LOGIN🔥 Will Desmond’s hate prove powerful enough to defeat Eugene? Or will his burning ambition be the very thing that consumes him? Dive into the next chapter to witness betrayal, strategy, and the beginning of war.
Jack stood near the eastern corridor, issuing quiet but firm instructions to a small unit of guards.“I want rotations changed every two hours,” he said, his voice steady. “No more six-hour stretches. Fatigue breeds mistakes.”One of the guards nodded. “Yes, sir.”Jack turned away and as he was about to leave, he heard a sharp clatter followed by a loud gasp then the unmistakable sound of something fragile breaking.Jack turned just in time to see a maid crumple to her knees, a wooden tray slipping from her trembling hands. A glass bowl had shattered, wine spreading across the polished floor. The girl herself seemed ready to collapse with it.She looked young, too young. Her face was pale, lips slightly blue, eyes unfocused as if she had been pushing herself far beyond what her body could manage.The guards nearby stiffened, unsure whether to intervene or step back but Jack didn’t hesitate.He crossed the distance in long strides and crouched in front of her before anyone could bark
Max followed the figure in silence.The resistance hideout moved behind him, the stone corridors giving way to a narrow exit concealed by hanging roots and rocks that blended seamlessly with the hillside outside. The woman walked ahead of him at a steady pace and Max frowned beneath his cloak.Skye never walked like that when she was cautious. She slowed, paused, and glanced over her shoulder. She moved like someone who had learned long ago that being careless could get you killed but this woman didn’t.Still, Max followed.The woman stopped abruptly near a small clearing where a supply cart had been hidden beneath leaves and branches. She bent, lifting the tarp, revealing sacks of grain, dried herbs, and medical supplies.Max slowed down then stopped.She straightened and turned and Max saw her face clearly for the first time.She was definitely not Skye.The disappointment hit him harder than he expected, a sharp, hollow ache settling in his chest.The woman startled slightly when s
Flickering lanterns hung from iron hooks along the walls in the resistance meeting chamber, casting restless shadows over the faces gathered around the long wooden table.Eugene stood at the head of the table, both palms resting on the rough surface as he leaned forward. His presence alone seemed to steady the space. Since the night he had addressed the resistance, something had shifted. Dorian stood to Eugene’s right, his arms crossed, his jaw tight as ever. Robin sat opposite him, his fingers steepled, his eyes sharp with strategy. Sax leaned back against the wall, one boot propped behind him, his expression deceptively relaxed though his eyes missed nothing.Several other head members of the resistance filled the remaining seats as they considered what to do about their common enemy. Max sat slightly apart, near the edge of the table, listening.Eugene exhaled slowly. “We don’t have the luxury of time anymore,” he said. “Desmond is tightening his grip. Patrols have doubled in
Morning light spilled gently into the large garden, filtering through veils of white silk and moving up to flowers that wrapped themselves lovingly around marble columns. Dew still clung to the beautiful petals of moonlilies, their soft glow reduced now by the rising sun, although they still looked as charming as ever. The air was cool, filled with the scent of jasmine and mint, carefully cultivated to soothe the mind and steady the heart.This place was sacred. It was a sanctuary that had been built for no distractions from the happenings of the mansion, especially during days when it felt like it was going to come crashing down.There were no guards, no courtiers, and no sign of politics that could mess with a person's mind.Only the Luna Queen was permitted here, accompanied with one or two more persons of her choice.Yet even within the safety of the garden, Seraphina could not find peace. For some reason, it had become some kind of chore just this morning.She rested her back o
The moment Jack turned the corner and Ava disappeared from view, relief washed through him.He exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders as if shedding a weight he had been carrying since dinner. "At least she’s not trying to talk me out of it anymore," Jack thought.Ava meant well, he knew that, but he was tired of fear dictating his steps. Tired of whispering, of watching people disappear, of pretending obedience was the same as loyalty.Tonight, he wasn’t walking toward Desmond empty-handed because he had leverage and for the first time since freeing Lira from the dungeon, Jack didn’t feel like the hunted one.His boots echoed softly against the floor as he moved deeper, his thoughts sharp and deliberate. He replayed the naked image once more, not because he wanted to, but because it reminded him why he couldn’t turn back now.Desmond thrived on control, on image, on appearing unassailable. A crack in that armor, especially one involving another woman, would be whispered about, exagg
Jack walked with measured steps, his hands clasped behind his back, his expression composed to the point of stiffness. Anyone watching might have thought him calm.He was anything but.Beside him, Ava matched his pace, her footsteps lighter but more hurried, as if she were trying to keep up with something she couldn’t quite reach.“Jack,” she said quietly, breaking the silence. “You don’t have to do this.”He didn’t look at her. “Yes, I do.”They turned into a narrower corridor, the walls closer here, the torchlight dimmer. Ava slowed, forcing him to slow with her.“I don’t know what happened between you and Desmond,” she said, frustration seeping into her voice, “but I can tell something is wrong. You don’t challenge him unless you have a reason.”Jack exhaled slowly. “Not everything has to be a calculated move.”Ava scoffed. “That’s not true, and you know it. Especially not with him.”They stopped beneath a tall arched window overlooking the inner courtyard. Moonlight spilled thr







