The mountain air was still. The small wooden house at the foot of Mount Olympus looked the same as it had three years ago. But the woman standing at the door was not the same."The engagement is off."Nina Watson stood with her arms crossed, her eyes cold as winter glass. Not a flicker of warmth. Not a trace of the girl who had once cried into Darius's shoulder when the pain from her illness became too much.Darius blinked twice. He set down the cup of herbal tea he had been preparing and looked at her face, searching for something familiar."Nina, I haven't seen you in three years. And this is the first thing you say to me?"His voice was calm but his chest tightened with something he could not name.Nina pressed her lips together and looked at the ground. Before she could speak, a sharp voice cut through the air like a rusted knife."What else is there to say? The engagement is done. Finished. Over." Chloe Watson stepped in front of her daughter, planting herself between them like a

Chloe let out a sharp laugh and swatted Nina's arm."Darius? In Harvey Whitfield's car? Have you lost your mind completely?" She looked at Nina like the girl had just said the sky was green. "That worthless cockroach probably cannot even afford a bus ticket, and you think he is sitting in a billionaire's limousine? Nina, I swear, if you say something that stupid again, I will slap the nonsense right out of your mouth."Nina pressed her lips together and looked at the ground. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe the sunlight played tricks on my eyes."Now come on. We have wasted enough daylight on this cursed mountain." Chloe grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the main road without looking back.On the other side of the city, Harvey's car pulled up to the Asgard Hotel's private entrance. Harvey had his phone pressed to his ear, barking orders."Cancel everything. The banquet, the decorations, the chefs, the guest list. All of it. Right now.""But sir, the invitations have already been sent to

"Mira, come here for a second." Joseph reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the amulets. "Your brother brought gifts. Take one. Keep it with you."He held it out to her. Mira looked at the amulet the way someone looks at a dead bug on the kitchen counter.She picked it up with two fingers, holding it away from her body like it might be contaminated."What is this supposed to be?" She turned it over once, then dropped it back on the table with a clatter. "Dad, this is the tackiest thing I have ever seen in my life. Who gives stuff like this as a gift? It looks like something you fish out of a gumball machine at a gas station. It is ugly and it is worthless. Throw it away."Joseph's face went dark red. "Mira! Watch your mouth! Your brother brought that all the way from the mountain for you and this is how you treat it?""He is NOT my brother!" Mira stamped her foot, her perfectly curled hair bouncing with the force. "And I would not wear that thing if you paid me. My friends wo

Darius did not flinch. He did not blink. He looked Lisa directly in the eyes and then, without a word, pulled out his phone.He scrolled to a contact labeled Servant No. 1 and pressed the call button.Mira, who had been watching from the doorway with her arms crossed, caught a glimpse of the screen. Her eyes went wide and then narrow with contempt. She let out a laugh so sharp it could have cut glass."Servant No. 1? SERVANT No. 1?" She walked closer, pointing at his phone like it was the funniest thing she had ever seen in her life. "You actually have Harvey Whitfield saved as Servant No. 1 in your phone? Are you insane? Who in this entire world is qualified to call Harvey Whitfield a servant? Not the mayor. Not the governor. Not even the President of the United States himself could call that man a servant!"She turned to Lisa, shaking her head with exaggerated disbelief. "Mom, he is not just delusional. He is dangerous. He is going to get us all killed."Lisa nodded rapidly, her fac

She shoved the phone screen toward Joseph's face. Joseph squinted at the headline, and the color drained from his cheeks all over again. He read it once. Then twice. Then he closed his eyes and let out a long, defeated sigh.Of course. Of course it is not Darius. A Five Star General. That makes sense. Darius being the guest of honor at Harvey Whitfield's banquet? That never made sense.Lisa's reaction was not as quiet.The awkward smile vanished from her face like it had been slapped off. Her eyes went narrow. Her jaw locked. Her nostrils flared wide enough to park a bicycle in. The brief moment of doubt and respect she had been feeling toward Darius was now burning away, replaced by rage so intense it could have melted steel.I almost apologized. I ALMOST apologized to this worthless, lying, scheming cockroach. I almost got down from my position and showed weakness to a boy who has NOTHING. I almost let this garbage make me look like a fool in my own house.She stood up so fast th