All Chapters of The One He Chose: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The candles on the cake had already melted into crooked puddles when another knock came at the door. Evelyn, still glowing with a mother’s joy, hurried to answer, expecting perhaps another neighbor or straggling classmate.But instead, the school principal, Adrian, stepped inside.He wasn’t alone—two teachers followed him behind, carrying a neatly wrapped boxes and bags. Adrian himself carried a single package, small enough to hold in both hands but wrapped with care in deep blue paper and tied with a ribbon.Henry blinked, startled. He hadn’t expected Adrian to come, not after all the whispers, not after the countless nights the principal had helped them without ever once drawing attention to it.“Principal Adrian?” Henry said, rising to his feet.Adrian smiled, warm but a little too careful, as though afraid of stepping too far. “Happy birthday, Henry.”Evelyn’s face stiffed instantly. “Oh, Adrian, you didn’t have to—”“Yes, I did, both of you deserve more than you’ve been given. To

To everyone at Blackwood Academy, lectures, students and the well wishers. Henry was sort of words, he appreciates their coming and their gifts. But, every moment seemed to carry invisible threads pulling him towards these men."Hmm!" He sighed, calling their names.Adrian.Elias.Both of them had shown their love, though not in words. And yet, Henry’s heart twisted with a question that refused to leave: Who would be the first to say it aloud?Because it wasn’t just about gifts anymore. It wasn’t just about protection or promises. It was about Henry himself—about belonging, about safety, about a future he could trust.And right now, he didn’t know whose favor he appreciated most.It began with Adrian.The principal’s gestures were never loud, never flamboyant. But they were unwavering—like the tide against the shore.Every morning, Henry found breakfast waiting on the dinning table in their apartment: bread warmed in the oven, eggs fried just enough, tea still steaming. Adrian always

The morning after the announcement was made and the banners were hung, the whole of Blackwood Academy was alive in a way Henry had never seen before.The announcement of graduation spread like fire through the halls, bouncing from lips to ears, filling every classroom and corridor with a buzzing energy. Teachers tried to rein it in, but even they were caught in the tide of anticipation.Two weeks. That was all. Two weeks before caps would fly, before photographs were taken, before parents crowded into the great auditorium. Two weeks before Blackwood Academy sent its brightest and boldest into the world.For most, it was joy. For others, nerves. For Henry, it was a pleasure tightening in his chest that made breathing feel like swallowing stones.In the cafeteria, clusters of students leaned over tables, voices overlapping in waves.“Are you going to the dress shop this weekend? I heard they’re booked solid already.”“My father says he’s bringing the whole family for the ceremony. They’

Elias, Alpha of the Blue moon pack, had never been a patient man.As a boy, he had clawed his way to dominance among his peers, driven by an instinct that demanded loyalty and power. As a leader, he had carved his pack into strength, weaving alliances, quelling threats and ensuring the name commanded respect across all neighboring territories.But for Henry, he had learned patience.Too much patience.Elias stood, watching through the window of his office, overlooking the territory. Wolves trained in the yard, their bodies strong, their discipline smart. Yet even as he watched them, his thoughts were elsewhere—at Blackwood Academy, where Henry was preparing to graduate.Graduation! The word had become a beacon. For years Elias had stayed his hand, telling himself that the boy needed time. He had been exiled, scorned, betrayed by the very family who should have protected him. To claim him too soon, to pull him back into a world of hierarchy and responsibility before he had healed, woul

At the tower of Dowell Enterprises, the city outside looked like a kingdom in Damien’s command. From the top floor, where the walls cut into shards of light, he could see everything—the busy of streets and the sound of traffic, the pulse of a world he owned piece by piece.And yet, for all his power, his mind wandered towards the quarter of town. Blackwood Academy.Where he was.Henry.Damien had never met him in person, but he didn’t need to. The reports, the whispers, the stories were enough. The boy’s brilliance had a way of slipping through barriers. Teachers who taught him wrote glowing evaluations. Students who mocked him could not deny his intelligence. Even in town, shopkeepers spoke of him with admiration—“the exile’s son who rose higher than he should.”It intrigued Damien. More than that, it pulled at him in a way he couldn’t explain.He had everything: companies and investors at his beck and call, there are skyscrapers that bore his name. But the thought of Henry sharpene