Barbara continued, “Damien Blackwell has offered to help. He’s a wealthy man—generous and well-connected. If you agree to marry him, he’ll ensure Chloe receives the best treatment money can buy.”For a long moment, Charlotte didn’t move. The words didn’t make sense. Then her lips parted. “Mother… are you still saying I should divorce my husband?”Barbara met her gaze evenly. “If that’s what it takes.”The silence that followed was deafening. Even the ticking of the clock seemed to stop.Charlotte’s fingers trembled as she rose to her feet. Her voice shook when she spoke, but her eyes burned with disbelief. “That’s the most wicked, insensitive thing I’ve ever heard you say!”Barbara arched a brow, unfazed. “Don’t be dramatic. I’m thinking about your child’s life.”“No,” Charlotte snapped, her voice growing louder. “You’re thinking about money—about appearances, about your precious social circles. You’re not thinking about Chloe, and you’re certainly not thinking about me.”Logan took

The mountain before him wasn’t just rock—it was alive, vast and brooding, its peak swallowed by clouds.He had made his decision. Nothing—no man, monster, or warning—would keep him from getting the herb that could save Chloe’s life.Charlotte’s tearful face lingered in his mind as he adjusted his satchel. Now, standing at the mountain’s base, that promise burned in his chest like fire. He had heard the stories—the forbidden mountain of Vareth, home to ancient beings shaped by its magic. None who climbed it for selfish gain ever returned. But Logan’s purpose was not greed—it was love.He took his first step forward.The forest at the base was dense and unnervingly quiet. The air grew heavy, the mist thickened, swallowing his figure. Soon, faint sounds echoed—rustling whispers, footsteps pacing behind him.Then, from the fog, they appeared.Figures—misshapen and ugly, yet disturbingly human—emerged. Their limbs were too long, their skin a pale gray-green, their eyes glowing faintly ye

“Look at him,” the giant rumbled, voice echoing like rolling thunder. It pushed itself up on one elbow, glaring down at the human before it. “The proud mortal who dared defy the guardians of Blood Peak… now lies broken at our feet.”Another, still clutching the deep dent in his chest where Logan’s Iron Hand had struck, let out a low, mocking laugh. “Let’s end him now. The mountain will drink his blood for the insult he’s brought.”The third one, with skin like dark granite and eyes burning like twin embers, grinned wickedly. His sharp fangs glinted beneath the fog-diffused moonlight. “A fitting end for a fool who thought he could challenge us.”The three behemoths began to move, slow but deliberate, their massive frames stirring the air with every shift. Pebbles tumbled down the slope, and the ground quaked beneath their weight.Logan clenched his jaw and dragged himself to his feet. Pain shot through his ribs with every breath, and his knees threatened to buckle, but the image of

The climb had drained nearly everything from Logan—his strength, his warmth, and the rhythm of his breath—but at last, the mountain surrendered. One final step, one final heave of will, and he was standing on the summit of Blood Peak.For a moment, he just stood there in silence.The sky stretched endlessly above, streaked with silver clouds that glowed against the pale sun. The biting cold that had clawed at him throughout the ascent began to fade, replaced by a strange, tranquil warmth that radiated from the ground itself.He looked around—and froze.Spread before him was not the barren, death-soaked landscape he had expected, but a garden—a vast, shimmering expanse of life. Verdant vines crawled across the rocks, flowering plants bloomed in impossible colors, and the air was thick with the scent of earth and blossoms. Streams of golden mist weaved between the leaves, sparkling in the sunlight as though the mountain itself exhaled magic. Logan’s breath caught in his throat. He

Chloe’s eyes snapped open as sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains of her room. The hospital visit had left her restless, and the quiet of the house made her impatience even more acute. She turned her head toward Logan, who was sitting beside her chair, quietly scanning through a folder of papers for work, his brow furrowed in concentration, and Charlotte, who was fussing with a stack of medical documents, carefully aligning them and rechecking each page as if the order could somehow keep Chloe safe.“Water,” Chloe said firmly, her voice a little hoarse but laced with authority. “I want a cup of water.”Logan immediately rose from his seat, his movements precise and unhesitating. Without a word, he walked toward the kitchen, leaving Charlotte to brush Chloe’s hair back from her flushed forehead. Moments later, he returned, holding a glass of water. He placed it carefully in Chloe’s hand with his fingers brushing hers lightly.Chloe took a sip, savoring the cool liquid as if