INICIAR SESIÓNRuth 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
Finally, the question that had been haunting Yoren since that night found its way out. He waited, his heart pounding, bracing himself for Eirene's answer.A sincere smile blossomed across Eirene’s face. The words left her lips with heartfelt emotion. “I didn’t want to see you suffer.”Yoren had prepared himself, but in the end, it meant nothing. Eirene's answer was so soft that it shattered the last of his defences.For a moment, Yoren made no sound. He fell silent as though he needed time to grasp the meaning of her words.The air was trapped beneath an oppressive silence. The entire room seemed to close in under an unbearable storm of emotions.Yoren stared at Eirene unwaveringly. His expression slowly shifted until it transformed into a heartbreaking irony, and he remained silent.Yoren's laughter suddenly burst forth. It was filled with bitterness, emptiness and pain.“You didn’t want to see me suffer?” Yoren asked, laughing in pain. He released Eirene and took a step back. He rou
Yoren had never liked hospitals. The overpowering smell of antiseptic, the echoing footsteps in the corridors and the bad memories associated with places like this had always made him uneasy. The shadows of death and the tears of grief were two things that had always made him reluctant to set foot in a hospital.This time was different, though. For the first time in his life, he saw hope in a hospital. He walked quickly towards the private patient room, feeling different inside. He remained calm, his expression as unreadable as ever, but he felt much lighter inside because of the call Fabrizio had received earlier.Has Eirene really recovered? Is her body really all right now? Did they overlook anything?Yoren wanted direct answers to all of these questions. After everything that had happened, he no longer trusted the words 'all right' unless he saw it with his own eyes.Yoren stopped in front of the door. He stood quietly and steadied himself while Fabrizio opened it. Then he looked
At first, Eirene only felt an abyss of darkness—deep and strangely comforting, with no pain, no sound, nothing at all. It felt as if she were floating in a calm ocean. Her body felt weightless and incredibly light.But that peace did not last forever. Something slowly began to disturb her.Faint voices reached her, muffled and distant, as if someone were speaking from behind a thick wall. Another sensation followed—warm and soft—along with a faint scent of antiseptic and the steady beeping of a machine.Eirene’s consciousness began to rise, slowly moving towards the surface. Her brows knitted slightly as her eyelids felt extremely heavy.She forced her eyes open, but immediately shut them again. She groaned softly when bright light hit her awareness.Her eyes immediately started to water, unused to the harsh brightness after being in darkness for so long. The view in front of her was blurred and hazy: a white ceiling with glaring lights and white walls.Eirene blinked several times be
Two nights had passed, yet Yoren had still not truly rested. Sleep seemed unwilling to come to him, constantly driven away by the unrest in his soul. More often than not, he was left awake.That night, Yoren closed his eyes several times, but his mind never truly rested. Every time his consciousness began to drift, the same image returned:Eirene lay motionless on a hospital bed. She was covered in blood and in his arms. She had nearly lost her life because of him.Yoren opened his eyes when the morning light began to slip through the gaps in the curtains. In the end, he decided to get up, having never truly slept.The pale sky outside was a sign that the sun had only recently risen. The chill of the night lingered, leaving faint traces in the air.For several moments, Yoren simply lay still, staring at the ceiling. His chest felt tight, not because of illness or pain, but because of something far more difficult to face: fear.Yoren let out a long breath. He rubbed his face roughly be
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
Yoren was well aware that his birthday celebration was about more than just having a good time. The invited guests had not come merely to offer congratulations or well-wishes; they had hidden agendas. He was not careless; he had been observing the room long before Lysander Abercrombie stepped tow
The black wolf moved without warning. Its movements were efficient. Its body shot forward like a shadow released from the darkness and slammed into one of the enemy wolves with brutal force.There was a loud crash as the enemy wolf’s body was hurled into a large tree. The tree split
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







