Heaven's Last Heir

4: Country's Traitor

Black Diamond Intercontinental Hotel was the only five-star hotel in the entire Republic of Vespera, a symbol of unmatched luxury and prestige. Reserved for the country's wealthiest elites and most influential figures, it stood as one of the city's most exclusive landmarks.

Jordan couldn't understand why Alessia had brought him here instead of taking him to the Rhodes family home. He was just about to ask when something caught his attention.

A woman stood several meters away. Jordan froze. It had been six years since he had last seen her, yet he recognized her instantly.

The young woman he remembered had changed. The girl he had once loved had grown into an elegant and breathtaking woman.

Her long, dark hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, framing a delicate oval face. Her brows were slender and graceful, while her familiar eyes remained as beautiful as he remembered. Her lips carried the same gentle curve that had once brought countless smiles to his face.

She wore an elegant dress that accentuated her slender figure without being overly revealing. Every movement was graceful, carrying the quiet sophistication of a woman who had matured over the years. Yet beneath that unfamiliar maturity, Jordan could still see the girl he remembered.

The girl who had promised to wait for him. The woman whose letters had kept him alive through six years of darkness. His heart tightened.

"Alana..."

She stood there, unaware of his presence, while the rest of the Rhodes family waited nearby.

Understanding suddenly dawned on Jordan. So this was why she hadn't come to the prison herself. She had been preparing to welcome him here.

The faint resentment he had felt toward her for not being at the prison disappeared instantly. How could he blame her? Perhaps she had wanted to surprise him.

With the help of Alessia and the chauffeur, Jordan got out of the car and began moving toward her.

His heart beat faster with every turn of the wheelchair. This was the woman who had kept him going through the darkest years of his life. The woman he had dreamed of seeing every night. And now, after six years, he was finally going to see her again.

"Alana..." His voice trembled slightly. "I'm back."

Alana suddenly turned her head. Her gaze landed on him. For a brief moment, she simply stared.

Jordan's lips curved into a faint, tender smile as he watched her scrutinize his appearance. He had imagined this moment countless times while sitting alone in his cell.

He had imagined her crying. He had imagined her rushing toward him. Perhaps she would throw her arms around him and tell him how much she had missed him or tell him of how she had waited every day for his return.

But nothing could have prepared him for what happened next. Alana's eyes widened. The color drained slightly from her face.

"Jordan..." Her voice carried no warmth or joy, just shock. "How come it's you?"

The wheelchair stopped. Jordan's smile slowly disappeared. His heart sank. Even hearing his own name from her lips felt strangely unfamiliar.

"You... How did you come here?" The rest of the Rhodes family looked equally stunned. Some even looked frightened.

Jordan stared at them in confusion. Didn't they know he was being released today? Hadn't they gathered here to welcome him?

But Alana's reaction confused him most of all. Why was she looking at him as though she had never expected to see him?

Despite the turmoil inside him, Jordan remained composed. "And why shouldn't I be here?"

"Because my family is entertaining a very important guest today." Alana's voice had become colder. "You shouldn't be here."

A slight tremor ran through Jordan's body. He stared at the woman he had once loved—the woman he had spent six years longing to see—yet she suddenly felt like a complete stranger.

"What do you mean?"

Alana's gaze swept over his faded prison clothes before settling on his wheelchair.

"You have just been released from prison." There was a faint trace of disgust in her eyes. "To put it simply, you're an ex-convict."

Her expression hardened. "Your presence here could damage my family's reputation in front of our distinguished guests."

She paused, then delivered the final blow. "In short, you shouldn't be here."

What?!

Jordan's fingers trembled. For the first time since leaving Blackstone, the calmness in his eyes cracked. He looked up at the woman standing before him.

The woman he had sacrificed six years of his life for. The woman whose letters he had treasured as his lifeline. And she was looking at him as though he were nothing more than a stain on her family's reputation.

Because of her, he had accepted the title of the country's traitor. Because of her, he had spent six years behind Blackstone's walls.

He had endured humiliation, loneliness, pain and despair because he believed he was protecting the woman he loved and the child she carried. Yet now, she was ashamed of him.

Back when Thomas betrayed him, Jordan had felt as though his entire world had collapsed. But this pain was different. This time, the person standing before him was the very reason he had survived that darkness.

His fingers slowly clenched. A bitter laugh almost escaped his lips.

'You fool!'

THUMP!

Grandmother Rhodes, the current matriarch of the family, slammed her walking cane against the floor.

The elderly woman wore an elegant, richly embroidered outfit, with expensive jewelry adorning her neck and hands. Her silver hair was swept neatly into a sophisticated bun, revealing a stern, weathered face.

Her sharp eyes immediately fell on Alessia. She raised her cane and pointed it toward her.

"Did you bring him here?"