The villa was quiet in the dead of night, the usual hum of activity now replaced by an eerie stillness. Harley paced back and forth in her private study, the dim glow from the desk lamp casting long shadows across the room. Her hands were steady, her mind sharp, even as her heart pounded with anticipation. The information had arrived, confirming what she already suspected: Alaric was starting to show signs of waking up. It was time to act.Harley knew better than to trust anyone fully, especially when it came to the old Chinese doctor. Master Fu had been a thorn in her side for far too long, and while she wasn’t one to underestimate anyone, she couldn’t risk him standing in her way. The dark web had its uses, and Harley had called upon her connections. A few well-placed words and she had orchestrated a distraction that would buy her the time she needed.Master Fu had left the villa, having received urgent news about his closest friend being poisoned in his home country. He had rushed
The wind howled outside the cabin, a sharp, biting gust that rattled the windows, but inside, it was eerily quiet. Harley stood before the fireplace, her eyes fixed on the flickering flames, her mind racing with the satisfaction of a plan coming to fruition. But there was something else, something she couldn’t quite shake. A feeling of unease lingered in the back of her mind, like a shadow at the edge of her consciousness.She had thought she’d won. She had thought Elona was defeated, her children now in her grasp. But there was something she didn’t know. Something deeper than Elona’s innocent demeanor. The woman she had believed to be a simple, helpless victim was far more dangerous than Harley had ever imagined.Four years ago, Elona had been framed. Harley had carefully constructed a web of lies, manipulating Alaric’s emotions and fabricating evidence that turned him against Elona. It was a flawless plan, and it worked. Alaric believed the lies, and Elona had been left broken and a
Alaric's eyes fluttered open, the bright light from the ceiling blinding him for a moment. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear the haze that had clouded his mind for so long. Slowly, his senses returned. His body felt like it had been stretched, his muscles aching in places he didn’t know existed. But what struck him the most was the sound. The soft voices he had been hearing in his sleep.They were so familiar, almost like echoes of his own past. Sweet, innocent laughter. His chest tightened at the sound, the rhythm of the voices stirring something deep within him. It wasn’t just one voice, there were three. Three small voices, each filled with joy, each a perfect melody that sent waves of warmth through his body.He blinked again, his focus sharpening. His gaze flickered to the figure standing near his bed. Harley. Her face was beaming, her smile wide and proud, as if she had been waiting for this moment for ages."Alaric, you’re awake," Harley said, her voice a soothing melody that
Alaric stood, seething with anger, in front of his grandfather’s desk. The weight of the truth pressed down on him, suffocating him in its reality. He clenched his fists at his sides, fighting to keep his composure.“You mock me?” Alaric’s voice was low, a dangerous growl escaping his throat as he locked eyes with Senior Royale. “You dare mock me for wanting to make things right?” His jaw tightened, his teeth grinding as the anger bubbled within him.Senior Royale leaned back in his chair, a knowing smirk creeping onto his lips. “Shameless,” he muttered under his breath, his voice thick with disdain. “You’re a fool, Alaric. A fool who will spend the rest of his life trying to fix the damage you’ve done. You threw Elona away like garbage, and now you want to claim her as your wife? After everything?” The old man’s eyes glinted, almost satisfied by the torment he knew was churning inside his grandson.Alaric’s fists tightened, the heat of rage flooding his veins. He refused to let his g
As he watched his grandson storm out, senior Royale could not help but think back to the first time he met the triplets. He did not need a paternity test to know that they were descendants of the Royale family. Flashback.....Senior Royale’s gaze lingered on the triplets. Allie’s bright giggles echoed in the room as she waved the design drafts triumphantly. “If we tell Grandpa, Mum will be in so much trouble!” Artie grinned, nudging his brother. “Blackmailing for ice cream? Genius.”The resemblance between the children and Alaric was undeniable. The boy’s stubborn jawline, the girl’s mischievous eyes, all mirrored the grandson son he hadn’t seen smile in years.“Children,” he called, stepping further into the room. His voice carried a commanding weight, firm yet tinged with curiosity. “Come here.” The triplets froze, exchanging glances. Artie frowned. “Who are you?”Senior Royale knelt to their level, his lips curving into a faint smile. “I’m your great grandfather,” he said softly,
The air in the mountain village was crisp, but Alaric felt its chill deeper than his bones. The villagers were wary of him, their guarded stares trailing him like whispers in the wind.Alaric adjusted the collar of his jacket, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling. Every step he took on the uneven cobblestone streets brought him closer to the edge of the village, where he was told he’d find the one man who could provide answers: Master Fu.The villagers spoke of Elona in hushed tones, their reverence unmistakable. She had been their beacon of hope, a healer, a protector, and a friend. Hearing of her kindness only deepened the gnawing guilt in Alaric’s chest. How could he have left her? How could he have been so blind?At last, he reached the temple. Nestled against a backdrop of dense forest and jagged cliffs, it stood in quiet defiance of the modern world. Its wooden doors creaked as Alaric pushed them open, revealing a sparse interior. Incense burned faintly, and the rhythmic sound
Harley sat in her luxurious apartment, the glow of her computer screen casting an eerie light across her face. Her manicured fingers drummed impatiently on the desk as she waited for her contact to respond. The dark web was a dangerous place, but she had always prided herself on being one step ahead of everyone else. After all, it had been her careful planning that had led to Elona’s disappearance.The screen flickered, and a message appeared in the encrypted chat room. "Your target and her children have been extracted. My advice: do not contact me again. This is the last message you’ll receive."Harley’s heart dropped, a chill creeping up her spine. She re-read the message, her mind racing. Extracted? That wasn’t the plan. They were supposed to remain in captivity until she could determine her next move.She typed back hastily: "What do you mean extracted? Who took them?" The reply was instant. "Highly skilled operatives. We were outmatched. Do not reach out again, or you will regret
Elona leaned back in the plush leather seat of the private jet, the soft hum of the engines providing a calming backdrop to her thoughts. Through the window, the vast ocean stretched out below her, its surface shimmering under the sunlight. Beside her, her three children sat, immersed in their own activities.Arlyle was typing furiously on his laptop, the glow of the screen reflecting in his intense eyes. At just three and a half years old, his dexterity and understanding of complex coding languages were astounding. Beside him, Artie was sketching designs for a new firewall system, his brows furrowed in deep concentration. Meanwhile, Allie sat quietly with her sketchpad, her delicate fingers moving gracefully as she brought her latest masterpiece to life, a beautifully intricate calligraphic design.Elona’s gaze softened as she watched them, pride welling in her chest. They were her greatest treasures, and their talents were far beyond what even she had imagined. But there was more a
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