Alaric Royale was known for many things, his ruthless business acumen, his unyielding drive, and his penchant for revenge. But lately, those who watched him closely were left scratching their heads. The man who once decimated his enemies without hesitation now seemed... distracted. His focus had shifted entirely, and his sole target was not an enemy but the woman he had once wronged, the mother of his triplets, Elona.Instead of seeking retribution against Maribel, the Queen Consort, or even Harley, Alaric had made a startling decision: revenge could wait. Time to mend what was broken with Elona could not.In the Royale Mansion’s grand study, his assistant Jimmy stood awkwardly, unsure of how to approach his boss. Alaric sat behind his desk, scrolling through an online store, a frown of concentration on his face.“Uh, sir?” Jimmy began cautiously. “Yes?” Alaric didn’t look up, still analyzing his options. “Is that... a guide on romantic gifts?”Alaric finally glanced up, his expressi
The playroom in Elona’s temporary residence was buzzing with activity. The triplets, Arlyle, Artie, and Allie, had gathered around their miniature table, their expressions unusually serious. The normally scattered toys were shoved into a corner, and a stack of papers, crayons, and their mother’s old laptop sat in the center of their "conference room."Artie, the self-proclaimed chairman of the meeting, cleared his throat dramatically and adjusted his toy spectacles. “Ladies and gentleman,” he began, addressing his siblings with the gravitas of a seasoned diplomat, “we are gathered here today to solve a problem of epic proportions.”Arlyle leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands. “Mom deserves the best. But let’s face it: Dad is a total rookie when it comes to love.”Allie, clutching her favorite stuffed rabbit, nodded solemnly. “He’s super smart in business but super dumb when it comes to feelings.”Artie rapped his tiny knuckles on the table. “Exactly. And we, the Terrific Trio
The next morning, Alaric woke up to the sound of tiny, authoritative voices coming from the living room. He padded out in his pajamas to find his three children huddled over a whiteboard, which had been dragged into the center of the room. Colorful markers littered the floor as the triplets debated fervently.“No, no, no!” Artie said, tapping his marker against the board. “Romance lessons have to come before emotional intelligence. He needs to know how to give compliments first!”Allie, sitting cross-legged on the floor, shook her head. “But what’s the point of saying something nice if he doesn’t mean it? Emotional intelligence first!”Arlyle sighed dramatically, his arms crossed. “We’ll do both at the same time. That way, he doesn’t mess up either.” Alaric cleared his throat, causing three pairs of wide, innocent eyes to snap toward him.“Good morning, Dad,” Arlyle greeted, his tone eerily professional for a five-year-old. “Morning,” Alaric replied, eyeing the board suspiciously. “Wh
The next morning, Alaric woke up to the sound of clinking teacups. He followed the noise to the dining room, where the triplets had set up what looked like a miniature tea house. The table was draped in a silk cloth, and a tray of elegant teacups and a steaming pot of tea sat in the center.Artie, dressed in a tiny kimono, bowed slightly as Alaric entered. “Welcome, Father. Today’s lesson is about the art of tea ceremonies and thoughtful gestures.”“What does tea have to do with winning your mother over?” Alaric asked, though he couldn’t suppress a smile at the sight of his children’s seriousness.“Everything!” Allie said, pouring tea into a small cup with exaggerated precision. “A tea ceremony is about showing care, attention to detail, and respect. If you can do that, you’ll learn to think about Mommy’s feelings.” Arlyle nodded sagely. “Plus, Mommy loves tea. If you can master this, you’re one step closer to her heart.”Lesson One: The Perfect PourArtie demonstrated how to pour tea
The triplets wasted no time turning their grand plan into action. By morning, they had commandeered an entire team of Alaric’s household staff, issuing orders with the authority of seasoned CEOs.“Sprinklers need to be timed perfectly!” Arlyle directed, pointing to the garden pavilion. “If the water pressure is uneven, it’ll ruin the effect. We want a gentle drizzle, not a storm.”“Don’t forget the lavender candles!” Allie chimed in, overseeing a delivery of supplies. “Place them around the pavilion, but not too close to the sprinklers. We don’t want them to go out when the ‘rain’ starts.”Artie, clipboard in hand, inspected the seating arrangement. “Dad, you need to make sure the tea is brewed just right. Mommy doesn’t like it too strong or too weak.”Alaric stood in the middle of the chaos, equal parts amused and overwhelmed. “You’re treating this like a corporate project,” he said, shaking his head.“It is a project,” Allie replied matter-of-factly. “Your graduation project. If you
Morning in the Royale mansion was anything but quiet. The triplets had woken Alaric at dawn, bouncing on his bed like tiny generals ready for war.“Today’s lesson starts now, Daddy!” Arlyle declared, planting his hands on his hips. Alaric groaned, pulling a pillow over his face. “Can’t we start at a more reasonable hour? Like noon?”“No!” Allie said, yanking the pillow away. “You’re on a tight schedule if you want Mommy to even look at you with anything other than disappointment.”Artie waved a notebook in front of Alaric’s face. “We’ve outlined a full day’s curriculum. You’re going to learn everything there is to know about winning Mommy back.”Alaric sat up, rubbing his temples. “Alright, alright. What’s on the agenda?” Arlyle opened the notebook to the first page, where the words “Lesson One: Thoughtful Communication” were written in bold letters.Lesson One: Thoughtful CommunicationThe triplets led Alaric to the breakfast table, where a phone sat waiting for him. “First,” Arlyle
The following morning, Alaric woke to the sight of three small figures standing at the foot of his bed, their arms crossed in unison.“Daddy, it’s time to get up,” Arlyle said sternly, tapping his watch. “We have a full day planned,” Allie added, holding up the same notebook from the day before.Artie opened a tablet, showing a neatly designed timetable. “Here’s today’s schedule. Lesson One: Emotional Intelligence. Lesson Two: Romantic Gestures. Lesson Three: Quality Time.” Alaric sat up, groaning. “Do you three ever sleep? Or do you just plan my life 24/7?”“We sleep,” Arlyle said matter-of-factly. “But we dream about Mommy and Daddy being happy together, so technically, we’re always working.”“First,” Artie began as they all sat in the living room, “you need to learn how to read Mommy’s emotions. She’s very good at hiding how she feels, but there are always clues.”“Like what?” Alaric asked, leaning forward. Allie jumped in. “When Mommy’s upset but doesn’t want to say it, she’ll cle
Alaric sat at the dining table, the morning sun streaming through the windows. The triplets had declared it another day of "Daddy Training," and he was bracing himself for whatever new lessons they had devised.“Daddy, today’s theme is patience,” Allie announced, flipping open their now-iconic notebook. “Patience?” Alaric repeated. “I think I’ve been patient enough.”Arlyle shook his head. “You think patience is just about waiting, but it’s more than that. It’s about understanding, listening, and not rushing Mommy into anything.”Artie tapped the table with his tiny finger. “You can’t bulldoze your way into Mommy’s heart. You have to show her that you respect her pace and decisions.” Alaric sighed. “Fine. What’s the plan for today?”Lesson One: Listening Without InterruptingThe triplets set up a role-play exercise in the living room. “I’ll be Mommy,” Allie declared, sitting primly on the couch. “Okay,” Alaric said, sitting across from her.Allie began, her tone serious. “I had a real
The cold evening air bit at Alaric’s skin as he pulled up to the gates of his villa. His mind was still reeling from his conversation with Senior Royale. The curse. The imposter. His mistakes.He had wasted over a year. A year living under the same roof as a fraud while his real wife was out there, alone. No. In the hands of another man. She didn't have her memories and that made her vulnerable. His grip on the steering wheel tightened. Never again. He will set things right. This was his vow to himself. As his car rolled to a stop, his sharp eyes caught sight of two figures standing near the gate. Edward Callahan. Tania. A frown settled on his face. What were they doing here? Hadn’t they just returned from abroad?Alaric stepped out of his car, his powerful frame cutting through the dim light of the villa’s entrance. The moment Edward spotted him, the man’s piercing blue eyes locked onto his like a predator finally finding its prey.Tania, on the other hand, looked livid, arms cross
Alaric sat in his dimly lit study, the ticking of the antique clock grating on his already frayed nerves. His fingers drummed against the polished wood of his desk, his mind replaying a detail that had been gnawing at him for days.Elona was five months pregnant when she arrived in Country M with Kian. That was nine months ago. He clenched his jaw. With the right calculations, she must have given birth. So, where was the baby? Or… babies, since Elona had a history of giving birth to multiples? Since he now knew the truth, it was obvious that he was the father. A shiver ran down his spine when the possibility of Kian claiming them as his flickered in his mind. His breath turned shallow, his obsessive compulsive need for order clashing violently with the messy reality he had allowed to unfold. He was a man who thrived on control, everything in its rightful place, everything accounted for.But this? This was chaos. An unprecedented kind of chaos. The real Elona was out there, with anot
Meanwhile, in Velmorah, Aria decided not to worry about Alaric's threats or the threats that loomed in the dark. She did not even want to deal with the imposter who stole her identity. For her, the past life she once had, did not matter at all. What really mattered were her children, the flesh of her flesh. Now that they had reconnected, she felt whole again.Aria sat in the warmth of her private study, her delicate fingers curled around a porcelain teacup as she watched the triplets animatedly recount stories from their past. The soft glow of lanterns cast flickering shadows on the walls, but the only thing that held her attention was the three little geniuses before her.She had barely known them for a short while, yet it felt as though her soul had recognized them long before her mind had. They were the missing piece of her heart, the heartbeat she didn’t even know she had lost.The triplets took turns to help her understand the life they shared before she was hurt whilst accompany
The prison wardens office swirled with a suffocating tension. The revelation hand a certain ominous feeling that was pressing down on everyone in the room. The forensic team stood frozen, the results on their screen a glaring contradiction to what had been believed for over a year.“This… this isn’t possible,” the warden stammered, his face turning ashen. His fingers trembled as he clutched the paper detailing the fingerprint results. Feeling the colad and fore doing aura emanating from the Royale grandfather and grandson, his knees nearly buckled. Alaric sat across from him, and his cold, calculating gaze drilling into the man like a sharpened blade. His posture was deceptively relaxed, but his aura was suffocating. Even the most hardened officers in the room dared not meet his eyes. “Explain,” Alaric said, his voice dangerously quiet.The forensic specialist cleared his throat, stepping forward. “Sir, according to our records, this woman”, he pointed to the prison cell's current oc
Aria paced the length of the study, her fingers curled into tight fists. The weight of the letter still lingered in her mind, but it wasn't fear that consumed her now, it was frustration."Who does he think he is?" she muttered, her voice sharp with anger. "He had an imposter by his side for a year, and now he thinks he can summon me like I owe him an explanation?"Kian leaned against the desk, his arms crossed. "Alaric is a desperate man, Aria. The fact that he’s finally figured out that the woman beside him isn’t you means he’s digging deeper. We need to be ahead of him." Aria exhaled sharply. "I don’t care about what he figures out. I care about keeping my children out of this mess."Master Fu, who had been silent until now, set down a document on the table. "We might not have the luxury of staying out of it anymore. Our sources have confirmed something troubling, Maribel is not working alone. There's someone orchestrating this deception from the shadows."Aria stilled. "What do yo
The days that followed were quiet but suffocating. The peacefulness of the Vortigen Grand Villa, which had once been a refuge, now felt more like a gilded cage. Aria's thoughts often wandered back to the time before her memories had been taken. Before she had learned the truth about her life, about Alaric, and about the world she had once belonged to. But those days seemed like a distant dream now.She focused on the present, on her children, and on the promise she had made to Kian. They would not let the past destroy what they had built. However, the threat of Alaric’s return still loomed over them like a dark cloud. The truth was out there, and it was only a matter of time before it reached him.Kian, ever the protector, was especially vigilant. He spent long hours studying the files and information Master Fu had gathered about Alaric’s movements, searching for any sign of weakness, anything that would give them an edge. He wasn’t about to let Aria slip through his fingers again. F
The ominous, foreboding feeling that lingered over Vortigen Grand Villa had settled into a tense silence. Master Fu paced slowly in the study, deep in thought, while Kian and Aria sat with the triplets, who were now playfully rolling around on the rug. Their laughter seemed like a distant melody, a stark contrast to the storm brewing on the horizon.Aria absentmindedly played with Allie’s hair, the feel of her daughter’s soft curls grounding her, anchoring her to the present, to the family she had found in Kian and these beautiful children. She had made her decision. The past, with all its pain and lies, was behind her.But even as she tried to savor this peace, her thoughts kept drifting to the woman who had taken her place in Alaric’s life. The imposter.A gnawing unease began to grow inside her, the certainty of what had been done to her, what had been done to the triplets. It was a heavy feeling, one she couldn’t shake. Kian noticed her growing quiet and placed his hand gently on
The Vortigen Grand Villa was silent, tension swirling around the whole place. Master Fu sat at the grand study’s desk, his fingers drumming lightly against the polished mahogany surface. The triplets sat on the plush couch with Kian and Aria, their small faces serious as they waited.In his hands, Master Fu held the DNA analysis results, sent directly from Alaric himself, who had unknowingly delivered the truth into their hands.The envelope was already opened, the paper slightly crumpled from his grip. He had read the contents twice, yet the the truth was a bittersweet revelation. Although he expected it, Aria had no recollection of her past. But it was also good for the triplets to know that they were right.Aria took a slow breath, her fingers entwined with Kian’s. Although she had braced herself, though she had always felt an inexplicable connection to the triplets, a part of her still feared, feared that this was all a cruel trick of fate.Master Fu exhaled sharply before looking
Forty-Eight Hours Later......Alaric Royale sat behind his massive oak desk, his fingers rhythmically tapping against the polished surface. The clock on the wall ticked steadily, but his mind was anything but calm.Forty-eight hours had passed. A whole two days since he had Maribel’s blood drawn under the guise of a routine check-up. Any minute now, he knew he'd be drawing closer to the truth.A soft ding echoed in the quiet office and his phone screen lit up with a message from Dr. Hastings: "The results are ready. You’ll need to see this in person."Alaric’s grip on his phone tightened. He rose from his chair, grabbing his coat with a sharp motion before striding out. Jimmy, who had been standing nearby, immediately fell in step beside him. “Sir?” Jimmy inquired, softly.“We’re going to Hastings’ clinic.” Alaric's response was clipped. Jimmy felt the suppressed rage and shuddered inwardly. Jimmy needed no further explanation. His sharp gaze darkened as he nodded. “Understood.”Dr. H