บททั้งหมดของ The Heirmaker's Bride: บทที่ 121 - บทที่ 130

Sera did not need to search long to find him.Even within the gentle bustle of the school corridors, Adrik’s presence stood out not by movement, but by stillness. While parents wandered, teachers conversed, and children darted between bursts of excitement, Adrik remained rooted in place like something carved from tension itself.Watching.Sera slowed.Her gaze followed the line of his.Nikolai.Damian.The sight struck her chest with that now familiar, impossible ache.Nikolai animated and glowing, small hands confidently guiding Damian’s wheelchair down the corridor as though the act were the most natural thing in the world. Damian listening, engaged, faintly amused, his attention resting on the boy with an intensity that unsettled something deep within her.They had found their rhythm.Effortlessly.Dangerously.Without knowing.Sera’s breath softened.Because the truth, however much she resisted it, had begun asserting itself in quiet, undeniable ways.Blood.Blood carried its own

Nikolai, however, had bigger concerns.“But Mama, he just got here!”“And we are leaving.”“That’s not fair!”Sera’s gaze snapped down to him.Sharp.Unforgiving.“We will discuss fairness at home.”The tone alone silenced him.Then..Without ceremony...She took his hand and started walking.Not gently.Not casually.Dragging.“Nikolai,” she said icily, “that was unacceptable.”Nikolai stumbled slightly trying to keep pace.“I didn’t do anything!”“You absolutely did.”“I just said...”“You disrespected Adrik.”The boy froze mid step.“I didn’t...”“You did.”Damian watched them move away down the corridor.Watched Nikolai’s confusion.Watched Sera’s rigid posture.Watched distance physically widen with every step.And something inside his chest twisted violently.Painfully.Unexpectedly.It made no sense.None whatsoever.Yet the sight of them walking away.. Of her leaving like that.. sent a sharp, unfamiliar ache through his ribs.Like something had been taken.Like something had s

Silence swallowed the car.Damian’s pulse thudded hard against his ribs.“It never made sense.”Anton watched him carefully.Damian’s eyes slowly sharpened.“But if she really is Seraphina…”The thought landed fully.Solid.Explosive.His lips curved into something between a smile and disbelief.“Then of course she’d run from me.”Anton’s breath hitched faintly.Damian continued, voice lower now, almost murmuring to himself.“Of course she’d keep her distance.”“Of course she’d pretend.”“Of course she’d act like I’m nothing more than a patient.”Because suddenly.. everything aligned.Painfully.Perfectly.“I was the villain of her story,” Damian said flatly.The words carried no ego.Only brutal self awareness.“I reduced our marriage to a transaction.”“I humiliated her.”“I let Lysandra tear her apart.”His throat tightened briefly.“And if she survived… if she escaped…”Another quiet laugh.This one edged with something far darker.“She’d have every reason to never want to see my

The next day, the Volkov estate did not resemble a home.It resembled an event.From the early hours of the morning, the property buzzed with controlled chaos. Staff moved with military precision. Security teams rotated positions with quiet efficiency. Vehicles were scanned at entry checkpoints. Guest lists verified twice, sometimes three times.Nothing about a Volkov gathering was casual.Nothing ever could be.Especially not when the guest of honor was Nikolai.Clusters of children began arriving midmorning, bundled in winter coats, voices bright with excitement, their energy instantly disrupting the estate’s usual composed atmosphere.The grand halls filled with laughter.Tiny footsteps echoed across polished floors.Decorations softened the intimidating architecture, colorful banners and elaborate displays clashing charmingly with the cold elegance of the Volkov household.Nikolai stood near the main entrance like an overstimulated commander receiving honored guests.“You’re late,

Adrik’s parents entered the scene like a shift in atmospheric pressure.The air changed.Subtly for most.Violently for Damian.Mrs. Volkov’s eyes landed on him first, and the displeasure was immediate, unfiltered, almost impressive in its intensity.“Well.”That single word carried enough weight to bend steel.Mr. Volkov stood beside her, gaze sharp, assessing, not bothering with polite concealment either.Damian, to his credit, didn’t flinch.Outwardly.Inwardly, he registered everything.Ah.So it runs in the family.Nikolai, blissfully unaware of the silent hostility contest unfolding, beamed proudly.“Grandma!”Mrs. Volkov barely looked at him.Her gaze stayed locked on Damian.“…Why is he here.”Straight to the throat.No ceremony.No sugarcoating.Adrik sighed. “Mother.”“I asked a question.”Damian smiled politely.Weaponized charm.“Pleasure to see you again.”“It isn’t.”Mr. Volkov muttered, “Direct. I like that.”Sera closed her eyes briefly.Nikolai blinked.Damian, still