Chapter 91: Alessia and Julie Draven Mercer had faced enemy armies without allowing fear to control his decisions, but waiting for his wife and daughter was proving to be a different kind of battle.He stood near the tall windows of the palace's main reception hall, watching the courtyard below as soldiers moved between military vehicles and guarded entrances. The Cross family had controlled the palace for years, and although Draven's troops now occupied it, he had no intention of mistaking victory for safety. Alaric, Raymond, and Viktor had escaped during the assault, and none of the search teams had managed to establish their current location.That uncertainty troubled him more than he cared to admit.Marcus had been on the road for hours with Alessia and Julie, and Draven had received several updates confirming that the convoy was moving toward the palace. However, the last report had mentioned an abandoned vehicle near one of the roads leading to the compound. The discovery had

Chapter 92: The MessageNatasha Monroe stared at the message on her phone, reading it for the third time before deleting it from the screen. It was a confirmation from Gideon that he had found no evidence of Miriam contacting Alessia recently, but that did not mean the woman had nothing useful to offer. Their meeting at the café had ended badly, and Natasha had spent most of the previous evening wondering how to get around Miriam's refusal to cooperate without exposing her intentions.She had expected the woman to be difficult, but she had not expected her to be so protective of Alessia. Miriam's loyalty was a problem, yet it had also revealed something Natasha could use. She smiled faintly.That kind of loyalty could be turned into a weapon, but she would not waste time trying to convince Miriam to help her. The woman had made her position clear, and another meeting would only make her suspicious. Natasha needed to move forward with what she already knew, and she knew enough abou

Chapter 95: First Clue.Alessia read the message again the following morning, but this time, she refused to let the memories control her.The letter lay on the desk in Draven's private office. Beside it sat the photograph of the old Monroe residence, its narrow side entrance bringing back memories Alessia would have preferred to leave buried. She had barely slept the previous night, but the fear that had initially overwhelmed her had given way to something else.Anger.Someone had reached into the most painful part of her past and used it to remind her that she was still vulnerable. Whoever had sent the letter expected her to become frightened, to withdraw into herself, or perhaps to beg Draven to keep her away from the world.Alessia had spent too many years living that way.She would not return to it now.Draven stood near the desk, speaking to Marcus about the initial security findings. When he finished, Marcus placed a thin folder beside the evidence sleeve and stepped back.“The

CHAPTER 97 - Contacting Miriam Cole.Alessia had not slept well.By eight that morning, she was dressed and waiting in the palace's private study when Draven entered with Marcus. Draven glanced at her, then at the documents on the desk."You've been awake for a while.""I have something to do."He pulled out the chair beside her. "Tell me.""We need to speak with Miriam Cole."Marcus opened his notebook. "I've confirmed that she still lives in the western district. She's been working as a private housekeeper for a family there, and according to our preliminary checks, she hasn't left Crestfall in years.""Has anyone approached her?" Alessia asked."No," Marcus replied. "Not from our side."Alessia hesitated before looking at Draven. "Natasha approached her first."Draven's expression hardened slightly. "You're certain?""Not completely. But Miriam knows my stepfamily better than most people who worked in that house. If Natasha wanted information about my past, Miriam would be one of

Chapter 99: The Safebox.The name Edwin Shaw had been written on the investigation board before noon.Marcus stood in the palace study, reviewing the information his team had gathered while Draven sat behind his desk. Alessia occupied the chair beside him, studying an old photograph of the Monroe residence. She had seen the building countless times in her nightmares, but now she was looking at it differently.Even though for a while now, she had thought of the house as a place she had escaped. She had never considered that something inside it might explain why Natasha was suddenly so interested in her past."What do we know about Edwin?" Draven asked.Marcus placed a folder on the desk."He worked as Blac Monroe's personal assistant for nearly eight years. He handled correspondence, household records, and some of the financial paperwork. According to the records we could access, he left the position about three years ago.""Why did he leave?""That's the problem. There's no formal res