VEIL OF TRUTH Camilla (POV)The hour before dawn was the most dangerous. The world held its breath, cloaked in shadows too stubborn to lift. Camilla stood at the edge of the Thorne estate’s western balcony, overlooking the mist-draped grounds. Every instinct screamed that she was in too deep — in lies, in double-crosses, in things not even time could undo.The folder pressed to her chest wasn’t just evidence. It was a loaded weapon.Inside were the final truths: confirmation that Wren hadn’t only manipulated genetics—he had rewritten *relationships*, bending love and memory into obedience. And Camilla? She was one of his earliest experiments. Not because she’d loved him.But because she’d *owed* him.Years ago, in a cracked motel bathtub, her blood had slowed to a stop. Wren was the one who found her. Who revived her. Who whispered, “You owe me your life.” He branded her with the debt—and Camilla had never broken it.Until now.Her phone buzzed.> **Wren:** *“You have twelve hours to
THE UNSEEN ENEMYThe cold wind whipped relentlessly around the cliffs, tugging at Iris’s dress and her tangled thoughts. The sea below churned violently, waves crashing against the jagged rocks as if echoing the storm brewing inside her. She stood rooted, heart pounding, staring down the man before her—Silas Wren.His figure was bathed in moonlight, his coat billowing like a dark shadow. His smile was calm, almost serene, but in his eyes lay a chilling coldness that made her skin crawl.“You are not taking him,” Iris said, her voice barely more than a whisper but loaded with steel.Wren’s smile widened, but it held no warmth. “Oh, Iris,” he said softly, “you misunderstand everything. Noah was never really yours to keep.”The words hit her like a physical blow, twisting deep inside her chest.“What do you mean?” she demanded, stepping forward, her hands trembling yet refusing to let go of the birth certificate that had shattered her world.Wren’s gaze was steady as he took a slow step
📝 THE NAME ON THE CERTIFICATEWRITER’S POVThe silence that blanketed the Thorne estate that night wasn’t peaceful. It was expectant — a hush before collapse.Lia stood outside the nursery, mustering the courage. Then, quietly, she stepped inside.Iris was sitting by the crib, watching Noah sleep. The soft glow of the nightlight carved a quiet shadow across her face.Lia remembered all the times Iris spoke of Noah — how much he looked like Callum. She used to say it over and over, like a mantra. And Lia had seen it too: Noah’s jawline, his sleepy scowl, the way he furrowed his brows when he didn’t get his way. He had Callum’s love of puzzles. His hatred of spinach. Even his laugh.Iris looked up, noticing her."He’s cute, right?" she asked, smiling softly.Lia didn’t answer. She held out a folder — a printed document. Iris’s smile faded as she took it."Where did you get this?" she asked, barely recognizing her own voice."It was in my secure inbox. Buried deep. Encrypted. Someone wan
SHADOWS IN THE BLOODLINEJOINT POVIRIS:I stared at the file long after Camilla left, my hands had gone numb. Noah, my son, they recorded everything, every words, every time stamp, everytime he plays, laugh, giggle, cry, sleep, everything was reccorded, they had monitor his emotiopns, documented how he listens to music, to my voice, to fear.I just stayed staring into space, my head hurts trying to understand, my heart ache because my womb have been the begining of an experiment. Worst of all the ring on my finger felt heavier than gold. My whole body buzzed like i have been dipped in electricity.I didn't know when i started shedding tears until it dropped on my hand and the files, everything i have done to protect my son was in vain, this was about rewritting my bloodline, this wasn't about erasing my memory anymore.CALLUM:I watched from the upper corridor as iris stood in the moonlit greenhouse, she held the files camilla have given to her against her chest like shield, her shou
The Return of the Truth (Iris POV)Rain soaked the garden overnight, but Iris barely noticed. The morning after the vow-that-never-happened was grey and quiet, the kind of quiet that comes after something breaks but hasn't yet fallen.She woke to the sound of her own breath—shallow, uneven. Not quite grief. Not quite peace. Just a hovering ache.Callum hadn’t come to bed.The greenhouse still smelled like rosemary and regret. Her dress from the night before hung over the back of the chair, soaked from the rain. She touched the fabric and felt the moment he looked at her, broken but hopeful, flash behind her eyelids.She hadn’t walked away from love.She’d walked away from the version of it that still had blood on its hands.And yet she hadn’t taken off the ring.---Callum found her in the library.She didn’t look up as he stepped inside. He didn’t speak either, not right away. Just walked to the windows where she stood and handed her a folded piece of paper."It’s everything," he said
The Wedding That Wasn’tWRITER POVThe sunlight spilled through the tall windows of the Thorne estate, soft and golden, brushing over Iris’s bare shoulder like a whispered promise.She stirred slowly, blinking against the warmth of morning. For a heartbeat, she didn’t know where she was. But the heavy arm curled around her waist, the scent of musk and cedar, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against her spine — it grounded her.Callum.They were back in the master bedroom. Not the cold, sterile guest wing where she’d been kept before. This one still held the ghost of their past — old memories, a worn photograph tucked behind the mirror, the faint indentation in the mattress where she used to lie curled beside him.She opened her eyes to see him watching her“You’re staring,” she murmured, smiling, her voice hoarse from sleep.“I’m memorizing,” he said. “I lost the right to stare a long time ago.”She sat up in the bed and turned toward him, her fingers brushing his jaw. The bruises fr