After Asher's words, Stephen knew he was trapped. There was no way out now, and he could feel it in his bones. At that point, his palms grew clammy, his throat went dry, and his heart pounded wildly in his chest.Trying to save face, he gave a nervous chuckle and took a few slow steps toward Asher, like they were old friends who were about to settle a misunderstanding. But everyone’s eyes followed him, watching, waiting, and he felt it.“Come on, Asher,” he started with a forced tight smile. “Let’s not make a big deal out of this, yeah? It’s just a pearl. No need to cause a scene in front of everybody. You know how family gatherings can get… things get a little heated sometimes.”He let out a dry, nervous laugh and glanced around, hoping someone would jump in and agree with him. But no one did. In fact, people were now looking at him like they didn’t even know who he was.“We’re family, aren’t we?” he kept going, with his voice getting shakier by the second. “Little misunderstandings

Everyone froze. The threat wasn’t loud, but it hit harder than a shout. Then Asher shot them one last wicked look before reaching out and gently taking his mother’s hand.“Come on, Mother. Let’s go.”As they made their way toward the door, the voice of the imperial guard could be heard in the background saying, “Mr. Roosevelt, are you coming with us now?”But Donovan’s voice immediately clashed against his, “You can’t just take my grandfather away like this! This is outrageous, we have rights! Do you even know who we are?”The head guard replied. “We know exactly who you are, Mr. Roosevelt. That’s why we’re here.”The argument started to heat up behind him with voices clashing, guards standing firm, and the Roosevelt family scrambling to figure out what to do.As all of the chaos unfolded, Asher just smiled to himself.“Serves you right… bunch of bloody idiots,” he muttered under his breath.All around the room, people started whispering.“I can’t believe it… the Roosevelt patriarch,

Without wasting a second, she leaned so close to Asher that it was clear that whatever she was about to say wasn’t meant for any other ears.Her body language alone showed it was serious. Even the way she glanced around before speaking seemed like she was checking if anyone was listening.Then she whispered something into his ear. The moment the words left her mouth, Asher’s whole body tensed. His face hardened, and he slowly turned toward her. When his eyes met hers, they were filled with pure anger and disbelief, the kind of look that screamed “Are you kidding me?”But Morgana didn’t flinch. Her face stayed steady, though the tight press of her lips and the slight twitch in her jaw showed how angry she was too. Asher knew instantly it wasn’t just duty that made her report this, but because it hit her personally as a woman. And in that moment, without any more words, Asher understood exactly how she felt… and why this couldn’t be ignored.Asher’s gaze remained hard as stone, then, wi

Vincent’s body collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud with his eyes still half-open. Then thick, dark blood gushed out from the deep cut in his neck, spilling out fast and pooling around him. Meanwhile, Asher stood over the body like a lion that had just taken down its prey. His expression was cold and unreadable, but his stance was firm as if daring anyone else to step forward. His sharp eyes swept over the remaining soldiers, and his grip on the dagger was still tight, ready for whoever might be foolish enough to test him next. At the same time, Morgana didn’t flinch. She didn’t gasp or look away. She just stayed sharp, alert, and collected as if this was nothing new to her. Because the truth was, it wasn’t. She had seen this side of Asher countless times on the battlefield. Back then, this was normal. But since they returned to Drakmont, she had started to think maybe he had softened a little, maybe time had dulled his edge. But now, watching him standing over Vincent’s body,

The moment Asher took the dagger towards Rowan’s neck, Rowan froze on the spot. It hit him so hard that it felt unreal.For the first time in his life, he felt a chill crawl down his spine. It was like his mind couldn’t believe it was real. The audacity, the shock was too much for his arrogant, pampered head to process, because no one had ever dared threaten him like this, not in his quarters, not in his father’s palace.And before he could gather his thoughts, Asher’s cold voice cut through the silence “Morgana… go inside. Get Janine.”Hearing that made Rowan’s blood boil, but his shock held him back. He clenched his fists and his whole body tensed up. He wanted to talk, to curse, to yell, but nothing made it past his lips.As if all that had happened wasn't enough, Asher leaned in close and spoke in a voice that was so low and cold that it sent a chill down Rowan’s spine. “Say one more word… and I swear, I’ll slit your throat right here and right now, without mercy.Rowan was so stu