CHAPTER 112 – THE CASTLEThe car moved like it had a mind of its own, gliding silently across the darkened roads. Kelvin sat stiff, hands gripping the edge of the seat, pulse hammering. He stared out the tinted windows, trying to process what had just happened. His mind was a whirlwind—Mia, Diana, Logan, the threats… the sheer impossibility of it all.The forested roads gave way to a wide open driveway, lined with tall, iron gates that gleamed under the moonlight. The car slowed, turning through the arching entrance. Kelvin’s stomach twisted into knots. Ahead, a mansion—no, a fortress—loomed. Stone walls, turrets reaching like sharp claws at the night sky, banners fluttering gently in the breeze. The gates opened as if expecting them, revealing the courtyard beyond.All around, guards stood at precise intervals, armor glinting under lantern light. Their eyes didn’t flicker; they didn’t breathe like humans. They were statues with weapons, ready for war. Kelvin’s throat went dry.The ca

CHAPTER 114 – ANGER AND FAITHKelvin stormed to the back of the orphanage, fists tight at his sides, chest heaving with a fire he didn’t know how to release. His small boots pounded against the cracked concrete floor, echoing down the long, narrow hallways like warning drums. The walls seemed to close in on him, mocking him with every step. He had been patient, hopeful even—but hope had betrayed him. Hope had walked out of the door holding someone else’s hand, leaving him behind, again.He shoved open the wooden door at the rear of the orphanage and let himself collapse into a heap. Tears blurred the edges of his vision, hot and humiliating. The bitter taste of failure filled his mouth. He had wanted, needed, to be chosen so badly that he had rehearsed every smile, every polite bow, every word. And still… nothing.“Why?!” he whispered, voice cracking under the weight of frustration. “Why me… never me?”The room was quiet except for the low hum of the heating pipes and the distant foot

CHAPTER 116 — THE TEA, THE TRUTH, AND THE MOTHER HE NEVER KNEWKelvin inhaled deeply, then stood. His feet touched the floor and the soft carpet cushioned his steps as he walked out of the room. The house was too quiet, too elegant, too… big. Every sound he made echoed lightly, as if the house itself was listening.He followed the familiar hallway—dark polished wood, gold-framed paintings, a chandelier that didn’t just hang but floated like it knew it was expensive. The closer he got to the sitting room, the more his heartbeat picked up.He stepped into the sitting room.There he was.Logan Black.Logan sat at the small round tea table beside the window, a porcelain cup in his hand, steam curling from it in lazy spirals.“Kelvin,” Logan said without looking up immediately. His voice was deep, level, almost calm in a way that felt dangerous. “Come. Sit.”Kelvin obeyed quietly, pulling out the chair across from him. His palms itched. His throat felt tight for no reason he could articula

CHAPTER 118 – LEFT AT THE WRONG DOOR Mia didn’t move. She just stood by the car, hugging her doll like it was the only thing keeping her safe. The house loomed ahead—big, brown, too clean, too loud in its silence. The iron gate creaked as they walked up the walkway. Every step made her stomach twist.“Mommy, I really don’t want to go,” she whispered, her voice trembling.Diana bent down, putting a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Mia, stop. You’re fine. Trust me. I’ll be back, okay?”Mia shook her head, hugging herself tighter. “I remember last time… she yelled at me for stepping on her stupid lawn. I don’t want her to yell at me again!”Diana let out a sigh, impatient but soft enough to keep calm. “Listen, I already told her everything about you. You’re gonna be okay. Just… behave, alright?”Mia looked unconvinced. Her tiny fingers dug into the fabric of her dress, knuckles white. “I don’t know if I can.”Diana straightened and nudged her toward the front door. “You can. Just go in

CHAPTER 120 – THE MAN AT THE DOOR The door didn’t just open—it flew inward like someone pulled it in a panic.And Mia froze.Her fingers tightened on the couch cushion. Her lungs forgot what air was. For a tiny second, the world tilted—“Daddy?”Kelvin stood in the doorway.But not the Kelvin from last week.Not the tired, drained man who always looked like he was running on his last ounce of hope.This Kelvin looked… put together.Hair trimmed. Face shaved. Shirt crisp and tucked. Jacket clean. Shoes polished. Behind him, a long black car purred quietly at the curb, and two men in dark suits stood beside it, hands folded, eyes scanning like trained guards.He looked like a man trying hard to hold himself upright.Trying hard not to fall apart.Then his eyes landed on Mia.And everything in him cracked.One second, he was composed.The next, his face broke open with shock, fear, and something deeper—like a father seeing a nightmare standing on two legs.“Mia.” His voice cracked so s