The evening air in Country C was thick with tension as Alaric sat in his suite, poring over maps and scattered notes. Each piece of information he had gathered about Elona’s potential whereabouts felt maddeningly incomplete. Frustration gnawed at him, but beneath it all was a singular, unwavering purpose: finding her and proving himself worthy of the second chance he didn’t deserve but desperately sought.Just as the clock struck midnight, there was a sharp knock at the door. Alaric’s instincts flared, his hand instinctively reaching for the dagger he kept concealed. Jimmy, his loyal assistant, stood ready behind him, a silent nod passing between them before Alaric approached the door.A man clad in simple but foreign attire stepped inside. His face was mostly obscured by a wide-brimmed hat, and his eyes were hidden behind tinted glasses. He exuded an air of quiet authority, though there was a subtle edge to his presence, a predator lurking beneath the surface.“I come with answers,”
As the engines of Alaric’s private plane hummed steadily, he sat in the dimly lit cabin, his mind churning with thoughts. The man they had met in Country C, it wasn’t just the scar or his demeanor. No, it was his eyes. Something about them tugged at a distant memory, a face he’d seen during his earlier search in Country S. The realization struck like lightning.“Jimmy!” Alaric called out, his voice charged with excitement. His loyal assistant appeared immediately, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern. “What is it, boss?” Jimmy asked.Alaric leaned forward, his gaze intense. “That man, Victor. I’m sure I’ve seen him before. When we were in Country S, after meeting Julio, Elona’s biological father. Remember that stranger at the market who bumped into us and vanished before we could question him?”Jimmy frowned, his mind working to recall. “You mean the guy who dropped the matchbox with the phoenix emblem?” “Yes,” Alaric said, his voice firm. “It was him. I’d bet my fortune on i
Alaric stood at the deck of his yacht, the salty breeze brushing against his face. Before him lay the shimmering waters surrounding the mysterious island he’d been chasing for months. It was so close, yet impenetrable. The island was no ordinary refuge. It was the Guild of Shadows’ headquarters, a fortress bristling with security measures both visible and hidden.Jimmy joined him, his expression grim. “We’ve scouted the perimeter, boss. It’s locked down tighter than Fort Knox. No way in without being detected.” Alaric clenched his fists. Despair gnawed at him, a cruel companion to the months of relentless searching. “She’s there,” he murmured. “I know she is.”Jimmy didn’t reply, sensing his boss’s frustration. Suddenly, a glimmer in the water caught his eye. “Boss, look!” He pointed to a bottle bobbing near the yacht, carried by the gentle waves.With swift precision, Jimmy reached down and plucked it from the sea. The glass bottle was sealed with a waxed cork, and inside was a folde
The grand ballroom of Hotel L’Etoile buzzed with activity, its crystal chandeliers casting a warm, golden glow over the polished floors. The celebration was in full swing, with music, laughter, and the clinking of glasses echoing through the lavish space. Alaric stood near the entrance, scanning the room with hawk-like intensity. His mother, Melody Royale, stood beside him, her excitement barely contained. As the clock neared the start of the banquet, a ripple of murmurs spread across the room. Alaric turned, his breath catching when he spotted her. Elona.She had stepped into the room cautiously, holding the hands of two children, while a third clung to Victor, who trailed behind her. She was a vision of elegance and strength, but her guarded eyes darted around the room, clearly searching for an escape route. Traits of being a top-notch assassin.Alaric’s heart thundered in his chest. His triplets. They were here. His children were so close he could almost touch them. Edith, noticin
As the evening wore on, Edith Royale and her husband, Adrian Royale, approached Elona with pleading eyes. "Dear, doctor Fu Lona, please," Edith begged, "may we have some time with our grandbabies? We promise to cherish every moment."Elona's expression softened, and she nodded humbly. "Of course, Madam Royale. I wouldn't deny you that. And please just call me Elona." The Royale couple exchanged a grateful glance, and Edith enveloped the triplets in a warm hug. "We'll take good care of them, Elona. I promise."The warm rays of the setting sun bathed the lush gardens of the hotel in golden light. Edith and Senior Royale were seated on a luxurious outdoor lounge, completely enraptured by the triplets. Allie, always the bold one, was happily describing her recent adventures, while Arlyle and Artie showed off their new toys. Their laughter filled the air, a sound so pure and joyful it brought tears to Edith’s eyes.“Elona,” Edith said softly, her voice filled with emotion. “Thank you. Tha
The morning sun poured through the tall windows of the hotel’s private dining room, bathing the space in a warm glow. The triplets sat at a long table, their voices filled with excitement as they showed their grandparents their gifts. Edith, Adrian and Senior Royale, captivated by the children, engaged them with genuine interest, laughter punctuating the air.Elona stood by the window, a steaming cup of tea in her hands, watching the scene unfold. Despite herself, a flicker of warmth coursed through her. The children looked happy, truly happy, and she couldn’t deny them this connection.“Thinking of leaving again?”Elona turned at the sound of Alaric’s voice. He stood a few steps away, hands in his pockets, his usual commanding presence softened by something more vulnerable.“I haven’t decided yet,” she replied coolly, her gaze returning to the children. He took a hesitant step closer. “Elona, I—" She cut him off, her tone sharp. “Don’t, Alaric. Don’t start with your apologies again.
The days following the triplets’ birthday celebration were filled with cautious interactions and strained silences. Edith and Senior Royale reveled in their newfound roles as doting grandparents, while Julio spent his time bonding with his daughter and grandchildren, his presence becoming a source of quiet strength for Elona.Alaric, however, found himself walking on eggshells. Elona’s cold shoulder was unrelenting, and though her sharp words stung, he welcomed them as his penance.One morning, he found her in the hotel garden, pruning roses in serene concentration. She looked ethereal, the morning sun casting a golden glow over her. Gathering his courage, Alaric approached her cautiously.“Elona.”She glanced at him, her gaze impassive. “What do you want, Alaric?”“To talk.” He gestured to the bench nearby. “Please.”After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded, wiping her hands on her apron before taking a seat.“I know words alone mean little to you,” he began, his tone steady. “But I n
Alaric nodded and went to his room to rest. He called his assistant and told him to ensure that the team got medical attention as well as bring a doctor to his room. Everything was done without Elona's knowledge. Alaric was just going to protect her from the shadows without claiming credit.Alaric woke up late the following day, his body not aching as much. Luckily he had no bruises on the face or he would have not known how to explain it to his inquisitive triplets. They were way too intelligent and assertive for four years olds. The afternoon sun cast a golden hue over the lavish garden terrace where the triplets played with their new gifts, their laughter ringing out like music. Elona stood at the edge of the terrace, her expression guarded. Alaric lingered a few steps away, watching her with a mixture of longing and regret, but he dared not approach her again. Not yet.Julio sat at a nearby table, quietly observing his daughter. She was a perfect blend of Esmeralda’s grace and hi
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