Arya jolted awake, her heart racing as if she'd been sprinting through a nightmare. She lay there, disoriented, unsure when or how she'd succumbed to sleep.But her dreams lingered, etched in her mind like freshly carved scars. The memories felt tangible, as if she'd lived them mere moments ago. The blood, the death, the unrelenting terror seemed too real to be mere fantasy.A nagging sense of unease settled in her chest, whispering that there was more to her experiences in the safehouse than met the eye. The enigmatic woman, the lurking shadow, the disembodied voices, gripped her with a paralyzing fear.Arya's mind raced, searching for answers, as the shadows in her room seemed to deepen, twist, echoing the darkness she'd faced in her dreams. Her thoughts swirled, a maelstrom of uncertainty, as she struggled to distinguish reality from the horrors her mind had conjured.She tried to shake off the feeling of dread, telling herself it was just her imagination playing tricks on her. But
Alice led Vivian out of the house, her eyes never leaving her friend's face. She could sense the guilt and nervousness radiating from Vivian, like a palpable aura surrounding her. Alice's mind whirred with suspicions, her instincts screaming that something was amiss. But she pushed those thoughts aside, choosing to let the matter simmer on the back burner for now.After all, she had bigger fish to fry. Her focus was on reclaiming her rightful place, and she wouldn't let Vivian's antics distract her from that goal. Alice came to a stop in the garden, her heels sinking into the soft grass as she settled into the chair beneath the umbrella. The gentle burble of the fountain and the graceful dance of the fish mesmerized her, a welcome distraction from the turmoil brewing in her mind. The late afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the scene, and Alice couldn't help but envy the carefree existence of the fish, their worries limited to the confines of their watery world.Her thoughts, however
Arya sipped her tea, still seated in the delicate chair in her bedroom, surrounded by elegant furnishings and soft candlelight. “How does one tell the time here, though? We're supposed to be underwater, right?” Arya joked.The maid poured some more tea from the teapot and smiled in response to Arya's words.The maid's eyes twinkled as she replied, "When you've stayed here a while, you'll find that your heart becomes the clock and your dreams the sign of a passing in time." Arya's gaze drifted away, her mind stirring as she heard the word "dream" again. Memories of her dreams, long forgotten, began to resurface, and her mind grew unsettled. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she wondered what secrets her subconscious held, and what signs her dreams might be trying to convey. The maid's enigmatic words only added to the intrigue, leaving Arya with more questions than answers.Arya's eyes locked onto Celine's, her hesitation evident before she took a sip of tea, set the cup down,
Damian's senses were on high alert as he approached Alice in the garden. He could pick up a foul scent emanating from her, like a pungent odor that clung to her skin. It was a scent he had never smelled before, but it screamed deception. He could tell she was trying to hide something from him, her entire countenance shifty and evasive since he had joined them.As he looked at her, he realized there was a huge memory gap between his lunch and the present. He couldn't remember how he had gotten there or why he had slept at all. Last he remembered, he had been with his mate, Alice, and now, looking at her, he tried to decipher the secrets she was trying to keep away from him. "What's going on, Alice? What are you hiding from me?" The scent of deception only grew stronger, and Damian's instincts screamed warning. Something was very wrong. He eyed her suspiciously, his mind racing with questions, but he didn't voice them out loud, not yet.Alice's voice was sugary sweet as she offered, "M
Damian squinted his eyes and closed the distance between himself and Tristan, his voice low and menacing. "What did you just say?" he repeated, his eyes boring into Tristan's.Tristan remained silent, his gaze unwavering. Damian could tell that his trusted adviser and beta hadn't told him a lie. The truth was written plain on his face, and Damian was left to grapple with the weight of the new revelation.From all appearances, all his suspicions about Alice's strange behavior were confirmed. The unease, the evasions, the secrets - it all pointed to one thing: his arranged mate was hiding something from him, something big. Damian's gaze swept around him, his instincts screaming for a change of environment. He couldn't shake the feeling that someone was eavesdropping on their conversation, and he couldn't afford to take any chances. Not now, not after what Tristan had just revealed."Let's discuss this where there'd be no audience," he said gruffly, already turning to leave the garden.
Luna Seraphine continued, her voice cracking with emotion. "When she refused your uncle's advances and equally refused to court his squire, who would have been a puppet in his hands, alpha or not, he sent spies to monitor your mother's movements. He ultimately learnt of her affair with your father and about the pregnancy. He had your mother killed and would have put you to the same fate. But a few of us stood up for her and insisted that she be given the respect for being the late alpha's daughter. She died having you."Arya burst into loud tears, her son waking up and matching her tears. Luna Seraphine, the calm and composed woman, broke down in tears with them, and Arya was touched. The weight of the secrets and lies crushed her, and she wondered how people could be so cruel. Her uncle's greed and selfishness had overcome his conscience, leading him to kill her father.Arya voiced her concerns, "But who will believe me? Who would accept that my words are true when I show up to court
Vivian sneaked back into the palace, her heart heavy with guilt. She had wanted to implicate her friend, Alice, to get her into trouble with Alpha Damian, but now she felt a deep regret. Who wouldn't be furious upon discovering their mate had slept with another man? Vivian's conscience tormented her, and for good reason - she had betrayed a friend, and the weight of her actions crushed her.Vivian quickened her pace, her heart racing with guilt and anxiety, her mind filled with turmoil.She knew Alpha Damian had always been cold and indifferent to love, rejecting his chosen mate on their ceremony night without a second thought.But he had surprisingly found love in Alice, and it had brought him a sense of happiness and warmth he had never known before.Vivian couldn't bring herself to be the one to tear them apart, to crush the fragile bond they shared, and destroy the joy that had finally found its way into Damian's life.The weight of her actions crushed her - she was the one who ha
Alice's gaze narrowed as she watched Vivian standing at the doorway, her eyes wide open in guilt and shock, like a rabbit caught in the rays of a vehicle's headlight.A surge of anger and betrayal coursed through her veins, and she wished to kill her friend where she stood. Her mouth filled with bitter bile and hatred for the woman standing several meters from her, and Vivian could only thank the distance that she still had her head on her neck.The air was thick with tension as their eyes locked, the silence between them palpable and heavy with unspoken accusations.Everything Damian had accused her of was Vivian's fault. Vivian had suggested she hire a man to get her pregnant, to save face before her mother-in-law and keep her mate. But Vivian had planted a camera in the room to tape the act, to use as leverage.Alice's mind raced with anger and betrayal as she realized Vivian's deception. She couldn't believe she had trusted her manipulative friend. The thought of Vivian's treacher