No arguments đ„đ„đ„The days passed in a mixture of anxiety and quiet moments of hope. George remained steadfast by my side, always attentive to my needs, but the uncertainty of what lay ahead weighed heavily on both of us. Every time I thought about the future, the looming presence of Simon and Lucas cast a shadow over my thoughts.One evening, as George and I sat together on the porch, watching the sun dip below the horizon, I voiced the concern that had been gnawing at me for days."George," I began hesitantly, "what if they come back? What if Simon or Lucas finds out about the baby? What will we do then?"George turned to me, his expression serious yet calm. "Ashley, weâve talked about this. Iâll do everything in my power to protect you and our child. They wonât find out if weâre careful. And even if they do, I wonât let them hurt you.""But how can you be so sure?" I asked, my voice trembling with fear. "Theyâre powerful, and they have their ways of finding out things. You, of al
Power driven đ„đ„đ„**Veronica's POV**Months passed in the mansion, and of course, a lot had changed during the time we spent there after Ashley was sent away. Given the fact that I was the one who provided the information to Fabian, I had to be extremely careful not to get caught.âListen up. I don't want you to ever call my line again. Do you understand? I have given you everything you needed, so I need you to leave my life, please,â I begged, fed up with the constant phone calls Fabian kept making to me.âYou know, you really shouldn't be flaring up so much, princessâor should I say Queen!ââWait, how did you?...ââCome on now, are you seriously going to ask me how I know the things that I know?ââWell, whatever. But you are the reason why I am flaring up. Yes, it is you, because I really do not understand why you keep calling me when you know very well that I am now the Queen of the Kingdom. Do you actually want me to be exposed?ââWow, congratulations, Your Highness. By the way,
Who's Fabian? đ„đ„đ„I swallowed hard. This was worse than Iâd imagined. Fabian wasnât just trying to manipulate me; he was setting the stage for a full-blown coup. If I gave him what he wanted, it could spell the end of Simon, Lucas, and everything they had built. But if I refused⊠I didnât want to think about what Fabian might do to me, or worse, what he might reveal.âYouâre asking me to betray the very people I swore to protect,â I said, trying to appeal to whatever shred of decency he might still have.âNo, my dear. Iâm asking you to survive. Do this, and you might just live to see another day as Queen.âThere was a twisted logic in his words, one that made my stomach churn. I knew Fabian well enough to realize that he wouldnât hesitate to destroy me if I became useless to him. But I also knew that if I played my cards right, I might find a way to turn the tables on him.âIâll need time,â I said, forcing a calm I didnât feel into my voice. âThis isnât something I can do overnight
New information đ„đ„đ„I took a deep breath, leaning back into the plush chair as I considered my response. âI told them just enough to make them believe I was completely on their side. I played the role of the loyal ally, Mom. I gave them the impression that I had infiltrated Fabianâs circle and was gathering information for them. Of course, I didnât tell them the full truth.âShe leaned forward, her brows furrowed. âAnd they believed you?ââOf course,â I said, smiling slyly. âThey have no reason not to. Simon and Lucas trust meâprobably more than they should. Iâve made sure to position myself as indispensable to both of them.ââVeronica,â she said softly, shaking her head. âYouâre playing a very dangerous game. If either Simon or Lucas catches wind that youâre manipulating them, or worse, if Fabian realizes youâre using him, you could lose everything.ââI know, Mom,â I replied, my voice steady. âBut I have no choice. Fabian is getting impatient, and if I donât move quickly, Iâll be
A beginning with an end đ„đ„đ„**Ashley's POV**As I approached my delivery date, I could feel my anxiety hitting me progressively harder the more I counted down the days. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what was making me anxious, but I would often find myself feeling anxious at random times throughout the day.George was such a godsend because he never let my pregnancy mood swings and seemingly ridiculous requests get to him. He would spend time with me, doing everything he possibly could to make me feel better whenever I was down. The mating bond obviously wasn't going to fade just yet, and so things progressively became much harder for me to cope with, given the fact that I was constantly yearning for both Lucas and Simon. Every time I felt the urge for their touch again, I had to suppress the feelings because there was simply nothing I could doâI was never going back to them.All in all, the journey was long and hard, but having George always come through for me, no matter how busy a
A thrive đ„đ„đ„It took me quite a while, but I was finally able to get over the loss of my daughter. One thing George did that I found very helpful for the healing of my soul was ensuring that the whole situation didn't escalate with the people or even the domestic workers in the house. He did this by instructing all the midwives not to share the fact that we had three children, with serious punishments attached to anyone who disobeyed this order. As a result, only the midwives, George, and I knew that we had actually given birth to three children, while everyone else, including the domestic workers, believed that we had only two boys.As days passed, although it was really hard for me, especially as a new mom, I still managed to at least make myself happy and strong for the sake of my twin boys, as everyone had started calling them. It was hard for me to forget about my princess, but over time, not having anyone talk about her or her death made my healing process much faster than it
Weight of the past đ„đ„đ„As the boys ran ahead, chasing each other with laughter echoing through the garden, George walked up behind me. His presence was always steady, like a quiet strength I could lean on when things felt uncertain. âTheyâre getting bigger every day,â he said, smiling as he watched them.âI know,â I replied, crossing my arms as I leaned into him slightly. âItâs happening too fast.ââTheyâre strong,â George said, his voice thoughtful. âStronger than you think. But theyâre going to need you more as they grow. You can feel it too, canât you?âI didnât need to ask what he meant. There was something about Lucke and Simeon, something more than their royal lineage. I saw it in their eyes sometimes, a quiet intensity, a power they didnât yet understand. And as much as I wanted to keep them shielded from that worldâfrom their fathers and the bloodline they carriedâI knew it was only a matter of time before it caught up to us.âI can,â I admitted softly. âBut Iâm not ready
Ready or nah? âAshley, are these your children?â Simon asked. I raised a brow questioningly at him, not finding the tone of his voice respectful or polite in any way.âYes, and so?â Both Simon and Lucas had the same expression on their faces, so I knew questions would start rolling in at any moment.âExcuse me,â I said, holding both my sons as I attempted to walk away and avoid speaking with them.âHold on a minute.ââJust wait right there,â they both said at the same time, Simon holding my arm to keep me from moving away.âYou do realize you have a lot of explaining to do right now,â Simon continued.âAnd why is that? I owe neither of you any explanation because I donât understand what relationship we share that would require me to tell you about my business.ââBut you do realize that if what Iâm thinking about these children is true, then you definitely have a lot of explaining to do.ââWell, Iâm sure what youâre thinking is definitely not true, so just leave me alone. By the way,
The end of the tunnel !!!**Ashley's POV**As I stood by the side, watching my arch-nemesis being taken away, I honestly couldnât tell what I was feeling at that point. Although this moment had been a highly anticipated one for me, it just didnât feel right somehow. As soon as the guard announced that her banishment was to begin, I could feel my wolfâs countenance instantly change. I remained motionless where I stood, watching the whole thing unfold. Nobody moved until she was finally out of sight, with the men trailing behind her as she went on her way. I couldnât shake the feeling I was getting, although a wave of relief washed over me. All this while, I had wanted her downfallâto see her get the punishment she truly deserved. But now that it had happened, I surprisingly didnât feel as excited as I thought Iâd be.âAre you feeling alright?â I heard Simon ask as he placed a hand on my shoulder, and I nodded.âYeah, I⊠I justâââItâs fine, you donât have to say anything. I can underst
Outplayed....**Veronicaâs POV**Right after informing me of the success of the plan, Drago had actually requested that I come over to see things for myself, and as I drove to the arranged meeting point, I couldnât contain the mix of emotions I felt. It was a strange blend of excitement, adrenaline, and anxiety. Drago had assured me everything had gone according to plan, but amidst the excitement, I couldnât shake off the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something didnât feel right.As I approached the hideout, my phone buzzed again. This time, it was a voice message from Drago.âGreetings, your Highness. I just wanted to let you know that these kids have been crying ever since they were brought here. I don't know what happened exactly, but when I went out to find something for them to eat, one of my men apparently shot one of them, and now he's dead. I'm really sorry, your Highness.â The moment the voice note ended, I had to slam on the brakes because the shock hit me harder
Love and war !!!We made our way back to the mansion quietly, sneaking in before anyone noticed our absence. Even as we slipped back into our normal roles, something between us had changedâstrengthened. There was a deeper understanding now, a silent promise that we would stand by each other no matter what came next.What came next was the reckoning we had been preparing for.Later that day, Simon and I gathered in his study with the sole aim of finalizing our next steps regarding Veronica. We knew time was running out. With Fabian already in our custody, Veronica was bound to make a move sooner rather than later. Her desperation would push her into action, and we needed to be ready.âSheâs going to crack soon,â Simon said, his voice filled with certainty. âEspecially now that weâve got Fabian. Thereâs no way she can keep up this facade much longer.âI nodded in agreement. âWe just need to keep the pressure on her. Fabian already gave us some leadsânow itâs only a matter of time before
The hatch **Lucas's POV**Right after the whole thing with Ashley presenting ample evidence against Veronica, although it was hard for us, Simon and I just had to keep to ourselves. Well, at least until we had finally achieved what we wanted, which was actually pretty close to our reach at that point. I never liked Veronica from the start, but this was something I could never see myself believing she committed. It now makes me wonder if she really was the one who killed Mortica as well.As I sat on my bed thinking about all these things, I could feel a knot forming in my head, and I ruffled my hair as I tried relieving myself of the headache. As it stands now, we currently have all the top perpetrators in our custody back at the torture house, and the one person we needed to find is that slimy Fabian. Just as I had mentioned to Ashley a while back, we needed to keep things on the low so that we would easily be able to use Veronica to get to him. After all, the reports we had been get
Surprise, surprise!!!âYes, yes, thatâs right! She seemed very secretive about the whole thing, like she didnât want anyone to know weâd left or where we went.ââI see,â I responded, finally removing my claws from his thigh. Lyon gasped in relief, but the moment Simon turned his glare toward him, he silenced himself.Simon and I exchanged a knowing look.âAre you thinking what Iâm thinking?â Simon asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.âBet,â I replied, a hint of realization dawning on me.Together, we turned our gazes back toward Lyon, who flinched in fear under our combined scrutiny.Simon crossed his arms, his jaw tightening as he addressed Lyon again. âYou better hope for your sake that what youâve said checks out. If we find out youâve withheld anything, even the smallest detail, youâll regret ever stepping foot in this mansion.ââI swear, Your Highness, thatâs all I know! I told you everything!â Lyon pleaded, desperation evident in his voice.I took a step forward, looming ov
Feel the heat....I stepped forward, towering over him. âYou thought you could hide in the shadows, Fabian, but your time is up. Weâve heard everything.âHis face paled, and he stammered, âI-I can explain! It wasnât my ideaâVeronica pushed me into this! I was just trying to survive!ââYouâll have plenty of time to explain,â I said coldly. âTake him away.âFabianâs eyes darted to the exit, but before he could make any sudden moves, our men swiftly blocked the way. He was trapped. The fear in his eyes deepened as he realized there was no escape.Simon crossed his arms. âLetâs make this simple. You come quietly without receiving any beatings, or we drag you out of here with no less than 20 slaps already landed on you.âFabian hesitated for a moment, but when he saw that resistance was futile, he slumped in defeat. âFine,â he muttered. âIâll go.âAs we escorted him out of the building, Simon leaned over and whispered in my ear, âNow that we have him, itâs only a matter of time before Vero
A little bit more....The next morning I woke up feeling extremely refreshed and light. For over 6 years I had been wrongly accused and tagged for committing crimes that I knew absolutely nothing about. Even though I did make it a point to act like I didn't care about it, the accusations definitely followed me around like a serious plague all through. Well at least till last night.As soon as I woke up, the first thing that came to mind was everything that had played out the previous night between myself and both Lucas and Simon, and a smile soon appeared on my face âFinally! I'm freeâ I exclaimed, as I excitedly got out of bed. I went straight into my bathroom to freshen up, and as I went about doing my usual morning routine, I couldn't help but to hum a song happily whilst carrying out every activity I did. âOh, good morning my queen, you seem happy this morning,â Yasmine greeted warmly, as she peeked into the bathroom where I was busy brushing my teeth. I spat out the mouthwash
Let the real games begin!!!!I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. âBecause Amira has been helping me gather evidence. We have proof of her dealings with corrupt members of the court and her plans to undermine the council. Iâve been working with Rita to piece everything together, and weâre ready to present it to you.âThere was a moment of silence as the two of them processed my words. Lucas finally leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful.âIf what youâre saying is true, then why didnât you come to us sooner?â he asked.âAs if,â I scoffed. If I had come to them any sooner, they would have dismissed me as quickly as possible. Not to mention the fact that going without concrete evidence could have endangered the little I had managed to gather over that space of time.âIf I had come any sooner, would you two have given me a listening ear? That is exactly the question you should be asking right now, not the one you just mentioned. Given that every attempt I made to reve
Look back...This wasnât just an attack on Amiraâit was a trap for me. Veronica had suspected something, and now she was using Amira to bait me into revealing myself.I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm. I couldnât act rashly. If I made the wrong move now, everything we had worked for could be undone. But Amiraâshe had risked everything for me. I couldnât just leave her to face this alone.As Veronica presented her so-called âevidenceââa series of forged letters implicating Amira in a conspiracyâmy mind raced. I had to think quickly, but I couldnât act openly in front of the council. I needed to find a way to turn this situation to my advantage.Then, an idea struck me. I stood up slowly, the eyes of the council and Veronica now on me.âQueen Veronica,â I began, my voice steady, âthese accusations are indeed serious. But I must question why this alleged plot has only now come to light. Every one of us knows that this lady in question happens to be your most trusted han