Chapter 172 - Benedict Cyrus

There was no time to plan anything extensive before they received information that Ferdinand was on the move and they had to rush to intercept him. The storm outside had calmed by the time Ayra, Lucian, and Lisbeth reached the wrought-iron gates of Benedict’s estate. The mansion rose beyond the manicured gardens like an ancient fortress dressed in velvet and polish, its pale stone exterior illuminated by soft amber lights. Despite its elegance, there was a suffocating air about the place, as though the house itself held the secrets and sins of its master in every corner.Ayra adjusted the clasp of her coat as the gates creaked open. She had imagined this confrontation for weeks, yet standing here under her true name and identity—no longer hiding, no longer pretending—made the weight of it settle differently in her chest. She exchanged a glance with Lisbeth. Her sister’s gaze was steady, sharp, as if bracing for the inevitable verbal war to come.Lucian moved ahead with quiet authori

Last Updated : 2025-08-22

Chapter 173 - The Needle and the Snare

A faint crackle brushed her ear as another com buzzed in.“Possible sighting near the gallery,” one guard whispered.“Hold position,” Lucian ordered quickly. “Ayra, Lisbeth—take the west route. I’ll circle around.”They obeyed. Ayra followed Lisbeth through a tall archway, past a pair of gilded doors that swung open onto the gallery. Rows of tall windows let in silver-gray light, throwing their reflections across marble floors. Paintings towered on every wall, scenes of battle and glory, but Ayra barely glanced at them. She searched every shadow, every alcove, for the shape of a man who shouldn’t be there.Silence pressed in.Then—footsteps. Soft. Deliberate.Ayra’s pulse jumped. She raised a hand to stop Lisbeth, listening. The sound came from deeper in the gallery, near the far end where a statue of a robed figure stood tall.They edged closer, only to catch sight of two guards. Not her father. Not yet.“Who’s there?” one guard asked, startled. His hand twitched toward his weapon.“

Last Updated : 2025-08-22

Chapter 174 - Ferdinand's Plan Revealed

The marble floors still reeked of gunpowder. Smoke clung to the chandeliers like a second skin, muting their shine, and the cold gleam of police flashlights painted every surface in jittery fragments. Boots hammered the corridors behind them, a rhythm of authority, discipline, and suppression.Ayra walked between Lucian and Lisbeth, the three of them guided—no, herded—down the hallway by the uniformed officers. Their wrists bore no cuffs, but the silent escort felt heavier than iron. The IDA insignia flared ahead, the white and gold crest stitched across dark uniforms, and for a moment Ayra’s breath stilled.The International Defense Alliance.The Council’s peacekeepers.The hounds of the highest bidder.The IDA agents lined the hallway like statues, faces carved from stone, rifles pointed low but always ready. The three of them passed through the corridor like trespassers through the eye of a storm. Nobody moved, nobody spoke.Only Lucian’s hand brushed hers, light, fleeting, but enou

Last Updated : 2025-08-25

Chapter 175 - The Days After

Life, after everything, was quieter than Ayra had ever believed possible. For so long, her world had been bullets, blades, betrayals, and the shadows of men with too much power and not enough mercy. But when the smoke cleared—when the name Benedict became whispered in shame rather than shouted in authority—she found herself standing in a world that was almost… ordinary.The mornings came first. Gentle, almost hesitant in their rhythm. Sunlight bled through the curtains of their modest home, and Ayra often awoke to the sound of Elias’s small feet padding across the floorboards. The boy had Lucian’s sharp jawline and quiet stubbornness, but his laugh—when it burst free—was pure innocence, a gift Ayra had sworn to protect with everything in her.She and Lucian had carved out a fragile, peaceful life with him. Breakfasts shared around a small oak table, laughter stitched between slices of bread and scrambled eggs, and the endless chorus of Elias’s questions—“Why is the sky blue? Why doe

Last Updated : 2025-09-03

Chapter 176 - An End for Ayra Russo

That evening, they gathered in the garden for a small reception. Lanterns swayed in the trees, their golden glow spilling across linen-draped tables and stone paths. Music hummed softly in the background, violins weaving through the murmurs of conversation, while laughter mingled with the scent of late-blooming roses. The night air was cool, crisp, carrying the promise of new beginnings.Ayra danced with Lucian beneath the stars, her cheek pressed against his chest. For the first time in what felt like forever, the world melted away until there was only the steady, reassuring beat of his heart. His hand curved firmly against her back, grounding her, reminding her that after years of blood and fire, of betrayal and impossible choices, she had carved out this moment of peace.Later, she tugged Lisbeth onto the makeshift dance floor despite her sister’s stiff protests.“You need practice for when you finally get that boyfriend,” Ayra teased, spinning her clumsily.Lisbeth rolled her eye