Dianna’s hands balled into fists at her sides. “Father, Father, Father!” she snapped, her voice breaking under the weight of years of obedience. “Every choice in my life has been made for him. Who I see, who I speak to, who I marry. Do you think I don’t know how this family works? Do you think I don’t know what he wants me to be? But I’m not his pawn anymore, Jedro. I won’t be!” Jedro’s eyes narrowed. “And so you’d rather be Jackson Milton’s pawn?” “That’s not fair!” she shot back, tears threatening to spill. “Jackson isn’t perfect, but he never treated me like some bargaining chip. He sees me, Jedro. He sees Dianna—not the Guler heiress, not a pawn, not some trophy to parade around.” Jedro leaned forward in his chair, his gaze piercing through her defenses. “What you call ‘love,’ sister, is weakness. And weakness is fatal in this world. Father raised us to rule, not to surrender ourselves to passions that blind us, and Jackson, he is after power and wouldn't mind steppi

The countryside air was meant to be calm, but Jedro’s estate was anything but. The grand manor, surrounded by swaying pines and fields that stretched endlessly, seemed to hold its breath. Inside, the silence was thick, oppressive, like the calm before a storm that promised to shake foundations. Jedro Guler sat in his study, the heavy curtains drawn halfway, allowing just a sharp blade of sunlight to cut across the mahogany desk. His jaw was carved in stone, his posture an emblem of power restrained, and yet ready to strike. His fingers drummed against the polished surface in a rhythm that betrayed his restlessness. Across from him was his sister, Dianna. Her fingers twisted nervously around each other, her lips pressed tight as though keeping secrets from spilling. Her eyes lingered on her brother—his straight posture, the sharp intensity of his gaze as if she knew he was already ten steps ahead of everyone else. The buzz of Jedro’s encrypted line shattered the sil

Her breath caught. It made sense, didn’t it? Jedro hated him, always had. “But…” she whispered, searching his face. “If you’re being framed, then who—” Jackson cut her off gently, placing a finger against her lips. “Shh. Don’t torture yourself with their games, princess. What matters is us. We survived their lies, their politics, their wars… because we have something they’ll never understand.” Her heart melted at his words. She closed her eyes, leaning into his hand. “I love you, Jackson,” she confessed, her voice cracking. He pulled her into his chest, his arms wrapping around her tightly. His smirk, unseen, curved like a blade. “And I, you. Always princess, always!” But then, not all hearts in the Guler estate were so easily swayed. Jedro stood in the shadows of the hallway, his arms crossed as he listened. His investigator’s report still fresh in his pocket, his fury deepening with every sweet lie Jackson whispered into his sister’s ears. He didn’t burst in, not

The man led him away from the park and into a modest building on the quieter side of the city. The paint was peeling, the windows cracked, but inside, warm light glowed. The laughter of children echoed faintly through the hallways. An older woman rushed forward the moment they entered. “Mr. Smith—another one?” “Yes,” the man known to be Elias Smith, answered firmly. “Prepare a bed. He stays.” The older woman immediately called on one of the men there and said; “Matron asks to prepare a bed, do that now!” Steven blinked up at him. Smith… was the man’s name? But when he heard someone say, Matron. He decided to call him that too. As he was very smart and too bright for his age, he was just four. That night, for the first time in days, Steven ate a proper meal, rice and soup. His small stomach hurt from fullness, but he smiled weakly through the pain. Later, as the other children slept, Elias came to check on him. Steven was lying so calmly under a clean bl

Steven’s eyes welled up with tears, he ran towards him and hugged him tightly, something he had always wanted to do. But Elias had trained him to be strong enough to withstand anything and be a man. That such things were like weaknesses and could be used against him someday. But at that moment, Steven didn't care, he loved him and he was his mentor. Elias on the other hand only patted him He turned to Elias, desperate. “I’ll come back to visit. I promise.” Elias gave a small nod, though his chest tightened painfully. His face remained composed, but behind his stern mask, sorrow twisted deep. The Miltons wasted no time. Helen and Sarah wrapped Steven in their arms, their smiles wide and triumphant. Harry gave a curt nod, satisfied. Jackson’s smirk deepened, his eyes gleaming with something dangerous—a silent challenge, a predator’s anticipation. The black car awaited outside, gleaming in the sunlight. The Miltons swept Steven toward it, their voices filled with rehearsed wa