“Well, you know you have to introduce us, right?” Anna demanded, a bright smile on her face. “Bring her to our next poker night— even if John bails on us. I need to vet her. For quality control.”Collins laughed, the sound hearty and full. “Absolutely. Soon. I wanted to tell you first, just because… you were there for me through all of it. You and John. I wanted you to know that I’m okay. I’m better than okay.”Anna stood up, pulling Collins up with her for a tight, spontaneous hug. “I am so glad you are, Collins. I truly am. This is the best news I’ve heard all year.”They walked slowly out of the park, Anna’s step feeling lighter despite her continuing worries about her own relationship. Seeing Collins genuinely happy, free of the shadow of his past, gave her a measure of perspective. She still had to talk to John, still had to face the fear of loss, but in that moment, walking out of the park with Collins, she felt a flicker of hope. The world didn't have to be a storm; sometimes,

John walked through the grand halls of the Moon Palace, ignoring the staff that bowed to greet him. He was no longer the soft man he used to be. The circumstances that led to his change caused him to be stronger and more ruthless.He was done being the nice and gentleman he once was. “I'll always be wronged if I keep being weak.” He once told himself and he never forgot to remember that almost all the time.Mr. David followed two steps behind his young master, John. The sound of their shoes echoed on the marble floors. John adjusted his silk cufflinks.They reached the heavy oak doors of the boardroom. This was where the Council met each time for their meetings. John stopped as soon as he was one step to the door."Are the subjects inside?" John asked sternly."Every single one, Young Master." Mr. David replied."And Marcus?" John asked."He sits on your grandfather’s throne." Mr. David said.John felt a spark of anger on hearing that. He pushed the doors open, not waiting for an in

“Shhh….. Shhhh…” were the sounds of Lady Hampton's silk dresses as she walked down the hallway.Lady Hampton looked at her mother, who was still staring at her phone in total shock before she shifted her gaze to John."You are quite faster than I thought, John or should I say… his royal highness?" Lady Hampton asked mockingly."I move with reality speed, my Lady." John replied with a short smile.“Hm.” Lady Hampton mumbled.John did not move from his spot. The investors around them began to whisper. They saw the Duchess trembling."My daughter, do something!" the Duchess screamed. "He has taken everything! He has frozen our bloodline!"Lady Hampton reached the bottom of the stairs."My mother is emotional." Lady Hampton said. "But she is right about one thing. This is a bold move against an ally.""An ally does not fund the men who try to kill me." John remarked boldly."Is that what this is? Revenge for Marcus Thorne?" Lady Hampton asked as she put her hands together."This is just

“It was his checkmate, or so he thought,” Lady Hampton smiled. “The marriage contract was your idea, Mother. It was about you gaining power and legitimacy through my bloodline. I never wanted to marry him. And as long as that contract was alive, John would only ever see me as a pawn in your game.”She stopped directly in front of her mother. “But now, I am free of that obligation. He has cut what was holding me to him. We have nothing left to lose. He fought for justice for a dead driver and for the Raymond name.” She continued.“We, however, will fight for blood, for survival, and for the right to hold our heads high. Jerry Martins is still a problem for him, a distraction he’s chasing in the shadows.” Lady Hampton stated.“What are you suggesting?” The Duchess whispered.“He said he took the keys to the fleet, and he offered us the house and a monthly stipend,” Lady Hampton said, tracing the cold stone of the mantelpiece. “He thinks we'll quietly accept our pension and fade into ob

“Look at the mess you have created!” John's maternal grandmother quarreled with John, yelling at the top of her voice.John stood up, gripping the edge of his mahogany desk. “Grandmother, with all due respect, I didn’t create this mess. I inherited a crime syndicate and spent a decade cleaning it. What you are witnessing is a reaction to my attempts at reform.”“Reform is a soft word for ‘weakness,’ John,” his maternal grandmother countered, her voice dangerously smooth. “You allowed that Hampton woman to get close. You allowed Martins to think he had a future. Now she's funding a smear campaign, and he’s stolen the one document that keeps the entire structure from collapsing. You are fighting a public relations war when you should be fighting a real one.”“I am punishing those who used unjust methods to climb onto my throne,” John stated, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. “Lady Hampton’s methods are nothing but social and political blackmail—the exact same weapons my father used.