The day had started peacefully, with Elona enjoying a rare break in the countryside. The sun was shining brightly, the air fresh with the scent of wildflowers, and the sound of hooves rhythmic against the earth. She rode alongside the other royal family ladies, engaging in light conversation, letting the worries of the day slip away as she enjoyed the tranquility of the moment.But the peaceful ride quickly turned chaotic. Her horse suddenly reared, its powerful hooves kicking the air as it startled. Elona tightened her grip on the reins, trying to regain control, but the animal seemed panicked and uncontrollable. The more she tried to calm it, the more it fought against her, bucking and spinning in distress.And then, without warning, the horse lost its footing. Elona was thrown violently from her saddle, her body crashing to the ground with an agonizing thud. Her world spun, and she felt a sharp pain explode through her leg, followed by a dizzying sensation in her head. She could fe
The email had come through as a whisper of dread in the midst of the storm of work. Alaric's mind had barely caught up with the contents before he reacted. His assistant, Jimmy, could only watch as his boss, usually so composed, stood frozen with shock. The firewalls at Royale Group had been breached, and the situation was spiraling out of control. But that wasn’t what had truly shaken Alaric.It was the sudden, urgent message from S country, informing him of Elona’s accident. His heart had skipped a beat as panic gripped him.Without a second thought, Alaric left the crisis in Jimmy's capable hands. He knew that he could always trust him with the business. His priority was now clear: Elona.The flight from M country to S country felt endless. Alaric’s mind was a whirlwind of worry, his thoughts torn between his company’s fate and his beloved wife. But the moment he set foot back in S country, nothing mattered more than reaching her side.When he arrived at the hospital, he was immed
Somewhere far from the noise of civilization, on a nameless island, a faint stir disrupted the stillness. The sun filtered through the cracks in a weathered, wooden cabin, casting long shadows over the room. A beautiful woman, her leg in a cast and head bandaged in gauze, lay on a modest cot, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. Her surroundings were unfamiliar, and the air smelled of salt and seaweed.She slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the dim light. The air felt thick and heavy around her, and confusion flooded her mind. The last thing she remembered was an accident, a fall, but the details eluded her, like a dream slipping away as she tried to hold on to it.Suddenly, a face came into view, breaking through the haze of her disorientation. A dark-skinned young man with well-defined features smiled warmly, his eyes filled with joy at seeing her awake. "You're awake! Thank the gods," he murmured, relief evident in his voice.Elona tried to speak, but her throat w
Back in country M, Maribel, now assuming the identity of Elona, reveled in the success of her elaborate deception. No one suspected a thing, and her careful manipulation had worked flawlessly. The triplets, Arlyle, Artie, and Allie, had all accepted her with open arms, just as she had anticipated. She had perfected her impersonation of Elona, mimicking her mannerisms, speech patterns, and the subtle nuances of her behavior.At first, Maribel had been unsure whether she could pull off such a daring feat. But as the days passed and she studied Elona’s every move, observing how she interacted with Alaric, the children, and even the staff, Maribel grew more confident. Every gesture, every word, she had memorized, ensuring that her performance was flawless. It didn’t hurt that Elona’s life had been well documented, from the way she handled herself in public to her private interactions."Maribel, you’re incredible," one of the servants whispered, noticing how naturally she blended into the
Aria sat on the wooden cot, absently tracing the rough fabric of the blanket draped over her shoulders. The gentle hum of waves crashing against the distant shore filled the air, but her mind was adrift in a sea of uncertainty. She had been here for weeks, yet every attempt to recall her past led to a painful void.Across from her, Kian sat sharpening his knife, his strong, dark hands steady as they worked. His presence was reassuring, a constant in this strange, unknown world. She had learned a lot about him in the past days, but tonight, something in his expression told her he was ready to share more.“You don’t belong here either, do you?” she asked softly. Kian paused, his golden eyes flickering with something unreadable before he set the knife down. “No,” he admitted. “I was never meant to be here.” Aria watched him carefully as he leaned back against the wooden wall, exhaling deeply.“My father is still alive,” he revealed. “A powerful king. I am his illegitimate son, born to on
The salty sea breeze carried the scent of freedom as Kian tightened the last rope on the small but sturdy boat he had crafted. Three months of relentless effort had finally paid off. He stepped back, wiping the sweat from his brow, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon where waves crashed against the distant reef. The time had come to leave this nameless island behind.Behind him, Aria sat on a rock, watching him with quiet admiration. Her long, dark hair fluttered in the breeze, and the golden hues of the setting sun cast a warm glow on her delicate features. She had grown accustomed to island life, but a part of her longed for something more, a connection to a past she couldn’t remember.Kian turned to her with a triumphant smirk. “It’s done. By tomorrow, we set sail.” Aria stood, brushing the sand off her dress. “Are you sure this will hold up against the waves?” He chuckled, crossing his arms. “I built it with my own hands. Trust me, it’s strong enough.”She smiled, but there was an
The air in the Royale estate was filled with tension. Master Fu, clad in his traditional dark robes, sat in the grand hall with an unreadable expression as he faced Alaric Royale. His sharp eyes flickered to the woman beside him, Maribel, still masquerading as Elona. The imposter wore a carefully neutral expression, but Master Fu knew better. He had seen through her deception long ago.Alaric leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. “You’re saying that Elona isn’t fit to run the Guild of Shadows anymore?” His voice was calm, but there was a hint of resistance in his tone.Master Fu folded his hands in his lap. “She has suffered selective amnesia. This is not just about the Guild, Alaric. It is about her children.” He turned his gaze toward the triplets, who sat quietly on a separate couch, their sharp, intelligent eyes watching everything unfold. “They must be taken to the Guild headquarters. Their mother’s absence means they need proper training, and the Guild is the safest pl
The rhythmic crash of waves against the cliffs of Velmorah filled the air as Aria stood by the villa’s expansive window, sipping a warm cup of herbal tea. She had begun to settle into this peaceful life, her pregnancy progressing smoothly under Kian’s watchful eye. Yet, an unease lingered, an ever-present void where her past should have been.Kian entered the room, carrying a tablet in one hand and a glass of fresh juice in the other. “You should stay hydrated,” he teased as he handed it to her. Aria took the juice with a smirk. “You’re worse than Dr. Sevara.”“Only because I care,” he said, sitting beside her. “Besides, we need you strong.” She raised a brow. “For what?” Instead of answering, Kian turned the tablet toward her, his expression unusually serious. Aria glanced at the screen and nearly dropped her glass.The news article’s headline read:"Mysterious Disappearance: The Wife of Country M’s Richest Man, Alaric Royale, Has Been Missing for six months."But it wasn’t the headli
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