LOGINJenna leaped into Marcus Anderson's arms and started sobbing uncontrollably as soon as he approached.
Marcus sighed in sorrow and resentment at his daughter. She had never experienced the least amount of suffering since she was a young child, yet she behaved so pitifully in front of Rex Hidalgo. Even worse, Rex never once expressed gratitude for his adorable daughter.
Marcus would have destroyed the Hidalgos and killed that cretin to avenge his princess if not for their prior agreement!
Jenn, you have to abide by our deal, okay? Remember, if that bastard doesn't fall in love with you within two years, you'll return to succeed me in the company.
Marcus rubbed his daughter's hair tenderly while she sobbed. Jenna eventually began to cry and speak sporadically.
Don't worry, Dad... I won't act that foolishly again.
Despite their advice, Jenna left her family and friends behind to pursue her alleged "true love." Like a moth to a flame, she abandoned her identity, privileged status, and luxurious lifestyle to fly toward her demise.
Inches at a time, she eventually removed that man from her heart, but the sorrow she experienced will always remain in her memory.
Good. Your father will arrange for your older brother to come along. Get acquainted with the group first, and then we'll pick a pleasant day to host a welcome banquet to reveal your identity.
Marcus was thrilled that his adored infant daughter would soon begin a profession!
Stella Benedict, Jenna's dearest friend, came rushing to her door even though the news of her return to the Anderson Family had not yet been made public.
Stella Benedict gave Jenna a bear embrace as soon as she saw her and congratulated Jenna on being divorced, saying, "Baby, I've missed you so much!"
Stella was the first to object when Jenna told them she would hide her identity to be married. Still, Jenna persisted in marrying into the Hidalgo family and eventually cut off communication with Stella. Jenna's tears start to flow once more as she finally sees her dearest friend after all these years.
The two ladies chatted for a long time about everything under the sun. After much nagging from Stella, Jenna reluctantly produced her divorce decree and showed it to her. Stella breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it.
“He will regret this, Rex Hidalgo, that stupid blind son of a b*tch!”
Jenna's eyes drooped. He is now a stranger, so even if he regrets it, it has nothing to do with me anymore.
Stella laughed indignantly, "Well done, Baby! You simply need to wave your hand, and your admirers will be lined up from your doorstep to the boundaries of New York City! That bastard can't even get in line.”
Jenna had to return to Rex's house to retrieve some crucial papers she had forgotten she had left there. Jenna accepted Stella's offer to accompany her after giving it some thought.
Jenna did not anticipate running into Dianne, Rex's mother, as soon as she returned. Dianne regularly visited their home without warning and behaved like she was in charge.
When Dianne saw Jenna return with a stranger, she was pretty upset. She mocked Jenna and her buddy while keeping her head held high.
You can't just bring randos back here; did I mention that we have a lot of secret documents in the house? Do you have a goldfish memory, Jenna?
Stella expressed her displeasure after being taken aback. Are you too old to be calling people names? "Who are you calling a rando?"
She was treated like a princess and adored by all. "How could she make such a joke about me? '
Stella was enraged because she could already see what Jenna's life had been like while she was residing here.
Dianne carefully examined Stella as she snorted icily. "I've met many low-class people like you who dream of marrying into a rich family," she said. "Don't think you can pretend to be elite just by wearing false outfits."
Stella grinned angrily. Jenna's face grew grave as she spoke. “Please be respectful of her because she is my friend.”
In the Hidalgo family, Jenna had never responded to Dianne and had always kept her tail between her legs.
‘She just dared to correct me in front of strangers? How could this humble woman from an unknown background talk to me in such a manner?’ Dianne pondered.
“Jenna, you should count your blessings that our family accepts you as our daughter-in-law. Did you forget which mud hole you crawled out of? This girl you brought home is probably just like you. Get out of my house, and don't stain my floors! She yelled. "Respect? Do people of your background even deserve respect?"
David’s confession, the shadow at the ravine’s mouth, the realization that the Bone King was not the island’s only nightmare. Jenna’s pulse had not slowed once since leaving the shelter. Even Steeve’s breath trembled in uneven bursts. Their bodies moved because David said to move, but their minds were still trapped in the horrors of the night before. And as dawn strained weakly through the canopy, it became horribly clear: the deeper they followed David, the deeper they stepped into an island that wanted them dead.Dawn had not yet touched the island, but the jungle had begun to stir—soft rustling, distant calls, the whisper of creatures waking beneath the dripping canopy. The air was thick and damp, clinging to skin like an unseen hand. As David motioned for Jenna and Steeve to follow him north, the unease in their chests only deepened.
The jungle had swallowed their screams. The Bone King’s blade still seemed to glint behind Jenna’s eyes as David dragged them through the storm-soaked undergrowth. And as the drums faded behind them and the night pressed close, the truth settled into Jenna’s bones with icy finality—this was not freedom. This was only survival.Rain still dripped from the canopy in slow, heavy beads as David led Jenna and Steeve deeper into the jungle. The storm had weakened, reduced to a distant murmur of rolling thunder, but the fear it had carved into their bones remained sharp and alive.Jenna stumbled over a root, catching herself against a moss‑slick tree. Her muscles screamed, her wrists still raw from hours of being bound.Steeve wheezed behind her, every breat
The spear flew.Lightning illuminated its arc—white, sharp, inevitable.Jenna didn’t have time to scream.David tackled her sideways. The spear tore through the space where her throat had been just a heartbeat earlier, burying itself deep into a tree trunk with a brutal thunk.Jenna hit the ground hard, breath knocked from her lungs. Mud splashed around them, the taste of soil hitting her tongue. Steeve stumbled beside her, crashing to his knees.Behind them, the Bone King roared—angry, wounded pride echoing like thunder.
The night split open with a scream.Not from a survivor. Not from a tribesman.But from the darkness itself.The storm had swallowed half the sky, leaving the jungle drenched and trembling. Jenna hung from the ropes binding her to the wooden post, rainwater soaking through her hair and dripping into her eyes. Every breath hurt. Every heartbeat felt like it might be her last.The tribe danced in a widening frenzy, chanting toward the sky as if begging their gods to witness the slaughter.**"Vorah ka'ren! Vorah ka'ren!" (Blood of dawn! Blood of dawn!)Steeve was barely conscious beside her, shivering violently.
The ropes bit into Jenna’s wrists as the warriors dragged her across the dirt, the ritual ash still burning on her skin. The storm overhead thickened, clouds rumbling like distant war drums. She barely kept her footing as they tied her to one of the wooden posts lining the sacrificial grounds—thick beams made of weathered trunks, stained with old, dark streaks she didn’t want to identify.Steeve was bound to the post on her right, trembling uncontrollably. Lucia and the two remaining male survivors were tied to the others, forming a crooked semicircle facing the massive bonfire at the center of the village. The flames raged high, spitting sparks that drifted like fireflies.The tribe bustled around them, preparing for the night’s ritual. Warriors sharpened obsidian blades against stones. Torches were planted in a wide ring, crea
The creature—no, the man—that stepped into the torchlight looked as though he had been carved out of night itself. Taller than any warrior in the village, his shoulders were broad enough to eclipse the fires behind him, casting the survivors’ cage in deep shadow.Bones crowned his head—long, curved horns wrapped in sinew and painted black. His chest was streaked with white ash symbols, each one pulsing in the firelight like the marks of some ancient rite. He carried a spear twice Jenna’s height, its tip shaped from obsidian and something disturbingly pale.The villagers bowed.“Vor’kai… (Bone King)







