Semua Bab My Father's Rival Is My Lover : Bab 51 - Bab 60

The Test of FireMarriage had not dimmed Nova’s fire, if anything, it intensified it. In the weeks following the wedding, she and Liam settled into a rhythm that felt like breathing. Days spent co-leading, nights spent co-dreaming. It was more than partnership, it was alignment.But peace, Nova knew, never came without cost.And this time, the storm wasn’t personal.It was legacy-deep.It began with a call from Nairobi.The head of the Cassie & Damon Seed Center there, Lailah Mureithi, sounded breathless.“There’s been a breach,” she said. “One of our internal tech systems was hacked.”Nova sat upright in her chair. “What kind of breach?”Lailah hesitated. “The scholarship vault. And the donor list connected to it.”Nova’s stomach dropped.Not because of the data.But because of the person tied to that data.Veritas.She called Liam immediately.He answered on the first ring. “Nova”“Did your system sync with the Seed Center vaults?”Liam froze. “Yes, months ago. But the firewalls”“T

That night, as the wind hummed through the trees and the fire flickered gently inside the cradle lantern, Nova sat awake in the rocker, Cassia asleep against her chest. Her tiny breath was rhythmic, warm, anchoring.Liam stood near the doorway, holding a steaming cup of tea in one hand, watching them like he still couldn’t believe they were real.“I’ve built systems,” he whispered. “Lived in cities that never sleep. But nothing’s ever felt as eternal as this.”Nova smiled softly. “That’s because this isn’t time. It’s legacy breathing.”In the first days after the birth, the Turner estate transformed into a sanctuary within the Sanctuary.Everyone contributed in their own way.Grace took morning shifts, reading softly from Cassie’s journals. Zuri kept music playing throughout the day, soft harmonies, lullabies written in languages Cassia didn’t yet understand but already seemed to recognize. Ella painted a mural in Cassia’s nursery: flames blooming into stars, stars falling into books,

Nova didn’t know a simple email could undo her.But there it was.Subject: Invitation - Cassian Blackthorne Estate GalaFrom: Blackthorne HoldingsTime: Next Saturday, 7 PMDress Code: FormalPersonal note:Liam, it’s time. Bring her.She reread it five times. Not “Bring your fiancée.” Not “Bring your daughter.”Just “Bring her.”Nova leaned against the kitchen counter, her heart pounding like thunder in her chest. Liam had been in back-to-back meetings all morning. The estate gala? She hadn’t heard that name in over a year.Not since he walked out of her life and into silence.Cassian Blackthorne, Liam’s father. Her father's oldest rival. And once, the man who'd saved Nova's life.A man with secrets.A man who had once held her in his arms and whispered, You deserve more than war, Nova. You deserve peace, even if it costs us everything.Liam came home late. The tie loosened, exhaustion in his eyes. He dropped his keys on the table and kissed her cheek distractedly. “Long day.”She di

Nova didn’t drive straight home.She parked three blocks away from the penthouse and walked the rest of the distance beneath the glow of broken streetlights. The night air was cold, but her skin burned, with secrets, with betrayal, with the fire of a mother’s voice echoing through time.Every word in that letter was tattooed on her soul now.You were born of love.Your fire will burn the lies down someday.But the fire needed fuel. And truth always came at a price.When she slipped back into the penthouse, the lights were dim. Silent.Except for the faint hum of jazz music drifting from the kitchen.She found Liam there, barefoot in sweatpants, leaning against the counter with a glass of whiskey in hand.“I thought you went for a walk,” he said, not looking at her.Nova swallowed. “I did.”“In Central Park? Or through the shadows of your past?”Her heart thudded. “Liam”He turned then, eyes hard, but not cold. Not yet.“You disappeared for two hours. No security. No driver. And you le

The video haunted Liam all night.He didn’t sleep. He couldn’t.Nova curled beside him, peaceful in the afterglow of a war they thought they’d survived. But Liam knew better now. That video changed everything.It wasn’t just about what Cassian had done.It was about what he let happen.The man Liam had called brother. Mentor. Father figure.And the man who stood still while a woman screamed for her life.At dawn, Liam slipped from bed and walked barefoot to the kitchen.Coffee brewed in silence.His thoughts screamed louder than boiling water.Cassian had made no mention of the video in the boardroom. No explanation. Just silence. A loaded file dropped into Liam’s inbox like a grenade.Was it a confession?A warning?Or a dare?He didn’t know.But one thing was clear: the past wasn’t buried.It was alive. And it was coming for them all.Later that morning, Nova sat across from him at the breakfast bar.Cassia played on a blanket between them, babbling nonsense, chewing on a wooden gir