The air was light with anticipation as Elona adjusted her sunglasses while stepping out of the car. Alaric stood beside her, effortlessly handsome in his crisp suit, his hand firmly on the small of her back."Do you think they'll hand me a trophy for becoming Mrs. Royale?" Elona teased, glancing up at him with a grin. Alaric chuckled, the sound deep and warm. "If they don’t, I’ll commission one myself. Platinum, encrusted with diamonds. Only the best for you."The triplets darted ahead, their laughter ringing out as they led the way into the marriage registrar's building. "Mom, do you think they’ll say something like, 'By the power vested in me?'" Artie asked, grinning mischievously. Allie rolled her eyes. "That’s for weddings, Artie, not this." Arlyle smirked. "But it’d be fun if they did."Elona shook her head, smiling at their antics as Alaric held the door open for her. The office was bustling but carried an air of simplicity, its pale blue walls and neatly organized desks a far c
Harley Carter sat alone in her dimly lit suite, a glass of wine in one hand and her phone in the other, staring at the picture. The image of Alaric and Elona at the marriage registrar burned into her mind like a brand. They looked radiant, impossibly happy, and worst of all, untouchable.Her hand trembled as she set the glass down with a clatter, her lips curling into a bitter smile. How? she thought, her mind spiraling as she replayed the events of the past five years.She had been so close. She had devised the perfect plan, leaving no room for error. Alaric was supposed to be hers. From the moment she first set her sights on him, she had known he was her destiny, a man of unimaginable power and wealth, a man who could elevate her to heights she’d only dreamed of.But Elona, her supposed half-sister, the shadow she thought she’d buried long ago, had ruined everything. Harley clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as memories swirled in her mind like a storm.She had dru
Harley leaned back in her chair, her lips curving into a triumphant smile as she ended the call with Maribel. The plan was in motion. She had no doubts about Maribel’s cunning, after all, the Queen Consort’s goddaughter had maneuvered her way into Alaric’s social circles with masterful precision.“Two heads are better than one,” Harley murmured, swirling the remnants of her wine. “And with Maribel’s connections, Elona won’t know what hit her.”Harley’s mind raced with possibilities. She and Maribel were both women scorned, their ambitions thwarted by a woman who had no business standing in their way. A designer? A doctor? Harley scoffed. No amount of titles or accolades could protect Elona from what was coming.Far from the opulent city skyline, in the secluded sanctum of the Guild of Shadows, whispers filled the air. Cloaked figures moved in silence, their every step calculated and deliberate. At the center of the room, a large map of interconnected lines and targets lay illuminated
Elona sat in her private study, the dim light casting sharp shadows across her face. Her phone rested on the desk before her, a silent sentinel holding the key to her next move. Her fingers traced the edge of the device as she weighed her decision one last time.No hesitation. Not anymore. She picked up the phone and dialed the number she had memorized years ago and at one point thought she'd never hear the owner's voice. But fate brought her mom back and her biological dad and maternal grandpa. Anyway, the phone rang only once before a familiar, elegant voice answered.“Elona, my darling.” Esmeralda’s voice was soft yet laced with surprise. "Don't tell me you're only remembering you've got a mom now. I thought that marrying Alaric has made you forget about your family. You should...."“Mother,” Elona interrupted, her tone firm but affectionate. “It’s time. Time to get back everything in Gus Carter's hands." There was a pause, a breathless silence before Esmeralda replied, her voice n
Harley’s resolve solidified, her mind churning with schemes. She couldn’t let Elona and Esmeralda win so easily. Not without a fight. Her eyes flicked to the hidden compartment in her wardrobe, where she kept her "insurance". A folder filled with secrets she had gathered over the years. Secrets about Elona, Esmeralda, and even Gus.As she pulled the folder out, her lips twisted into a bitter smile. "If they want a war, I’ll give them one."The next morning, as the golden sun rays illuminated Royalita Winery, Elona and Esmeralda began their work. Esmeralda was meeting with the estate staff, ensuring a smooth transition of ownership, while Elona pored over documents in the office.But even amidst the whirlwind of activity, Elona couldn’t ignore the weight in her chest. Returning to the place that held so many painful memories was harder than she had anticipated.She stood by the large bay window overlooking the vineyard, her gaze fixed on the sprawling fields. Memories of her childhood
Esmeralda tossed the tablet onto Harley’s lap, the screen displaying a detailed report of Harley’s financial crimes. Every transaction, every shady deal, every misstep was laid bare. Harley’s hands trembled as she scrolled through the evidence, her mind reeling. “You...you can’t do this.”Elona’s smile disappeared, replaced by a deadly calm. “I already have. Did you really think you could outmaneuver me? I’m Elona Royale. I’ve dealt with more cunning adversaries than you could dream of. You’re nothing but a petty thief playing at power.”Harley shot to her feet, panic and anger warring in her expression. “You won’t get away with this! I’ll...I’ll find a way to take you down!”Esmeralda laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. “Oh, Harley. You still don’t get it, do you? You’ve already lost. And the best part? You did it to yourself.”Elona stood, towering over Harley despite her petite frame. Her voice was low but filled with an icy menace. “Leave, Harley. Pack your things and get out. Y
Helena Carter sat in her private sitting room, sipping from a glass of wine as she stared at her reflection in the ornate mirror. Her once-pristine life was crumbling. Gus was spiraling into self-pity, Harley’s disgrace had become the talk of the town, and now, Esmeralda and Elona loomed over them like shadows of judgment.She tightened her grip on the glass, her knuckles whitening. "We’ve been underestimated for too long," she muttered. Helena’s thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. She turned to see Harley step inside, her face pale but her eyes gleaming with suppressed rage.“Mother,” Harley began, her voice trembling. “We can’t just sit here and let them ruin us. Elona humiliated me, she’s flaunting her power, her wealth, her husband, and that smug mother of hers. I won’t let them win.”Helena set her glass down and stood, her movements deliberate and poised. “What do you propose we do, Harley? Your recklessness got us here. If you want to fix this, you’ll need to
The Carter estate was eerily silent when Helena entered Gus’s study, her lips pressed into a thin line. She found him slumped at his desk, a glass of whiskey in hand and a defeated look on his face.“You’re drinking again,” Helena said coldly, shutting the door behind her. Gus didn’t bother looking up. “What’s the point of pretending anymore? Esmeralda, Elona and the Royale family has us cornered. Every move we make, they’re already ten steps ahead.”Helena strode toward him, her heels clicking against the polished floor. “Stop wallowing in self-pity. You’re supposed to be the head of this family.”He let out a bitter laugh. “Am I? Because it seems like all I’ve done is clean up after you and Harley. This mess isn’t just my fault.”Helena’s eyes narrowed. “You think I wanted this? I’ve sacrificed everything for this family, for you. While you drown yourself in whiskey, I’m the one trying to salvage what’s left of our reputation.”Gus slammed the glass onto the desk, the sound echoing
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