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Chapter 226 – Shadows at the Gate
The night in the hunters’ village was alive with the sound of hammers striking iron, bows being strung, and whispered chants of preparation. Fires burned in controlled pits, their smoke drifting toward the stars. For the first time in years, hope lived here,not a fragile ember, but a growing flame.Aiden Romanov stood at the heart of it all. Cloaked in black, his eyes burned with the calm of a man who had survived ruin and returned with purpose. Every command was precise. Every movement is measured. His fall had carved away arrogance, leaving something sharper,an edge no blade could match.But far beyond the village walls, another fire was being stoked,one of deceit.Zain’s Calculated BetrayalIn the Romanov mansion, Zain sat at a long table, maps spread before him, his finger tracing the borders of hunter territory. Around him, loyal generals waited, their faces grim.“My grandson believes himself clever,” Zain said softly, almost fondly. “He strikes caravans, steals wealth, and thin
Chapter 225 – The Trap and the Strike
The Romanov mansion had never felt colder to Bryden. Not because of the marble floors or the iron-boned windows, but because of the suffocating silence that came with Zain’s suspicion. Every servant’s glance lingered too long. Every guard’s step echoed like a warning.Bryden sat in the drawing room one late evening, the firelight flickering across his sharp features. He pretended to be absorbed in a book, but his mind was racing. He knew Zain was onto him. The man had ruled empires with paranoia as his compass; nothing slipped past him for long.And then it came,summons from his grandfather.Zain sat in the great chamber, a room adorned with relics of power: old banners, portraits of forefathers, and gilded trinkets stolen from fallen rivals. He looked every inch the emperor, though the lines around his eyes betrayed a man gnawed at by time and desperation.“Bryden,” he said, his voice silk over steel. “You’ve been… busy.”Bryden bowed his head. “I serve you, as always, Grandfather.”
Chapter 224 – The Storm Within
lThe Romanov mansion was too quiet. The kind of quiet that wasn’t peace but surveillance, as if every wall had grown eyes and every shadow whispered. Bryden had lived here long enough to know when he was being hunted—even if it was subtle, even if no blade had touched his throat yet.He sat at his desk, pretending to study old family records. His pen hovered above the paper, unmoving. His reflection in the polished glass of the cabinet across the room showed more than just his tired face—it revealed the faint flicker of movement at the corner of the doorway.They’re watching me.Zain was tightening his grip. Bryden could feel it in the shift of footsteps that lingered longer in the corridors, in the way guards who once ignored his comings and goings now greeted him with sharp nods and unblinking eyes. He left the mansion at night, but he never felt alone. He knew he was being shadowed, yet every time he turned, there was nothing.He clenched his fist. A mistake now could expose everyt
Chapter 223 – The Watchers’ Report
The Romanov mansion no longer felt like a home it had become a fortress under siege, ruled by suspicion. Zain sat at the head of the long mahogany table, his eyes shadowed by the dim light of the chandelier above. His posture was rigid, his fingers drumming against the polished surface as two of his trusted men stood before him. They had returned from the night’s duty—watching Bryden. “Tell me everything,” Zain’s voice cut through the silence like a sharpened blade. One of the men, a tall, scarred figure named Mikhail, bowed his head. “Sir, as instructed, we shadowed Bryden after he left the estate last night. He took the northern route, alone. No escorts, no explanation. He disappeared into the outskirts of the city for nearly two hours before returning.” Zain’s lips curled into something between a sneer and a smile. “And where exactly did he go?” The second man hesitated before answering. “We… could not follow too closely. He moved cautiously, as though aware of being watched.
Chapter 222: The Whisper of Betrayal
The Romanov mansion had never been quieter. Its walls still carried the illusion of control, but Zain Romanov knew better. He felt the empire slipping between his fingers like sand, and every shadow seemed to whisper treachery.In the center of his study, Zain sat in his high-backed chair, a decanter of blood-red wine at his side. His mind was not on the investors abandoning him or the Hunters’ village demand that threatened to strip him of seventy percent of Romanov wealth. Tonight, his thoughts lingered on one man—Bryden.The boy had been loyal for years. Too loyal, perhaps. But lately, Zain had noticed things. Subtle changes. The way Bryden excused himself at odd hours, slipping into the night without explanation. The way his eyes carried secrets he refused to share. At first, Zain ignored it, convincing himself it was paranoia. But paranoia was what had kept him alive this long, and now, the unease was too sharp to ignore.“Loyalty is only proven under watch,” Zain muttered, his
Chapter 221: The Awakening of the Heir
The hunters’ village had grown from a quiet settlement into a hub of trade, wealth, and respect. Torches burned brightly in the night as merchants counted their silver, guards patrolled the borders, and emissaries from foreign lands negotiated over rare minerals. Yet amid the prosperity, Aiden Romanov—still called Jonas by most villagers—stood in the shadows of the king’s courtyard, his eyes fixed on the horizon where the Romanov empire lay hidden in the distance.The alliance had brought them strength, yes, but Aiden’s instincts burned with unease. He had lived through betrayal, deception, and blood. He knew the way Zain’s mind worked. Submission was not in the man’s nature; treachery was.That night, as drums echoed faintly from the village square, Bryden approached him. The young man carried a scroll wrapped in red wax, his face tight with tension. “Jonas—” he corrected himself quickly, “Aiden. This arrived through the trade routes. It was meant to pass quietly, but I intercepted
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