RYAN.I stood by the hospital window, my hands resting lightly against the glass as the doctors worked around Jasmine.They placed a small drip beside her, adjusting tubes, checking her vitals with quiet movements.The room was bright, sterile, calm but to me it felt like sacred ground.I hadn’t seen her in over a month.More than thirty days of fear, helplessness, rage, and sleepless nights.And now she was here, right in front of me, alive, close enough for me to touch if I stepped inside.Happiness hit me so hard it almost felt unreal.Like this moment wasn’t supposed to exist after everything that happened. Like it was a dream I had been replaying every night, finally forming into reality.I didn’t blink.I didn’t move.I just watched her chest rise and fall gently under the blanket, watched the faint movement of her fingers. I felt my entire world settle back into place in that small hospital bed.Behind me, soft footsteps approached.Seraphine stopped beside me. I didn’t look a

DANTE The entire street stayed quiet as my car rolled through.This neighborhood is so quiet.Elizabeth knew how to disappear better than anyone.I needed to learn that—how she moved, how she hid, how she stayed untouchable. If I was going to rise, I needed her methods, her mind, her precision.My focus had to be on security now. No more distractions.No more stepping into the open.Not when those traitors needed to be burned to the ground.If I wanted revenge, if I wanted power, then I needed to stand beside Elizabeth. Understand her.Match her. And eventually, surpass her.These people ,Ryan and the rest deserve to crumble for what they did to my father.They ruined everything, and now every one of them will suffer before they fall.Ryan especially.He thinks he’s strong. He’s nothing but a fool with a target on his back.I’ll take everything he loves before I end him. And after that, the Cassian throne will be mine.This is what I’ve always wanted.What I was promised. What my f

DANTEMy uncle had really built something remarkable.From the moment we crested the hill, the mansion spread out before us like a fortress of wealth and power.Every line of the architecture, every glint of light on the windows, spoke of careful planning, of resources spent without hesitation.I could see it all, the manicured lawns, the towering walls, the elegant gates.The guards caught my attention immediately.There were so many of them, each positioned deliberately, watching, alert, ready.Some stood at the corners of the property, others near the entrances, moving with silent precision.The level of security told a story in itself this was no ordinary home; it was a stronghold, a statement.I remembered my father’s words as we drove closer: he said my uncle was the right person, the one we could trust, and that Elizabeth and I would need to work closely with him.I felt the weight of that responsibility settle over me, the importance of the alliances we were about to forge.Th

RYANJasmine sat at the small table, eating slowly but eating well.The nurse stayed beside her, guiding her gently, making sure she didn’t rush. Watching her lift the spoon on her own, watching her chew without struggle, it almost felt unreal.After everything, seeing her get stronger like this was the only peace I had left.I stood there quietly, taking it in, letting the moment calm parts of me that had been shaking for days.Mary was beside me, now fully suited up in her security gear.Bulletproof vest strapped tight.Utility belt secured.Her AK-47 slung across her chest like she was preparing for a war she didn’t intend to lose.Seeing her like that hit me in a strange way grateful, but also worried.She was risking everything for me. For Jasmine.For the truths we were now carrying together.I didn’t want her life to turn into this. But I trusted her.Completely. I believed in the vow she made, and in the strength she had always shown silently.In my mind, I thanked her again

RYAN.I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my shirt collar until it sat perfectly.For the first time in weeks, my mind felt clear. Jasmine was safe far from everything happening here, far from the chaos and the threats.With her out of sight, I could finally breathe again.And now, with that weight lifted, I could focus on one thing only: taking back control and crushing anyone who thought they could break me.I stepped out of my room. Mary was already waiting outside, sharp-eyed and alert as always.A line of Cassian security officers filled the hallway, each one standing stiff and focused. The atmosphere felt heavy, charged, like everyone already knew a war was brewing.Julian appeared from one of the corridors, walking fast, his expression excited in that way he gets when he’s thinking about power and possibilities.“Ryan,” he said, falling into step beside me, “you don’t understand how much the Cassians can fight and conquer. The strength you have behind you now… it’s bigge