Chapter 5: The War Has Begun

Daniel’s POV

"Are you enjoying this? Look, there are so many guests. I'm glad that all the elite people from around the world are here!"

I nodded in acknowledgment, trying to seem engaged in Catherine's chatter beside me. But, to be honest, I wasn’t feeling the slightest bit of interest.

She went on talking, her voice a constant hum in my ear, but my mind was elsewhere. My eyes wandered across the grand ballroom of my mansion, observing the guests at our engagement party. This event, which was meant to be a celebration, felt like a lifeless formality to me.

We had been planning this for a while, but it wasn’t the excitement of an engagement that kept me here—it was the obligation. Catherine was pregnant, and I had to do the right thing. It was the least I could do after everything that had happened.

I glanced at her, her face glowing with an almost forced smile, and I couldn't help but remember the countless conversations I had with Chandria. She was the woman I truly wanted, the one who could never get pregnant no matter how hard we tried. We’d spent countless nights together, trying and failing. And I couldn't hide the frustration anymore.

So, here I was, stuck in this engagement with Catherine, pretending that it was what I wanted, while all I could think about was Chandria.

Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted when I noticed a group of unfamiliar faces entering the party. I straightened up instinctively, my senses on high alert. It was my engagement, in my mansion, and I wasn’t about to let any potential threat go unnoticed.

"Who are they?" I asked Lucas, my right-hand man, who was standing nearby, ever watchful.

"I’ll check, Lord Daniel," Lucas replied, his voice calm and steady as he moved to assess the newcomers.

I could feel the tension building, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. There was something about these guests that didn’t sit right with me. In a room full of high-profile individuals, one wrong move could change everything. I couldn’t afford to let my guard down, not even for a second.

Before I could fully process the situation, the unfamiliar guests approached me. One of them, a man with a sharp look in his eyes, stepped forward and greeted me with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

"Lord Daniel, it's nice to see you here," he said, extending a hand toward me.

I stared at him for a moment, unsure if I should offer a polite handshake or simply ignore him. "Do I know you?" I asked, my voice betraying none of the unease I felt.

"Ah, yes. We’re so sorry for the unexpected intrusion," the man said smoothly. "We are the representatives of Lord Aiden. He couldn’t attend your engagement party because he’s also hosting his own event—a baby shower. But he asked us to pass along his regards."

The mention of Aiden’s name sent a chill down my spine. A sudden, sharp recognition hit me. I had heard that name before, but where? Why did it sound so familiar? The man must have noticed my reaction because he stepped closer, offering me a letter.

"Lord Daniel, this is from Lord Aiden himself," the man said.

I took the letter from his hands, my fingers briefly brushing his, before tearing it open. As I read the words, my heart raced. The letter was formal, yet there was a sense of finality in the words that made my stomach tighten.

"I’m sorry I can’t be there," the letter began. "But just so you know, I have someone precious from you. Someone you’ll never get back."

I froze. My breath caught in my throat as I reread the sentence, the weight of it sinking in. Aiden… What did he mean?!

I looked up to ask the representatives more questions, but they were gone. Vanished.

"Who are those freaks?" Catherine’s voice broke through the haze of my thoughts. I could hear her annoyance, but I didn’t care. Her question barely registered.

I was too focused on the men who had just left the mansion. My instincts screamed at me to follow them. I had to find out who they were, what they were up to!

Without sparing a second, I pushed past Catherine and hurried toward the door. My heart raced as I stepped outside into the cold air.

But when I reached the gates, there was no sign of them.

"Lucas!" I shouted, frustration bubbling in my chest.

Moments later, my trusted right-hand man appeared, his eyes scanning the area.

"Guards!" I barked, and within seconds, a few of my security personnel rushed to me. "Find any men in black coats and black clothes. They are representatives of Aiden. They’re probably connected to the Black Serpent."

"Yes, Lord Daniel," they replied in unison, bowing deeply before dispersing to search the area.

I stood there, clenching my fists. I had a gut feeling I knew exactly who he was pertaining to.

Chandria.

I waited in silence, my gaze trained on the mansion entrance. I could feel the tension rising, every second stretching longer than the last.

But then, after what felt like an eternity, Lucas returned, his face serious. "There’s no sign of Black Serpent's representatives, Lord Daniel. They’re gone. We don’t know how they got here or where they went."

Frustration boiled inside me. My anger was building like a storm ready to break. "Find them! I want answers. Now!” My voice was cold, dangerous, and it made my men spring into action without hesitation.

I couldn’t sleep that night. Or the next. Or the one after that. I was haunted by the sudden appearance of Black Serpent’s men, their cryptic message, and the sickening feeling in my gut. I had a gnawing suspicion that something was terribly wrong.

Then, after countless sleepless nights, the breakthrough came. Lucas’s voice echoed in my ear, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Lord Daniel, we’ve discovered something."

I stood up immediately, my pulse quickening. "What is it?"

"We found out that Ma'am Chandria is about to get married... and she’s pregnant."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My mind couldn’t process it at first. "What? How do you—"

"Yes, Lord Daniel," Lucas confirmed, his tone grim. "She’s carrying a child, and the father… the father is none other than Black Serpent."

The world seemed to slow around me as the weight of his words sank in. I could feel my blood run cold. Black Serpent.

The very name made my chest tighten with rage. He was my arch-nemesis, the one man I’d never been able to defeat. And now, he was tied to Chandria!

I clenched my fists so tightly that my knuckles turned white, my breath ragged with fury.

"Find her!” I ordered, my voice low and deadly. "Bring her back to me. Do not stop until she’s back here where she belongs!"