Semua Bab The heart Beneath the Thorn : Bab 21 - Bab 30

Max Carter stood at the edge of the skyline, the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse office framing the city like a living canvas. It was dusk—the kind that draped the world in gold and violet, softening its sharp edges, even his own. The boardroom victory earlier had sent waves through the company. Stockholders were thrilled. Executives were stunned. But instead of celebrating, Max found himself caught in quiet stillness, his fingers brushing the corner of a velvet box resting on the edge of his desk.He hadn’t opened it in hours. Not since the courier brought it in.A chrysanthemum bracelet, with a matching necklace and earring set, custom designed. White gold, soft rose enamel, and a center diamond that caught the light without screaming for attention. It wasn’t flashy—not like the women Max used to surround himself with or the life he used to live. It was timeless. Just like her.Emilia Grace.His nurse. His anchor. The woman who held his hand through nights he couldn’t reme

The morning sun broke gently through the long curtains of Emilia Grace’s bedroom. A soft floral breeze drifted in through the open window, but it wasn’t what woke her.It was the scent—floral, delicate, and familiar.She blinked, then sat up slowly, her breath catching in her throat.Chrysanthemums.Hundreds of them.Delicate blooms in ivory, blush, and soft lavender filled the entire room. They lined the window sills, spilled across the vanity, nestled in vases on every surface. The air was soaked with their quiet, noble fragrance.Her bare feet touched the rug, and as she stood, her eyes were drawn to the center of the room.A dress.It stood like a sentinel on a pale gold mannequin. Soft champagne silk, layered with organza and shimmered tulle, catching the morning light like starlight. The bodice was detailed with embroidery so fine it looked like spun lace. The skirt flowed like a dream—weightless, floating.A note was pinned to the bodice with a gold clasp.Next to the dress, a

The storm had passed, but the atmosphere inside the mansion was still strange—quiet in a way that didn’t feel like peace.Emilia stirred her tea slowly, watching the swirling cream dissolve into amber. Max sat across from her, reading the paper in his robe, one leg crossed, hair slightly mussed in a way that made him look more like a man than the myth the world knew.She hadn’t brought up the nightmare again. Not yet.He hadn’t either.But something hung between them—unspoken. Heavy.The morning had the fragile weight of porcelain—one wrong movement, and everything could shatter.Just as Max reached for his orange juice, a sharp knock echoed through the mansion, followed by the chime of the front bell. Loud. Demanding.Max lowered his glass.Emilia looked up. “Expecting someone?”He shook his head slowly. “No one.”Another knock—this time more aggressive, echoing like a crack of thunder across the marble halls.“I’ll get it,” Emilia said, standing and tightening her robe around her.B

Emilia stood at the edge of the guest wing hallway, trembling.Her closet—empty. Her books, gone. Her record player, the one Max had repaired himself, missing from the table. Everything she owned was boxed and vanished. But the final blow didn’t come until she checked the sunroom where Leo, her rescue cat, usually lounged in the morning light.His bed was gone. His food dishes gone.Leo was gone.It took less than ten frantic calls to local shelters to confirm it: he had been surrendered “by the estate” that morning.The bile that rose in Emilia’s throat had nothing to do with nausea—it was fury. White-hot, uncontrollable fury.She stormed through the corridors of the mansion, ignoring the staff who turned their eyes away. Her bare feet slapped against polished tile as she reached Max’s study. No more waiting. No more silence. She burst through the double doors without knocking.Max sat at his desk, papers spread out before him. He looked up slowly, his face blank, cold. Robotic.“We

The day began like any other—which was to say, deceptively calm.Grace floated through the mansion like a perfumed wraith, her silk robe trailing behind her like gossamer wings. The morning sun made her look angelic, her golden hair loose and tousled like she had just stepped out of a dream. She was humming again. Always humming. Always pretending.Emilia noticed it right away: Leo, her usually energetic cat, was sluggish. He hadn’t greeted her at the stairs with his usual chirps and tail flicks. Instead, he lay curled on the windowsill, eyes glazed, chest rising and falling with labored effort.“Leo?” she murmured, kneeling beside him. “Hey, buddy… what’s wrong?”He didn’t lift his head.She called Max. Then the vet. The panic in her voice rose as Leo gave a low, pained meow. Grace stood by the kitchen island, delicately sipping tea, watching.When the vet arrived and rushed Leo away, Emilia stayed behind, breathless with worry.“He was fine yesterday,” she muttered, pacing. “He ate