Se connecter~CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY ONE~ As I continue cross-referencing the staff records, another detail surfaces—quiet, almost buried. One of the midwives present during my mother’s delivery died mysteriously two weeks later. Cause listed as sudden cardiac arrest. No prior condition. I still. I shift to the timeline surrounding my father’s death. Another anomaly. A palace maid assigned to his private wing, deceased within a week of his passing. Official cause: accident. Minimal inquiry. My jaw tightens. “Record their names,” I tell Nicholas. He does. I set the files aside, separate from the rest. Confusion gives way to restless energy. I begin scanning the vault walls again, slower now, observing structure rather than labels. That is when I notice it. One of the shelving units is slightly misaligned with the others. “Nicholas.” He joins me without question. I press against the side of the shelf; it shifts under resistance. It moves. Together we slide it as
~CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY~ Nicholas and I leave the shooting arena without another word, heading toward the secured wing at its far end where the royal vault is housed. The echo of our footsteps fades beneath the hum of reinforced steel doors and biometric scanners cycling through clearance protocols. Two guards straighten immediately at our approach. Nicholas walks beside me, measured as always. After a moment, he speaks. “I’ve been meaning to ask, Your Majesty… why is the vault so important to you?” A faint smile touches my lips—not amusement, but certainty. “The vault,” I reply, “contains the complete medical and historical records of every royal family member who has lived within the palace walls. Health documents. Psychological evaluations. Birth records. Death reports. Staff logs. Visitor registries. Every incident formally documented during their time here.” The final authentication sequence begins. “My mother died during childbirth,” I continue evenly. “Ev
~CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE~ A few people glance our way. I wipe the remaining tears quickly and straighten my posture. Then I walk back into the room. The doctor is there now, reviewing Nina’s chart. “We’ll continue monitoring her,” he says professionally. “She needs rest. Once she stabilizes fully, she can go home.” “Thank you, doctor,” I reply. He nods and leaves. Nina looks at me with swollen, tear-filled eyes. “I’m truly sorry.” I walk closer to her bed. “It’s fine,” I say gently. “You kept those things from me… and because of you, my son and I are alive.” Her lips tremble. “You’re still my sister,” I continue softly. “Families fight. They hide things. But they don’t stop being family.” That breaks her. She lets out a heavy, uncontrollable cry—the kind that sounds like it’s been trapped inside for months. She leans forward and wraps her arms around me. I hold her tightly, rubbing her back as my own tears fall silently. —- After a few min
~CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY EIGHT~ Nina looks at me differently now. Not just as a friend. As someone who’s been holding something. “First,” she says quietly, “I need to say I’m sorry.” “For what?” She doesn’t wait for an answer, continuing, voice low. “For not telling you sooner.” Blake doesn’t interrupt. He’s quiet, attentive. She exhales, gathering strength. “It started when you were locked in the dungeon.” The word alone makes my stomach turn. “While you were in there,” she continues, “the Royal Court was divided. Some wanted you formally charged with treason.” Her words fall heavy. “With the evidence Jake presented, they wanted it escalated. Either trial… or let you rot quietly in the cell from starvation.” She pauses, as if weighing each memory. “There was a vote… not public. The inner circle decided what to do with you. But the King refused to sign it. He stood his ground.” Her voice softens. “Even though he thought you had betrayed him, he w
~CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN~ For a second, I just stare at the screen. The sound of Jacob’s voice fades into static in my ear. “Melissa? Hello?” My chest tightens. “Call me when you get to the hotel,” I say quickly, already pulling the phone away. “I have to take this.” I don’t wait for his reply. I switch lines. “Hello?” “Ms. Lawson?” The nurse’s voice is calm. “This is St. Catherine’s Hospital. We need you to come immediately. It’s about Nina.” Everything inside me goes cold. “I was just there this morning,” I whisper. “What happened?” There’s a pause. “She regained consciousness.” For a second, I don’t understand the words. “Regained…?” “She’s awake.” Everything inside me drops. Relief. So sharp it hurts. “Is she stable?” I ask, already standing. “She’s weak. Disoriented. But she’s asking for you.” That’s all I need. “I’m on my way.” I hang up and don’t realize my hands are trembling until I try to grab my keys. Oh,
~CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX~ The memory hits hard. Cold walls and floor. My belly pressing against concrete. Guards outside. Weeks of silence. I almost lost my baby. “I was heavily pregnant,” I say, my voice shaking, “and you treated me like a criminal. What if I had lost him? A child you never even asked about. You didn’t care. You believed the lies over the woman carrying your blood. Even while I begged you to believe me, you never even gave me a chance." His silence is unbearable. “Fuck you, Adrian,” I whisper, venom lacing every word. “You don’t get to apologize. I won’t forgive you.” I hang up before he can say another word. The phone hits the desk. The room is still. My hands shake. My heart pounds. Part of me heard the regret in his voice. And part of me doesn’t care. Because if he’s truly investigating, if he’s uncovering the lies… that’s his only reason for believing me now.. An alarm blares from the office speaker, pulling me out of my thoughts. My
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX The word slices through me. My lips tremble before the question even forms. “So… that’s what I’ll be? A concubine?” My voice cracks. I hate how small I sound, how desperate. I never asked for any of this. I never wanted him like that. And I definitely di
CHAPTER THIRTY How dare he. How fucking dare him walk away from me like that, after kissing me breathless, after touching me like he owned every inch of me, after getting me wet enough to lose my damn dignity and mind. and then just… turning around and leaving? Is he insane?
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN By the time Nina finishes giving me all the details about the dinner, exhaustion weighs on my shoulders like a velvet cloak. It’s only 5 p.m. If I close my eyes for just one hour, I can still make it on time. Royal families may act like the world bends for
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE The moment his eyes lock on mine, the room tilts. Adrian doesn’t speak at first. He doesn’t need to. His stare alone pins me to the far wall, sharp enough to slice through bone, hot enough to melt whatever resistance I pretend to have. Then he moves. Not







