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Chapter 34
**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR**The music shifted to something slower, more elegant.Couples began moving toward the center of the room for the first dance.Stefan extended his hand to Tahlia, and she took it gracefully.They walked to the middle of the floor as everyone stepped back to watch.The lights dimmed slightly.A spotlight followed them.Stefan pulled Tahlia close, and they began to dance.Perfect. Practiced. Rehearsed.The crowd murmured in admiration.“They look so beautiful together.”“Such a perfect match.”“This is like a fairytale.”Declan watched from the shadows, his expression unreadable.Tahlia’s head rested against Stefan’s shoulder, her smile soft and content.Stefan whispered something in her ear, and she laughed quietly.The cameras flashed.Declan felt nothing.No pain. No jealousy. No longing.Just cold, bitter clarity.This woman had betrayed him. Destroyed him. Sold him out for money and status.And now she danced in the arms of his enemy, pretending to be in love.
Chapter 33
**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**Declan moved through the crowd like he owned the room.He greeted no one.He smiled at no one.He simply existed, and that was enough to make people uncomfortable.Whispers followed him everywhere.“Who does he think he is?”“He has some nerve showing up here.”“Stefan is going to embarrass him again. Just wait.”Declan grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and stood near the edge of the room, observing.Stefan and Tahlia were surrounded by admirers. Politicians. Business leaders. Society elites. Everyone wanted to shake Stefan’s hand, to congratulate the golden couple.The Governor stood nearby, chest puffed with pride, soaking in the attention.Declan watched it all with cold, calculating eyes.Then someone approached him.A woman in her forties, dripping in jewels, her expression curious.“You are Declan Hawthorne, correct?”He turned slightly.“I am.”She smiled, but it did not reach her eyes.“I heard you used to attend Howard. Scholarship st
Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWOThe next morning, Declan received an invitation.A physical one.Hand-delivered to the palace gates in a cream-colored envelope with gold trim.Ms. Sonia brought it to him during breakfast.“This arrived an hour ago,” she said, placing it on the table.Declan picked it up slowly, already knowing what it was.He opened it.Elegant script filled the card.**“You are cordially invited to the engagement celebration of Stefan Sinclair and Tahlia Crane. Saturday evening. Black tie. RSVP required.”**At the bottom, a handwritten note.**“We hope you can make it. It would mean so much. – Tahlia”**Declan stared at the words for a long moment.Then he laughed.Not loudly. Just a quiet, bitter laugh.Ms. Sonia watched him carefully.“Are you going?”“Of course,” Declan said, setting the card down.She blinked.“You are serious?”“Completely.”“Declan, this is a trap. They want you there so they can humiliate you publicly. Again.”He smiled faintly.“I know.”“Then why go?”He
Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY ONEMorning came too fast.Declan woke to the sound of his phone vibrating violently on the nightstand.He grabbed it, still half-asleep.Fifteen missed calls.All from Marcus Chen.He sat up immediately and dialed back.Marcus answered on the first ring.“We have a situation.”Declan’s chest tightened.“What happened?”“Stefan just announced his engagement.”Declan froze.“To who?”“Tahlia.”The words hit him like a slap.“When?”“This morning. Press conference. Live broadcast. The whole city watched.”Declan stood slowly, his jaw clenched.“Send me the video.”Seconds later, his phone lit up.He pressed play.Stefan stood on a podium, dressed in a perfect navy suit, smiling like he owned the world. Tahlia stood beside him in a white dress, her hand resting on his arm, diamonds glittering on her finger.The Governor stood behind them, beaming with pride.Stefan spoke confidently into the microphone.“Today, I am honored to announce my engagement to Tahlia Crane, the wo
Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTYDeclan didn’t waste time.Within an hour, he had Marcus Chen pull up every piece of information they had on Asher and Ashton’s current locations, routines, and vulnerabilities.The twins had no idea they were targets.They were still living their normal lives—Asher working late shifts at a tech startup downtown, Ashton finishing his graduate program across the city.Neither of them knew the storm coming their way.“We need to pull them in,” Declan said, his voice tight. “Now.”Marcus looked up from his laptop. “If we move them suddenly, the Council will know we are reacting. They will see it as confirmation that you care.”“I do care,” Declan snapped. “And I am not letting them become collateral damage.”The Grandmaster, seated across the room, spoke quietly.“If you protect them openly, you expose yourself further. The Council will use that bond against you repeatedly.”Declan turned sharply.“So what? I let them get hurt to protect my cover?”“No,” the old man said. “
Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY NiNEThe air inside the car felt heavy.Declan sat in the back seat beside Ms. Sonia as the city lights rushed past outside the tinted windows. His mind was still stuck on the phone call. The voice. The warning. The seven days.Seven days until the Council decided his fate.No matter how much training he had done, no matter how powerful he was becoming, that phone call had shaken him in a way nothing else had.They finally reached the palace.The gates opened slowly.The guards bowed as the car passed.Inside, the palace was quiet.Too quiet.The kind of quiet that made you feel like something bad was about to happen.The car stopped.Ms. Sonia turned to him.“The Grandmaster is already waiting.”Declan nodded and stepped out.They walked through long halls lit by soft golden lights. Every step echoed. Every breath felt loud.They reached the study.Ms. Sonia knocked once.“Enter.”They went in.The Grandmaster stood near the window, his hands behind his back. The city
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