เข้าสู่ระบบCaspian The fire was finally under control sometime after midnight but I barely noticed.Smoke still hung over the western side of the estate, drifting lazily across the grounds while servants and guards moved through the damaged wing. Windows had shattered, sections of the outer corridor were blackened, and several rooms had suffered enough damage that they would need to be rebuilt.None of it mattered because my entire world had narrowed to one stretch of dark water.The Silverline.We had searched it for hours.Lanterns lined the riverbank in uneven rows, their reflections trembling across the surface as guards moved farther downstream. Divers had gone into the water repeatedly despite the cold, and search parties had spread through the surrounding woods.Nothing.No body and no sign of Daisy.I stood at the edge of the river, my clothes soaked from the water that had splashed against me earlier, staring at the place where she had disappeared.My hand remained clenched around
Caspian “Daisy.” Her name left my mouth so quietly that even I barely heard it.I stood on the balcony overlooking the western grounds, one hand gripping the stone railing as smoke began curling into the night sky.At first, I didn't understand what I was seeing.The west wing was burning, flames licked through the upper windows, casting an ugly orange glow against the darkness while servants ran across the courtyard below. Bells rang somewhere behind me, voices collided in frantic shouts, and the peaceful rhythm of the festival shattered beneath the sudden chaos.But none of that mattered, because I had seen Daisy.She was outside, she was running and that was enough for my heart to stop. “Daisy!” This time, I shouted, but she didn't turn.I pushed away from the railing so violently that my shoulder struck the stone pillar behind me. “Daisy!”She kept running and as I tried to catch up to her, my mind whirled with a million and one thoughts. Why was she outside? Why was she ru
Daisy The Lunar Moon Festival arrived beneath a sky so clear it almost hurt to look at. From my bedroom window, I watched servants hurry across the courtyard carrying lanterns carved from silver glass, their warm light already beginning to glow as twilight settled over the estate. Long banners stirred in the evening breeze, and somewhere below, drums began their slow, rhythmic beat. It sounded like a celebration, but for me, it sounded like a countdown. I stood in the center of my room while the maid finished fastening the final clasp at the back of my gown. "There," she said with a satisfied smile. "You look beautiful." “I know.” I managed the faintest smile in return. "Thank you." She curtsied before quietly letting herself out, leaving me alone with my reflection. The woman in the mirror wore a floor-length gown of deep midnight blue. Delicate silver embroidery shimmered across the bodice, catching the candlelight with every breath I took. I looked elegant and graceful,
Daisy I didn't remember leaving the corridor.One moment I had been standing there, listening to the man I loved agree to marry another woman, and the next I was closing the bedroom door behind me with hands so steady they frightened me.The click of the lock echoed through the room and I leaned against the door and waited, nothing happened.I didn't shed any tears and no sobs clawed their way out of my chest. My heart still hurt, but it felt strangely distant, as though the pain belonged to someone else.Maybe I'd finally run out of tears, maybe there was simply nothing left to break or maybe I'd finally accepted my fate. I stared across the room until my eyes landed on the wardrobe. A few days ago I would have climbed into bed and cried until morning, but tonight, I walked to the wardrobe and opened it.The hinges gave a quiet groan as rows of beautiful dresses greeted me, each one chosen for dinners, ceremonies, and appearances I never truly wanted to attend.My fingers brushe
Caspian The silence in my study was heavy, weighted with the scent of old paper, leather, and the quiet, dangerous hum of a trap being set.I leaned back in my chair, staring at the sealed letter on my desk. Professor Hawthorne had sent word earlier that morning through an encrypted courier. The final legal amendment regarding the betrothal contract’s loopholes was almost complete. It would render the mandatory agreement with Yvie’s family entirely null and void.Pairing that legal weapon with the chemical report proving Daisy and Octavian had been drugged would blow Lady Zara’s plans to dust. I had the poison report locked in my safe, but timing was everything. If I exposed the sabotage too early, whoever was in charge of it would scrub their tracks, destroy evidence, or push Zara into an immediate political counter-strike before the legal amendment was officially signed.I had to play the patient predator. I had to let them think they were winning, right up until the moment I s
Daisy My feet moved, but I couldn't feel the stone beneath my shoes.I didn't remember walking back down the long, dimly lit corridor that led away from the balcony. I didn't remember descending the carpeted steps or stepping back through the high archway into the grand ballroom. All I knew was that the air inside was thick, suffocating, and reeking of expensive perfume and aged wine.The party was still going on. Laughter echoed off the gilded ceiling, glasses clinked as couples swayed to the slow, elegant sweep of the orchestra.It was utterly surreal and even more beautiful than when I'd left. The world had just ended on a cold stone balcony, yet here, nobody had even noticed the sky falling.I stood near the edge of the room, my body completely numb, digging my fingers so hard into my palms that it made crescents across my skin. For months, I had lived in this estate believing I was surrounded by complicated people, flawed people, people who cared about me in their own secr
Caspian The second I stepped into the kitchen, the bond turned vicious. It wasn't angry as usual, this one was worse. It felt desperate. It hit me all at once, sharp enough to make my chest tighten painfully as my gaze landed on Daisy standing beside Octavian with a mug cradled between her han
Daisy The palace was in controlled chaos, and for the life of me, I didn't know what to think of it. Servants rushed through the corridors with bolts of black silk and silver threaded veils draped over their arms, while guards stood straighter when I passed, bowing low enough that their forehea
FourDaisy The clearing had gone so quiet I could hear my own pulse in my ears.“I want her.” Even in a million years,I never thought I'd hear those words,not from Nathan, and definitely not from the Greek god in human form; Caspian.His voice didn’t need to be loud. It carried anyway, low, contr
Daisy's PovThe morning sun felt like a spotlight on my guilt. I woke up tangled in dark silk sheets. The heavy weight of an arm was draped across my waist. Caspian was still asleep, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. In the daylight, the black ink creeping up his neck looked even mor







