And though she would not admit it aloud, a spark of curiosity began to stir within her heart. Later that night, as Selene prepared for bed, she received an anonymous call. A voice hissed through the phone: “Your husband is a danger. Leave him, or you’ll both burn.” Selene froze, her hand trembling. Before she could respond, Adrian appeared in the doorway, his gaze steady. “Who was it?” She hesitated. “No one. Just a prank.” But Adrian’s eyes narrowed. He already knew. Someone was moving against them. “Selene,” he said quietly, “whatever happens, don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you.” She scoffed, but her voice lacked conviction. “Protect me? From what?” Adrian didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped onto the balcony, his figure outlined by moonlight. In the shadows beyond the estate, unseen eyes watched—and waited. And Adrian knew the game had only just begun. The chandeliers of the Harlow mansion glimmered like icy diamonds, but no warmth touched Adrian Cole’s heart as he stood at t

Julian’s eyes gleamed with malice. “Then we’ll stage an accident. Something no one can trace back to me.”Selene returned home late one evening after a grueling day at the company. Exhaustion tugged at her shoulders. To her surprise, Adrian was waiting with dinner already prepared. The aroma of warm soup filled the room.“I thought you might not have eaten,” he said simply.Selene blinked. For the first time, her icy walls faltered. “Why would you do this?”Adrian met her gaze. “Because you’re my wife.”Her heart stuttered at the simplicity of his words. She looked away quickly, unwilling to let him see the warmth flickering in her eyes.The next morning, Adrian left the estate for errands. On the road, a black SUV suddenly swerved, trying to ram his car off a bridge. Adrian’s reflexes were sharp—too sharp for an ordinary man. He maneuvered with precision, sending the attackers spinning into the guardrail instead.As he stepped out to survey the wreckage, one of the injured men croake

Reports reached Adrian that Kael’s forces were infiltrating the city under the guise of traders and mercenaries. The Harlow estate was surrounded by unseen eyes, waiting for the right moment to strike.Adrian knew the war he had tried to avoid was coming. The question was whether the Harlows—and Selene—were ready to survive it.The city’s nobles whispered of strange movements in the night—new faces in the taverns, foreign banners glimpsed on rooftops. Selene noticed the unease in her father’s face, though he tried to hide it. Adrian, however, moved with greater vigilance, posting loyal guards and secretly training them in tactics long forgotten by the city’s elite.Selene watched him command with natural authority. Each passing day chipped away at her resistance, though Eleanor’s venomous whispers lingered in her ears.Julian grew impatient. Kael demanded results, and failure meant death. Standing in the warlord’s dimly lit chamber, Julian fell to his knees.“I have given you everythi

Amid the chaos, Adrian struck. He drove his forces like a wedge through their lines, forcing Kael’s men to clash with Julian’s. Soon, the valley was not just a battle—it was a civil war of shadows and traitors.When enemy arrows rained toward Adrian, Selene threw herself over him, shielding him with her body. The shaft tore her shoulder, but her eyes never wavered.“You carry the weight of kingdoms,” she whispered through gritted teeth. “I’ll not let them break you.”Adrian’s heart roared with fury, and with the relic blazing, he cut a path through the enemy as if driven by the fire of gods.Eleanor stood at Julian’s side, but her soul was torn. Watching Selene bleed for Adrian, she remembered the innocence of her youth—the girl she once was, before jealousy poisoned her heart.Julian barked orders, his voice venomous. But for the first time, Eleanor disobeyed. She whispered to a loyal knight, “Find Adrian. Tell him where Julian’s reserves are hidden.”The seed of betrayal had been pl

Adrian’s grip tightened on his reins. “I’ll need both.”Selene lay in the royal pavilion, tormented by sleep. In her dreams, Julian’s face appeared, twisted with malice. His voice slid into her mind like a knife:“You cannot hide from me, Selene. My shadow burns in your veins. Each day, you will belong to me more than him.”She woke with a scream, her scar blazing. Adrian, rushing in, caught her trembling form. But even as he held her, he could feel the heat of the mark scorching against his chest.Back in the capital, Lord Damaris — an ambitious noble — gathered allies in secret.“The queen is tainted. Every priest agrees. If we allow her to stand beside him, the throne will fall. The people need a new queen.”A younger lord hesitated. “Do you mean… to conspire with Kael?”Damaris’s smile was cold. “Sometimes the purest fire is struck from the darkest flint.”The march brought Adrian’s forces to the frontier town of Caelport, under siege by shadow creatures. Adrian ordered the gates