Heaven's Last Heir

3: Demons From The Past

Alessia turned away from the prison gates after handing the fruit basket to the guard and exchanging a few words with him. When she lifted her face, a small smile appeared on her lips.

Jordan couldn't help but stare for a moment. There was something incredibly gentle about her smile. After spending six years surrounded by hardened criminals and cold prison walls, even such a simple smile seemed strangely beautiful to him.

Yet the moment was fleeting. For some reason, her smile reminded him of someone else.

Alana.

His gaze softened. It had been so long since he had last seen her. She must have grown older by now. Perhaps she had become even more beautiful than he remembered.

A faint ache settled in his chest. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Six years was a long time. He couldn't imagine how difficult those years must have been for her.

"Brother Jordan." Alessia's gentle voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Let's go."

He blinked and looked at her before giving a short nod. "Hm."

He remained quiet as she and the chauffeur helped him into the car. By then, whatever curiosity he had felt about the fruit basket had completely slipped from his mind.

A couple of minutes later, as the sedan traveled along one of the Republic of Vespera's highways, a sudden gust of wind swept through the car, lifting the silk veil from Alessia's face. For the first time, the entirety of her face was exposed.

Because Jordan happened to turn his gaze in her direction at that moment, he saw it. His eyes widened slightly.

The beauty on the right side of her face was almost otherworldly. But the left side was a horrifying contrast.

Jagged, raised flesh crawled from her temple down to her jaw, the skin twisted into uneven ridges and deep depressions.

Parts of it were darker than the surrounding skin, while other sections were unnaturally pale. The scar crossed her cheek and pulled at the corner of her mouth, leaving her beautiful features permanently distorted on one side. It was the kind of scar that made people instinctively look away.

She lifted her head and caught him watching her quietly. Only then did she realize that her scar had been exposed.

Her eyes widened and her hand immediately flew to her face, panic flashing through her gentle eyes as she hurriedly pulled the veil back down. In a split second, the scarred half was hidden away like it never existed.

Jordan frowned slightly. Before he was imprisoned, the Rhodes family's granddaughters were widely recognized as some of the top beauties in the city.

How did Alessia's face turn to this? What had happened all those years that he was locked away?

Without him asking, Alessia explained, her tone so gentle he almost didn't hear her. "Brother Jordan, I... got this scar because of an accident."

"An accident?" His brows furrowed curiously.

"Yes," she nodded faintly, her fingers tightening around the edge of her veil. "There was a fire at our house. I wasn't able to get out in time."

"A fire caused this?" His tone was calm but had a hint of skepticism.

She hesitated for a moment before nodding. He thought of the scar he had just seen. Something about her answer didn't sit right with him.

The pattern of the scarring was too extensive on one side of her face and the skin looked as though the damage had come from something far more deliberate than a passing flame.

But Alessia had already lowered her head and he could see how uncomfortable she looked, so he didn't ask her any more questions and simply nodded.

"Okay."

He closed his eyes and rested against the headrest as the sedan continued down the asphalt.

But as soon as he closed his eyes, the demons from the past came knocking again. Six years ago, before he was imprisoned, he had a thriving future in the Vesperan army.

At a young age, he had accomplished remarkable feats and achieved unparalleled military exploits. He had been just one successful war campaign away from becoming the country's Dragon General.

But at that critical moment, before the war officially began, his trusted comrade, Thomas had betrayed him.

And because he had placed his trust in the wrong person, hundreds of thousands of Vesperan soldiers lost the lives they had risked to protect their country.

Jordan's fingers tightened on his prison uniform. His expression was visibly conflicted, but his eyes remained closed.

Because of Thomas' scheme, he had ended up at Blackstone Military Penitentiary. Back then, he could have overturned all the accusations and exposed the truth.

But Thomas knew about his fiancée—and the child she was carrying. Because of them, Jordan could only confess his guilt and face the consequences.

'Because of Alana, I was willing to bear the title of the country's traitor and even serve a term in prison,' Jordan's jaw tightened slightly. 'But unexpectedly, she didn't even have time to pick me up from prison after my release.'

For the first time, he couldn't help but feel a trace of resentment toward her. He was deeply disappointed. However, the sedan suddenly came to a stop.

"Young miss," the chauffeur's voice disrupted Jordan's conflicting thoughts. "We have arrived."

His eyes flew open, expecting to see the Rhodes family home looking as magnificent as he used to remember. But instead, his eyes narrowed at what stood before him.

[Black Diamond Intercontinental Hotel]