Franco didn’t waste any time walking out of the scene. Rita spun to Elena, her voice bursting.“Did you hear that? Did you hear what he said? He said that we are invited! Oh my God… I am super excited. Oh my God!”Edgar nodded like he was in another planet and joined Rita.“Yes, Mother! I am even more excited than you! I can’t wait to sit at the table of the riches…”“Will you shut that stupid mouth of yours!?” Maya’s voice sliced his words like a blade. She shoved him lightly, yelling.“You aren’t going with us to the Ruffian Moon Celebration! You’ve got the guts to call another woman ‘the one and only Queen’!? As if that wasn’t enough, you even said every other woman is a counterfeit? Are you insane, Edgar!?”Edgar opened his mouth to explain, but Maya didn’t give him room.“If every other Queen is a counterfeit and she’s the only Queen, then what am I? A princess? A court jester? Or maybe a royal maid? Tell me because I’d really love to know! You call me Queen every time we make lo

Muna stormed away from Franco and marched straight to the servant, her face hard and her eyes burning with anger. The way he had spoken to Franco—like he was nothing, like she wasn’t even standing there—made her blood boil. Without hesitation, her palm cracked across his cheek with a loud slap.“How dare you open that gutter you call a mouth and speak to my husband like that? Are you stupid?!”The servant staggered from the force, clutching his cheek. Quickly, he dropped to the floor, his forehead nearly touching the ground.“I’m sorry, ma’am,” he stammered. “But Granny said only you should come. She ordered that no one else should step in with you. That means Franco isn’t allowed to enter the mansion.”Muna’s voice lashed like a whip. “And so fucking what? Does that give you the audacity—the effrontery—to talk to him that way?”Her tone rose, sharp and commanding, echoing against the walls. “Are you silly? How dare you dictate what I should do right under my own roof? Are you crazy,

Muna froze, her breath catching in disbelief. She stared at her grandmother, startled by the sharpness of her words. Part of her was shocked that Granny could erupt like this, but another part of her wasn’t—she had always known her grandmother’s pride was as unyielding as stone.Aria, however, only shook her head, her expression tight with bitterness. She wasn’t surprised. She had long understood the kind of woman Granny was. The thought of Franco ever becoming her son-in-law was the last thing Granny would accept.Franco, standing tall with Muna’s hand in his, didn’t flinch either. He had known for years just how deep Granny’s hatred for him ran. Her rejection didn’t sting him anymore; it only confirmed what he had always expected.Still, the silence hung heavy in the room as every eye fixed on Granny. And then—she struck again, her voice tearing through the air like thunder.“Franco is worthless!” she spat, her frail body trembling with fury. “His seed is not worthy to bring forth m

Staring at Franco was like staring at a dragon that had been reawakened from the ashes.Eddie’s chest tightened as the thought struck him—how on earth did Franco survive?He remembered clearly. He had ordered Regha to finish him off, to erase him completely. Eddie had been certain. Regha never failed. Yet here Franco was—alive, standing tall, his presence even more unshakable than before.Eddie’s thoughts were spinning when Franco’s voice snapped him back to the present.“How is he… what? Alive?” Franco said, tone laced with curiosity and a mocking tease. His eyes narrowed slightly. “You mean to ask how I managed to survive? Or are you admitting you wanted me dead?”The words hit the room like a thunderclap.Muna’s gaze darted from Franco to Eddie, her face twisted with surprise. Even Granny froze, shock flickering across her features at Franco’s bold words.Granny’s lips parted as if to lash out, but Eddie stepped in quickly, forcing himself forward into the lounge.“You don’t have t

Granny’s eyes widened in disbelief as she turned sharply to Muna, her hand trembling against the chair.“What nonsense are you talking about, huh?” she barked, her voice quivering with outrage. “Don’t tell me you truly mean the words that just came out of your mouth! Don’t tell me you actually plan to marry this useless man here! I will never allow you to tie yourself to an imbecile like him!”Muna stood tall, refusing to be shaken. Her chin lifted and her eyes burned with determination as she met her grandmother’s glare.“You should know better by now, Granny,” she said firmly. “You know very well that Franco and I only had a registered marriage—we were never joined by a priest. And if you are not forgetting something, Granny, you gave your consent to this marriage long before I even fixed the date!”Then she turned on Eddie, her voice cutting like a blade.“It was over between us a long time ago. The very first time you tried to force yourself into my life, everything ended. I hope