Chapter 100 Lara met his gaze. For a moment, the hum of the helicopter felt louder. “I understand,” she repeated gently, “that when someone matters to you… you make space for them p> Her tone wasn’t bitter. It wasn’t sarcastic. If anything, it was too calm. Ares’ eyes darkened slightly.

Chapter 99 Layla slammed her bedroom door so hard the entire wall trembled. The framed portrait above her vanity tilted sideways, her smiling face in the photo now crooked—just like the expression twisting her features. She hurled herself onto the unmade bed. The silk quilt bunched beneath her, pillows scattering

Chapter 98 The Norse dining room carried the comforting hum of a home that was never truly quiet. Morning light spilled across the long mahogany table—custom-built and large enough to seat ten—its polished surface reflecting the soft clink of silverware and the gentle rustle of napkins. Today, nine chairs were

Chapter 97 The low purr of a Bentley engine disturbed the quiet of the Norse driveway. Ares stepped out, tailored charcoal shirt crisp against the morning light. Even at rest, he carried the air of a man who moved markets and commanded rooms without raising his voice. He wasn’t here

Chapter 96 For a moment, there was only the faint sound of wind brushing the leaves of the trees in the nearby orchard. Logan became acutely aware of the ache in his own shoulders. The slight blister at the base of his palm. The memory of his thrust wavering earlier.

Chapter 95 Morning arrived quietly at the Norse mansion. Sunlight slipped through the narrow gaps of the ivory curtains, spilling across the polished floor in pale gold ribbons. Dust motes floated lazily in the beam, suspended in silence. On the bed, Lara’s lashes trembled before her eyes slowly opened. For

Chapter 94 “Uncle grandpa p> She did not finish. Major Trillo firmly took the phone from her hand. “General Norse,” he said evenly, projecting his voice so the entire ballroom could hear, “this is Major Anton Trillo of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines. We currently have Azure Resort secured p>

Chapter 93 The party unfolded like a perfectly timed performance. The highlight came when the most sought-after magicians in the capital took center stage. Applause rippled across the ballroom as silk scarves became doves, coins disappeared behind tiny ears, and a white rabbit was transformed—shockingly—into the White Rabbit candies that

Chapter 92 Three hundred armed defectors. Military men. Not rebels from the streets. Not nameless extremists. But men trained under the same flag the Norse family had bled for. That must have been the cruelest cut of all. To dedicate generations to protecting a nation… only to have that nation’s

Chapter 91 Lara woke with a sharp inhale. Her sheets were twisted around her legs. Her pulse thudded violently against her ribs. For a second, she didn’t know where she was. It wasn’t the usual scenes she dreamt about. No throne rooms. No crowns. No blood-soaked battlefields. This time, the