any male who dared look at me with desire not to talk of one that… I squeezed my eyes close and shuddered with disgust at the thought of what this stranger could have done to me over the night. Today, my tenure as Hermes’s sex slave was coming to an end. I’ll finally be free of him and his manipulations and abuse. Today, I’ll finally get the life I never had back. On an important day like this, the last thing I wanted was to do anything that could put my freedom in jeopardy. “You’re quick to act, sunshine,” the strange man said casually, sitting up to recline against the pillow, not even minding he was naked or the weight of the situation. “You wanted this. You asked for it so don’t play dumb. We both enjoyed ourselves last night and I bet you still want more. Now get back in bed, let's go another round.” He motioned to me to get back in bed, a mischievous smile curving his lips. Clutching hard onto the duvet wrapped around my body, I stared at him with eyes about to fall out from shock. I can’t believe this. Just how did this happen? Hermes is going to kill me. At this point, I was convinced this stranger was high on something. Panic like never before welled up in my chest as I thought of what to do to get this man out of my room and castle before Hermes suspected anything. It was obvious he wasn’t willing to leave anytime soon. Unable to come up with an idea, I grabbed the pillow and started hitting him with it, tears of fear, shame, guilt and panic prickling the corners of my eyes. “You shameless bastard! How dare come into my room and take advantage of me….why did you do this? Get out of my room right this instant. You’re going to put me in trouble…” Just then the door of my room flew open and I froze in fear on seeing Hermes march in with his sister, Hera and two guards. At that moment I knew I was done for. “There!” His sister pointed at me accusingly, her tone filled with so much contempt and bitterness. “I knew I was hearing disturbing moans from last night.” Hermes snarled, his face a glowering mask of anger as his eyes drilled into me. Sheer fright crept into me. The only thing I could do now was plead for mercy and beg him to hear me out. I rushed to kneel before him. “My Lord, please…It’s not what you think…I don’t know this man…I don’t even know how he got into my room…please you have to believe me on this…” I pleaded like my life depended on it, tears streaming down my cheeks. “You shameless slut!” he spat at me with a furiously disgusting expression on his face. “The evidence is clear,” he cast the strange man on the bed a devilish glare before returning his gaze to me. “After all I have done for you. After picking you from the dumpster you’ve lived all your life, this is how you repay me…” “No…” I cried out, shaking my head in agony. He should know better than to call me a slut. He took my virginity. He was the only man I had ever been with. And he knew it too well. Being locked up in this castle for what seemed like ages, the last thing I’d do is to sleep with another man knowing the kind of devil Hermes was. Besides his guards, who he warned never to find desire in my body, he was the only man I had seen in the past six months. “You were nothing but a lowlife thief with a father who couldn’t even wait a second to get rid of you,” he continued sternly. “I did you a huge favour by giving you something called a life. A lot of girls will give anything to be in your position yet you betray me like this?!” He flared like a blazing fire, causing me to flinch in fright. My heart clenched painfully in my chest as he recalled my ugly past. A past I never wanted to remember for as long as I lived. He gave me a life. A life of being nothing but his sex slave. Is that a life? Even though he was an Alpha king, no girl would ever want a life such as the one I’m living now. I couldn’t wait for my tenure to end so I could be free of it all. My knees hurt as moved closer to him, hoping to beg some more for something I was innocent of. I have been punished enough by him. I couldn’t afford to be punished again. My already battered body can't withstand any more of it. “Hermes please I know nothing about this….” Before I could finish, he pushed me aside and made his way towards the bed as I crashed on the floor with a loud thud, sobs racking my throat. “You!” He directed at the stranger on the bed with a menacing voice that seemed to stab the air. “You’re done for! Guards! Take him to the torture room. Show him what we do to guys who can’t keep their dicks in check,” he smirked evilly. “No…wait…what’s happening…” the stranger muttered, clueless and confused as the heavily built guards effortlessly jacked him from the bed, gagged and tied him up. Before he was dragged out of the room, I noticed his gaze kept flicking to Hera’s as if expecting her to say something on his behalf. But she didn’t spare him a glance. At that moment I knew something was up. Anger surged through me as I managed to gather myself up. “You!” I threw at her as I approached her. “You did this…how could you do this kind of thing to me?... What have I done to deserve this much hatred from you…?” Her lips twitched with a wicked smile – an indication she knew what I was talking about as she sneered at me. I didn’t know how she managed this pull this off, but I knew she did it. No other person could have set me up like this. I raised my hand to strike her in the face, but Hermes held my wrist from behind to stop me. He flung me back so violently I crashed into the bedpost with a bang, the duvet I used in covering myself falling off as pain seared through my bare body from the collision impact. “How dare you try to strike my sister?” He shouted. “Have you no fear, no shame, even after what you just did?” “Can’t you see Hermes?” I supported my right elbow to ease the stinging pain, an ocean of tears accumulating in my eyes and flooding down my face. “She did this…she set me up…I don’t know that man…I don’t know how I ended up in bed with him.” “I know you have a history of theft but never knew you also had an excellent one in telling lies too. You’re delusional blaming other people for your mess,” he replied coldly, with no atom of empathy. “Just know you have cost yourself your freedom... “No…” my ears slammed in shock on hearing that. That can’t be true. I have waited an eternity to finally leave this shit hole of a castle. He can’t deprive me of my freedom after all these torturous months I have served him. “You said you’ll let me go after six months… that six months ended today. You promised…I can’t stay here anymore…I’m done keeping up with you two’s bullshit!” He whiffed out a scornful laugh and squatted in front of me. He observed me for a while before sighing and shaking his head in pity. “Oh little flower, how naïve and stupid of you to think I’ll set you free after paying such a huge amount to acquire you. I don’t work that way. You’re mine until I decide otherwise. And with what you just did, I’ll just have to punish you severely for it.” He tried to caress my cheek but I quickly whipped my head to the side to prevent him. “You lying bastard!” I muttered spitefully under my breath. “I hate you more than anything…” The next thing I knew, he violently grabbed me by the cheeks, his fingers digging into my skin as he brought my face so close to his I could feel his breath. “You have no right to talk back at me and you don’t get to hate me. Ever! You understand!!” I squeezed my eyes close and nodded desperately, anything to be free of this pain. To free of him. “Good, Little flower,” he whispered in my ear and kissed my forehead before shoving my face away like it was filth. I was yet to recover from the pain in my cheeks when suddenly, he yanked me by the hair and started pulling me towards the door. “No…You’re hurting me…” I cried out as painful tears burned my eyes and corroded my cheeks, trying to beat off his grip. But it was of no use. He won’t budge. His grip was so tight I feared my hair might rip out from its scalp if he continued resisting. “Let me go…please you’re hurting me… Where are you taking me?” “You wanted to get out of this castle,” he smiled darkly. “Well, I have just the perfect place for you.”CHAPTER 90ERIC’S POVEven though I tried to insist, my mother assigned me a guard. She made it clear that he was to be in charge of my safety from now on and should never leave my sight. His name was Liam. Liam was friendly and easygoing. He had served as a guard in the castle for quite a long time. He toured me around the castle, letting me know the rich history behind the stone walls that were now my home. He showed me the castle’s library—a vast, quiet hall lined with tall wooden shelves and old books and scrolls where I could draw more knowledge from what happened in the past and about the kingdom. It was important that I was deeply versed in the history of my land and people before taking up the crown. Several minutes into the tour, I became restless, pressed with the unquenchable need to see Adrianna. I had left early this morning to meet up with my mother. Because of that, I wasn’t able to see her and know how she was doing. It was already evening and I hadn’t seen her.“I’
CHAPTER 89REGINA’S POV“I'd rather not talk about it,” Eric said quietly, looking away. That one question had ruined his entire mood. His expression was grim and exasperated, like one holding onto a dark grudge he couldn’t accomplish or let die. This was enough to tell me he also dreaded her role in that castle as much as I did. If he did, then why was he still with her? Why did he have to bring her along to my castle? “Why?” I leaned forward as I asked, reaching out across the table to gently press the ball of his knee in an attempt to make him open up. “Did something bad happen? I’m your mother Eric… Even though we haven’t known each other for longer than 24 hours, you can still tell me anything…”“No, mum…” his tone was becoming irritable. “Nothing happened. I just don’t want to talk about it.”“Fine,” my lips curled to a faint smile and I backed off but inside I was burning with unrestrained fury and the sting of being shut out.After that, the silence that followed was heavy a
CHAPTER 88 REGINA’S POV I pulled forward, my expression solemn, though I debated within myself whether asking him this would be the right thing to do. “Eric…” I called out in hesitation. “There is something I have been meaning to ask you.” “What?…” The urgency in my tone caught his attention. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and cleared my throat. “The death of that Alpha king you worked for… please tell me you weren’t the one responsible…” “Of course not,” he grimaced intensely as he blurted out. “Why would you think that?” “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to accuse you. It’s just that your name and face were all over the tabloids and that picture…” “It was all a setup. Those psychos just wanted to punish me because I had betrayed them by escaping the castle, something no guard had ever dared before. I knew way too much to be left alive.” He explained, his jaw tight as a shadow of anger and frustration crossed his face. “Oh,” I muttered, relief flooding me. “I knew my c
CHAPTER 87 REGINA’S POV “Protect me?…” Those two words seemed to trigger a strong reaction in him. He scoffed in disbelief, staring down at me. “I was abandoned for a solid thirty years, and the only time you two bothered to look for me and miraculously find me was when the king was ailing and in need of someone to take over from him,” he leaned forward and pinned me with a fearless, challenging glare — but deep inside, I knew he was hurting badly. “That isn’t protecting, Mother, it’s convenience. A selfish move to save your kingdom, not your son.” “No…” I voiced, pulling forward. I almost slipped from my seat as I pleaded. “That’s not true… please… listen to me… give me a chance to explain…” He leaned back against his seat and turned his face away, sulking. His jaw was tight, and his brows were knitted in quiet anger. “The ball is in your court,” he turned to me coldly, his face devoid of emotions. “You’d better choose your words carefully, because whatever you say
CHAPTER 86REGINA’S POV (ERIC’S MOTHER)That girl. I hate her. With every bone in my body, I hate her.Now that I was thinking about it, I should have just let Edmund strangle her to death. That way, it would have been easier to get rid of her. I had a lot on my plate. I didn’t have the time to start thinking of a way to get rid of her.I didn’t know how on earth Eric ended up with someone like her. I nearly choked when he announced she was going to be his wife. That can’t happen. It would be an abomination.That girl — just looking at her, I can tell she’s a destitute, a poor wretch who has nothing to her name. She’s an Omega, and for as long as I have known, Omegas were the lowest ranks in the kingdom — dregs of society, the poorest of the poor.Alphas, on the other hand, are born of royal blood. They are the highest ranks in our realm — heirs of noble, wealthy families who hold the power and shape the future of the kingdom.For an Alpha to marry an Omega is beyond disgraceful; it i
CHAPTER 85ADRIANNA’S POVThe next morning, after preparing for the day, I went in search of Eric. I promised to come find him first thing the next morning and spend the whole day with him. And I was going to do just that. But when I reached his chambers, the door was open. Eric was nowhere in sight, only two maids moving quietly about as they tidied the room. My brows drew together as a slow frown crept across my face, the small spark of excitement I’d carried with me dimming in an instant. Where could he have gone so early… without waiting for me, without even sending a word? It was so unlike him.“Goodmorning…” I tried to steady the tremor in my voice, “please, where is His Highness?” I stood at the doorway, bracing myself for their answer.They glanced up at me before switching glances, their eyes flickering in confusion. But one of them, the one with a messy bun and freckles on the pale skin of her face answered, “he has a meeting with the Queen at the lounge.”“Oh..” The moment
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