Before Sylvia could say another word, a weak voice suddenly came from the bed.“Sylvia.”She froze.Her eyes widened as she turned toward her grandfather.“Grandfather?”The old man's lips moved again.“Sylvia.”She rushed to his bedside.“Grandfather, I'm here.”He looked at her for a few seconds before swallowing.“I need a glass of water.”Sylvia's eyes immediately filled with tears.“Water. Quickly!”One of the soldiers rushed out.Within moments, a glass of water was brought into the room.Sylvia took it and carefully helped her grandfather sit up.“Slowly, Grandfather.”Petra Gomo took the glass with trembling fingers.He drank.The entire room watched in silence as he finished the water.Then he took a deep breath.It was such a simple thing, yet to the Gomo family, it felt like a miracle.For months, he had barely been able to move.Now he was sitting up and drinking water by himself.Derek, however, wasn't watching.He had already begun packing his things.He carefully remove

After Derek departed the room, an oppressive silence settled over the Gomo residence. Sylvia stood motionless beside her grandfather’s bedside, her knuckles white as she gripped the edge of the mahogany frame. She turned to look at Petra, her eyes burning with indignation.“Grandfather, please tell me that betrothal agreement was a bad joke,” she stated flatly.Petra leaned back against his pillows, his face pale but his gaze steady. “It was never a joke, Sylvia.”Sylvia let out a harsh, disbelieving laugh. “You actually expect me to marry that man? That arrogant, common healer?” Her voice rose, hitting the vaulted ceiling of the room. “I would rather marry General Damien Cross. At least he understands the cost of power.”Petra’s brow furrowed at the mention of the name. “General Cross?”“Yes,” she retorted, crossing her arms tightly over her uniform. “He has petitioned for my hand half a dozen times. The only reason I kept him at bay was because you insisted this pathetic arrangement

“Bastard!” Cecilia screamed the moment Megan turned her back. Her face burned with a heat so intense it felt like a physical blow. She had spent years meticulously curating an image—the reigning queen, the girl everyone envied, the woman whose approval was a currency in itself. Yet, Megan had stood there and dismissed her as if she were nothing more than a stain on the floor. Cecilia’s fists were clenched so tight her fingernails dug into her palms. “Who does she think she is?” she spat, her voice trembling with fury. Her inner circle of sycophants scrambled toward her, whispering frantic reassurances, but Cecilia was beyond listening. She pivoted sharply and marched toward the main podium. The venue was packed—wealthy donors, high-profile sponsors, and influential families were all present—and the ambient hum of conversation was quickly replaced by a wave of attention as the reigning beauty queen took the stage.Cecilia snatched the microphone from the stand. “Hello, everyone!” sh

The moment Venny finished speaking, another voice came from the crowd.“If she takes off that mask, I will give her five hundred thousand dollars!”Everyone turned.It was the chairman of the Westbrook family.He stood up and looked at Megan.“Five hundred thousand dollars in cash,” he declared. “If she removes that mask and proves that she is as beautiful as people claim she once was, I will give it to her.”The hall became noisy.Another man stood.“I'll do better than that.”It was the head of the Harrison family.“If she takes off the mask, I'll give her one of my properties in the city. It's worth over seven hundred thousand dollars.”More people started talking.A woman from the Sterling family rose from her seat.“If she removes that mask, I'll give her a mansion. A fully furnished one.”Another wealthy man raised his hand.“I'll give her one million dollars!”The hall erupted.More families began joining in.They weren't doing it because they cared about Megan. They wanted Cec

Cecilia’s hand shook as she pressed the call button. The room was deathly quiet, every person in the hall leaning in to hear the outcome of the gamble. She switched the phone to speaker, her chin lifted in a defiant posture.“Marcus, I have some interesting news you should hear,” Cecilia announced, her voice filled with a desperate kind of pride.The line crackled. There was a moment of silence, followed by the sound of muffled voices and the sharp, clinical beep of hospital monitors.“Mr. Patel is not available,” a cold, professional voice stated from the other end. “But I am listening. State your business.”Cecilia blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected tone. “You won’t believe this,” she recovered quickly, smoothing her dress. “Megan has been faking her injuries. She’s been pretending that you wounded her to ruin your reputation. She’s been deceiving everyone for years.”A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd. Cecilia knew she was playing a dangerous game. She had seen t