登入The private jet landed smoothly on the restricted runway in the Velmora region, to little fanfare. The only sound was the gradual fading of the engines, until silence once again enveloped the morning air.
Travis Davenport rose from his seat, straightened the cuffs of his shirt and reached for the light jacket draped over the back of the chair. The journey had been long, yet he showed no signs of fatigue—he looked like someone who was accustomed to travelling from city to city, or
Ruth let out a quiet breath after the call ended. Even though she knew everyone working in the Palace had gone through a rigorous selection process, she still made sure that not even the smallest mistake occurred.The Palace staff were competent people. They were efficient and meticulous, but today was different, making Ruth far more attentive than usual.“Careful,” Ruth admonished, seeing two servants carrying several large boxes. “Don't drop them.”They responded, “Sorry, Watcher.”Ruth turned to another group. “Be careful with those gowns, too.”“Yes, Watcher,” they answered.Ruth rubbed her temple before suddenly remembering something. “Who should I choose to be Miss Eirene's personal maid?” she murmured to herself.Ruth’s mind continued to work. She kept weighing up options, organising plans and making selections.She remained in motion almost the entire day. She barely rested, stopping only briefly for lunch before returning to work. Strangely, she did not feel tired at all, eve
Even before sunrise, Ruth had already got out of bed. She had woken up earlier than usual, perhaps because she had not slept at all during the night. The excitement she felt after receiving news from Fabrizio had made it impossible for her to sleep.Ruth felt strangely energised. She was neither sleepy nor drained. In fact, her body felt so light that it seemed to be filled with endless energy.She was already standing in front of the mirror, straightening her clothes, while it was still dark outside. Despite the many tasks she needed to complete within a limited amount of time, her body felt remarkably refreshed and ready to face the day with happiness.Yoren was due to return tonight. If the flight schedule did not change, he would arrive at the palace the following morning.The time for Ruth to spring into action had arrived. She took a deep breath, picked up her phone and began making several calls immediately.She contacted a number of servants to gather them. “Meet on the alpha
However, not much changed after they arrived at the airport. In fact, everything remained exactly the same, even after they boarded Velmora’s private jet.Eirene had briefly hoped that the atmosphere might improve and that she might finally be able to relax, but it did not. On the contrary, everything felt even more tense. She found herself increasingly unable to relax while sitting opposite Yoren.The situation only made her feel more pressured. Her heart raced uncontrollably and she felt her breath catch in her throat several times. She remained completely still, not moving an inch, for fear of disturbing Yoren.Eirene tried her best to maintain her composure throughout the flight, which was incredibly difficult. Every now and then, she could not help but cautiously steal glances in Yoren’s direction.Yoren kept his eyes closed the whole time. At first glance, he appeared to be asleep, but for some reason, Eirene felt that it was not real sleep. There was something about his express
Since arriving at Aldercrest Palace yesterday, Eirene had spent nearly all her time in her room. She did little except sit by the window and stare at the outside world.Sometimes she read the books in her room or stood on the balcony, but most of the time she just sat in silence. At other times, she simply sat in silence. Yet no matter what she did, her thoughts always returned to the same person: Yoren.Eirene let out a quiet breath, as though trying to clear the turmoil from her mind. She blinked once and resumed gazing at the palace gardens, which were slowly being draped in the colours of dusk.The sky gradually darkened. Garden lights began to illuminate one by one among the neatly arranged trees.Everything looked beautiful. Everything felt peaceful. Yet Eirene’s heart was in a very different state.Since their argument at the hospital, she and Yoren had barely spoken. In fact, they had barely even seen each other. She did not know whether Yoren was busy or deliberately avoiding
Ruth had checked her phone dozens of times since morning—or perhaps even more. She had stopped counting because it had become a habit over the past few days.Every few minutes, her hand moved of its own accord to reach for her phone, unlock the screen and check for messages or missed calls from Fabrizio. Each time, she found nothing.Ruth let out a long sigh, slipped the phone back into her pocket, and cast her gaze towards the large window. Her face reflected helplessness. There was nothing she could do except wait and stare at the view outside.The night sky was overcast. A thin veil of mist hung over the surrounding mountains.Normally, this would bring Ruth a sense of peace. It offered her a moment of calm amidst her endless responsibilities for maintaining order within the palace. But she felt none of that now.Her thoughts were as gloomy as the sky outside. She was so anxious that she could hardly breathe.It had been too long without any news. The days kept passing with no sens
As soon as the doctor said that Eirene was well enough to leave the hospital, Yoren made his decision. There was no reason to keep her there any longer, so he would not.Some time later, they left the hospital. The journey was quiet, with a convoy of Gardeno vehicles escorting them to Aldercrest Palace.Yoren sat in the back seat of the car without saying much. His gaze remained fixed on the view outside, though he caught sight of Eirene’s reflection in the rear-view mirror several times.Whenever that happened, Yoren’s jaw tightened slightly. The memory of the blood-bond ritual was still too fresh in his mind—too painful and difficult to ignore.An hour later, Aldercrest Palace welcomed their arrival, the atmosphere remaining peaceful yet offering security. Warm lights glowed throughout the estate, while dozens of guards stood watch at various points—a layered security system surrounded the entire area.Servants immediately came to greet them as they stepped out of the vehicles. They
Paige knew even before she had heard a single whisper. The stares felt real; those small glances from the corners of people's eyes could not simply be ignored. Heads leaned towards one another, followed by faint smiles that were quickly concealed whenever she turned to look. The guests' behaviour m
Since the morning, the palace had been operating like a well-oiled machine. Crystal chandeliers gleamed flawlessly. A deep red carpet stretched from the main staircase to the grand hall. Arrangements of white and silver flowers adorned the towering pillars, their soft fragrance mingling with the
The smell of antiseptic mingled with the fresh, citrusy scent of a recently peeled orange in the hospital room. Silence lingered, too, accompanying each passing second steeped in uncertainty.Daisy was sitting propped up on the hospital bed, her back supported by several pillows. Her face
The dining room fell silent after Eirene gave her firm answer. She remained seated, her body as stiff as if nailed to the chair. The words “not for sale” still echoed loudly in her ears. Yet, rather than feeling satisfied, she felt an even greater constriction in her heart.Aft







