Back at the Colton estate, a new morning had arisen with the arrival of the news of the new heir. The sunlight was filtering gently through the linen drapes of the master suite. Miley was lying comfortably on the lounge chair, bundled in a soft cashmere blanket. Her pulse was finally stable, but her eyes were distant.The doctors had left not an hour ago. “The reason for her current state is exhaustion, Mr. Colton.”They said gently, “It is likely tied to emotional and physical stress. Although it is quite early to say, possibly hormonal fluctuation is also contributing to it, but it's nothing alarming. She does need rest, though.”Julius stood by the window, arms folded, his gaze tracking the gravel path outside where estate staff was moving quietly. He was happy, no doubt about that… but he hadn’t said much since the ride back. Now that Miley was resting, he didn't need to hide his worries anymore. His jaw was locked, his mind being weighed down by too many thoughts at once… th

The Colton wasn't peaceful or calm anyone. If anything, the building had come alive, breathing fire like a fortress that was being kept under siege.Julius stood in the middle of his study, which doubled as his strategy room now, as it had been transformed into a command center with live camera feeds, schematics and security officers tapping furiously on secured terminals.“Lock the outer gates.”Julius ordered calmly, his eyes fixed on a monitor screen. “Assign loyal units only to perimeter rotations, make sure that neither does anyone leave, and absolutely no one enters without my say-so.”“Yes, Genera!”Marius replied, who was his oldest field friend, who had now been hired as his private security. Across the estate, another round of chas was taking place. The existing staff members were shuffled around, questioned, and scanned for any threats. A new team of trained guards marched through the halls and ventilation shafts with scanner wands, heat-sensors, and signal blockers.Mi

The Colton estate stood silent in the early dawn as Julius stared at the documents laid out before him, the Guild summons glinting with its silver-embossed seal. The expected public court hearing had been swept aside overnight. Just last night, they had received a call that the Guild had intervened with court proceedings. Legacy protocols had been invoked, quietly but decisively.The Guild was closing ranks.“They want control,” Julius muttered, tightening the button of his coat as he glanced at the clock. “And now, they want a show.”By noon, he and Miley were walking through the marbled halls of the Guild headquarters, which was a fortress of ancient power and modern politics. The Council Chamber was circular, built like a courtroom but colder in atmosphere. The elders sat elevated in concentric rings, dressed in formal regalia, navy robes trimmed with silver thread, denoting rank, lineage, and authority.Julius’s gaze swept across them. He had stood before these same people once

The Summit’s sprawling glass dome was sparkling like a crown, a grand testimony of the Guild’s promise of unity and power. Delegates were due to arrive from over forty allied territories, and most of them were already arriving at the headquarters, flanked by armed escorts and digital passcodes. However, despite the formality and grandeur of the occasion, a silent tension was bubbling just under the surface.Julius was standing inside the mobile command room that had been set up right behind the main hall, his hands folded behind his back. Security cameras were transmitting live feed across the monitors: feed from aerial drones, thermal scans, and AI-enhanced facial tracking. There was absolutely nothing that had been left up to chance.He turned to the Guild representative standing beside him, reviewing the footage. “Triple-layer all entry protocols. No one enters the core hall without full clearance, even if they wear a legacy crest.”The man gave a tight nod. “Understood, Mr.

Julius Colton didn’t wait for a single moment.Within fifteen minutes of Miley’s fall, the grand east wing of the Colton estate had transformed into an emergency medical center. Surgeons, diagnostic specialists, and top-tier obstetricians flooded through the secured gates. A private hospital’s worth of equipment was rolled into the marble halls: IV drips, mobile monitors, portable analyzers. The security team was doubled, every hallway locked down under silent protocol.Miley lay pale and unconscious in the rosewood room just off the conservatory, wrapped in warm blankets. Her IV hummed gently, a saline drip punctuated with stabilizers. Her vitals were monitored round the clock.Julius stood by her side, jaw set, shirt sleeves rolled up, blood from earlier still dried beneath his cuff.Two of the lead doctors gathered at the foot of the bed, whispering behind clipboards.“She’s stable, but her vitals are sluggish,” said Dr. Marron, the senior diagnostic consultant. “It doesn’t make