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Shadows of the Crown
Last Updated:
2024-11-21 23:10:37Related chapters
By Chance, By Fate Beneath the Facade
30 Alex I couldn’t stay in my hotel room, not with all of this weighing on me. The man’s words kept replaying in my mind: “The real threat... it’s tied to the royals.” Fuck! I slammed my fist against the steering wheel, the echo of it ringing through the confined space of my car. Was this all their fault? Anders? Liam? The damn Brightmores? Or was the man lying to save his own skin? The uncertainty gnawed at me, but the anger burned hotter. I couldn’t let myself believe it wasn’t true—not yet. They’d been at the center of every conflict since this summit started. Liam’s quiet looks, Anders’ overbearing presence, Queen Ingrid’s manipulations—it all added up. I drove aimlessly through the city, hoping the motion would clear my head. The streets were quieter now, the late hour chasing most people indoors. The rhythm of my tires on the road was steady, almost soothing, but my mind refused to settle. The conversation with Liam echoed in my head, his words sharp, his anger palp
Last Updated : 2024-11-21By Chance, By Fate I Can't Sleep With Her
31AlexThe room fell into a tense silence after Charlotte’s whispered confession. She leaned back slightly, her hand still resting on my cheek, her thumb brushing over my stubble. “You need to relax, Alex,” she said softly, her voice almost coaxing. I took a step back, shaking my head. “Charlotte, I can’t do this right now.” Her lips pressed into a thin line, her frustration evident. “Why not? You’re so wound up, and it’s not healthy. You’ve been running on fumes for weeks.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Because there’s too much going on. The summit, the investigation, everything with Liam and Anders. I can’t just switch it all off like that.” Her gaze hardened, and she took a deliberate step toward me. “Alex, we’re a couple. Or did you forget that? It’s been weeks—months, even—since we’ve been... intimate.” Her voice dipped on the last word, a note of vulnerability creeping in. “I want you, Alex. I’ve always wanted you.” I hesitated, avoiding her eyes. “It’s n
Last Updated : 2024-11-22By Chance, By Fate Unspoken Tensions
32AlexToday was the last day of the summit, and I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of relief. Soon, I wouldn’t have to see Liam again. This entire summit had been a disaster, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d made a mistake by agreeing to attend in the first place.My phone buzzed on the nightstand, breaking through the haze of exhaustion. I groaned, dragging myself out of bed to check the screen. Dad. Of course. Answering wasn’t an option. Ignoring my father—President Morgan—only ever made things worse. “Alex,” his voice was sharp, even over the phone. “Come to my room. Now.” “Right,” I muttered, already moving to throw on a shirt. “I’ll be there in a minute.” The line went dead, and I sighed. Another lecture was coming, no doubt about my lack of sleep, my ‘erratic behavior,’ or how my every action reflected on him. Great. I made my way to his suite without wasting time, ignoring the dull ache in my temples and the weight pressing on my chest. The hotel was
Last Updated : 2024-11-23By Chance, By Fate Shattered Alliances
33AlexLiam and I scrambled to separate, both of us fumbling to fix our appearances. My cheeks burned, and I avoided his gaze, but Elena's reaction made hiding impossible.“Elena,” I started, trying to think of a plausible explanation, but my voice came out shaky. “You... you were kissing him!” she exclaimed, pointing a trembling finger at me like she’d just caught me committing a federal crime. “What the actual—what is wrong with you?”I buried my face in my hands. “Elena, it’s not what it looks like—”“Oh, really? Because it looked like you were trying to swallow Liam’s face!” She turned to Liam, her expression a mixture of disbelief and outrage. “And you—what, are you just gonna stand there and pretend this is normal?”Liam ran a hand through his hair, his composure slipping for the first time. “Elena, it’s complicated—”“Oh, I bet it’s complicated!” she snapped, crossing her arms. “Do you two even realize where you are? In a workplace? What if someone else had walked in? What if
Last Updated : 2024-11-23By Chance, By Fate A Kiss To Regret
34LiamMy head was spinning as I left the meeting room, the sharp sting in my hand competing with the turmoil in my chest. Blood trickled from my knuckles, leaving a crimson trail on the floor, but I didn’t care. I needed to get out of there. Away from Alex. Away from everything. I stormed into my suite, slamming the door shut behind me. The pain in my hand was worsening, throbbing in time with my erratic heartbeat. I leaned against the door, my breaths uneven, my mind replaying Alex’s accusations and that damn kiss I couldn’t get out of my head. Grabbing my phone with my good hand, I dialed the only person who could handle me in this state. Sophia. The moment she picked up, her familiar voice greeted me, her tone laced with concern. “Liam? Is everything okay?” “Soph, I need you to come here. Now,” I said, my voice tight, barely holding back the storm of emotions threatening to consume me. She didn’t hesitate. “I’m on my way.”Minutes felt like hours as I paced the room, the blo
Last Updated : 2024-11-23By Chance, By Fate The Price of a Kiss
35AlexI had to talk to Elena. As much as I wanted to avoid the confrontation, there was no way around it now. She’d seen everything—or at least, enough to jump to conclusions—and if I didn’t explain myself, she’d make my life hell. Hell, she probably would anyway. I was doomed.“Why the hell did I kiss him?” I muttered under my breath, pacing back and forth in my room. My heart was still racing from the kiss, from Liam’s outburst, and from the way Elena had looked at me, like I’d betrayed everything we stood for. “This is such a mess. I’m such a mess.”I grabbed my room key and headed to her suite, my body tense and my mind spinning. Every step down the long hallway felt like a countdown to disaster. By the time I reached her door, my palms were sweating.I knocked sharply, my stomach twisting as I waited. No answer.“Elena?” I called, knocking again. Still nothing.The door wasn’t locked, though, and I hesitated before pushing it open. “Elena, I—”“I’m in the bathroom, Alex!” her v
Last Updated : 2024-11-23By Chance, By Fate Anders the Snake!
36Liam Anders’s smug grin widened as he spoke into the phone, his tone dripping with exaggerated concern. “Mother? You’ll never believe what Liam’s gone and done. You should call us to your suite immediately.”I lunged forward, trying to snatch the phone out of his hand. “Anders, you absolute snake, stop stirring the pot!” He sidestepped me easily, laughing as he held the phone out of reach. “Oh, relax, brother. You’ve got nothing to hide, right? Or is there more to this little bandaged hand situation than you’d like Mother to know?”I glared at him, my fists clenched. “Why don’t you mind your own business for once in your life?”Anders arched an eyebrow, his expression turning condescending. “Mind my business? *You’re* the one stumbling into the palace looking like you’ve been in a street fight. How very royal of you.”“Shut up, Anders,” I snapped, my voice low and dangerous. “This has nothing to do with you.”He smirked, tucking his phone into his pocket. “It has everything to do
Last Updated : 2024-11-24By Chance, By Fate Breaking Point
37AlexThe room felt like a suffocating cage after Elena stormed out, her sharp words still ringing in my ears. “Fix it.” How was I supposed to fix something this colossal? This wasn’t just a minor screw-up—it was the kind of mess that could end my career, ruin my father’s reputation, and permanently shatter the fragile peace of the summit. And, somehow, I had to navigate it without falling apart.I slumped onto the edge of Elena’s bed, burying my face in my hands. My mind raced through every possible scenario, each worse than the last. How could I possibly face Liam again after what he’d said? How could I make Elena understand when I barely understood myself? And Charlotte—God, Charlotte. I hadn’t even thought about what this meant for her.The door slammed open, jolting me from my thoughts. My stomach dropped when I saw my father standing in the doorway, his face carved from stone. His piercing gaze swept over me, and I knew immediately that Elena had gone to him.“Alex.” His voic
Last Updated : 2024-11-25
Latest chapter
By Chance, By Fate 83
83AlexDuring the day, even the maids couldn’t stop whispering about Liam Brighmore’s engagement to his best friend, Sophia. Their voices floated through the corridors, stinging my ears every time I overheard their chatter. I clenched my jaw, trying to block out their words, but they echoed in my mind nonetheless. Marrying her? Liam? The same Liam who used to tell me I was the love of his life? The same Liam who swore he’d stand by me when we exposed our relationship? I rubbed my temples, pacing my room as the weight of his betrayal pressed down on me. “It doesn’t make sense,” I muttered to myself. “He’s gay. He told me... he told me he loved me.” Lie. All of it. Lies. The realization hit like a punch to the gut. Liam had lied about everything. About us. About the future he told me he dreamed of. And now, he was engaged to her? My throat tightened as I thought of Sophia, with her perfect smile and flawless reputation. The world adored her. Of course, they did. She was everyth
By Chance, By Fate 82
Alex The next day, I was brooding in my room when there was a soft knock at the door. I stiffened, knowing it could only be one person. After our last argument, I wasn’t exactly thrilled to face her.“Come in,” I called out flatly, my voice still tinged with bitterness—not just from last night, but from our previous clash.Elena poked her head in, her brow furrowed with concern. She hesitated at the doorway, as if gauging whether I’d throw her out. “Alex? Can I talk to you for a minute?”I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms defensively. “What is it, Elena? Come to tell me again how I should marry Charlotte and save the family's reputation?”Her expression faltered, a flash of guilt crossing her face before she closed the door and stepped inside. “Alex, I didn’t come to argue. I heard about the news... about Liam Brighmore’s engagement.” She studied me carefully, her voice soft. “How are you holding up?”I scoffed, shaking my head as I turned away. “Why do you care? I’m sure yo
By Chance, By Fate 81
81Alex "You've got to be kidding me," I mumbled under my breath, still staring at the screen.Liam Brighmore. The words on the screen felt like a slap to my face. Prince Liam Brighmore... marrying Sophia Belleville in three days. I sat frozen, staring at the screen, my mind struggling to wrap around what I was seeing. This wasn’t just news—it was a punch to my gut.Liam? Marrying her? My fingers trembled as I gripped the remote tighter, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. His smiling face, so composed, so damn perfect, was plastered all over the screen. The same Liam who had once begged me to be with him, the same Liam who’d whispered sweet promises into my ear like he was the only one who could make me feel alive. And now? Now he was getting married."Unbelievable," I whispered, my voice raw with disbelief. How? How could he do this? How could he go from swearing he was in love with me to... this? It was as if everything he'd said to me had been a lie.A tight knot formed in my ches
By Chance, By Fate 80
80AlexWeeks had passed since I walked out on Charlotte and Damon, and now the weight of the situation was beginning to settle heavily on my chest. The tension in our family had only grown, each day making me feel like a bad son. The guilt gnawed at me like an insistent pest, threatening to swallow me whole. I could barely sleep without the nagging thought that I had somehow failed them all. But I couldn’t undo what I had done, no matter how much it haunted me.I was walking through the hallway of the mansion when I heard my father's voice booming from the study. His words were sharp, and the anger behind them was unmistakable. I paused for a moment, feeling the tension build, knowing I had to face him."You've put me in a hell of a position, Alex!" My father's voice rang out, his tone like a whip, crackling with fury. "I had everything under control until you decided to act like a damn child!"I could feel my heart race in my chest as I approached the door, the air in the house thic
By Chance, By Fate 79
79LiamThe silence stretched so long it felt like it could suffocate me. I turned to my mother, my jaw tight as I tried to keep my frustration from boiling over.“Mother,” I said sharply, my voice trembling with the effort to stay calm, “how could you plan a wedding without even asking me? Without—without us?”She raised a perfectly arched brow, clearly unimpressed with my outburst. “Liam, don’t be dramatic. The two of you have been together for months. The entire kingdom expects this. It’s what’s best for all of us.”I scoffed, pushing my plate aside with a loud scrape. “Best for all of us? I haven’t even proposed to her! I haven’t given her a ring, a proper engagement—nothing! And now you’re telling me we’re to marry next week? How does that make sense to you?”Sophia flinched at my words. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, and for a split second, I saw it—the fear she wasn’t showing to anyone else. Her hands were clasped so tightly in her lap her knuckles had turned whi
By Chance, By Fate 78
78LiamWeeks had passed, and I could feel myself getting better. The wound had healed completely, though the emotional scars from everything that had happened were far from fading. But now, there was something else weighing on me—something even more pressing and annoying.My mother had been relentless in her insistence that I marry Sophia. We’d been pretending to be a couple for months now, all so I could keep my secret—my real identity hidden from the world. She had warned me about the consequences if I didn’t comply, but I had begged her, and as always, she couldn’t refuse me. So here I was, stuck in a game I didn’t want to play.Today, we were all gathered around the grand dining table in the palace. My mother, ever the queen, was seated at the head. Anders, my wicked brother, sat beside his equally wicked wife—Evelyn. She had a name that seemed to fit her too perfectly, like the kind of name you’d give to someone who knew how to make your life miserable with just a smile. And the
By Chance, By Fate 77
77 Alex Turning to Damon and Charlotte, I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice. "I'm not going to marry her. I don't care what you say or what happens to my family's reputation. This isn't my problem, and I'm not going to fix it." Damon's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing. "You don't have a choice, Alex. This is the only way to save your family." "Then let them burn," I spat, my voice dripping with venom. "I'm done with this. I'm done with all of it." I turned and headed for the door, my heart pounding in my chest. I could hear Charlotte's voice behind me, her tone shrill and demanding. "Alex! Where do you think you're going? You can't just leave!" I didn't turn around, my pace quickening as I made my way towards the exit. But just as I reached for the door, I heard her voice again, this time laced with a hint of desperation. "Alex, wait! You can't leave without a car. How do you plan to get home?" I paused, my hand on the doorknob, and turned to face her. Her e
By Chance, By Fate 76
76Alex The tension in the room was palpable. The fire crackled and popped, casting flickering shadows on the stone walls. But the warmth it offered couldn’t soothe the chill running through me. Damon Nightshade, as smug and composed as ever, sat in his chair, his dark eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.Beside him, Charlotte leaned back in her seat, a glass of red wine in hand, her smile far too pleased. I stood there, arms crossed, trying to keep my emotions in check. I had been dragged here under duress, but there was no way in hell I was going to make it easy for Damon or Charlotte.Damon leaned forward slightly, his gaze never leaving mine. “Alex, I know this isn’t easy for you. But sometimes, life forces you to make hard decisions.”“Hard decisions?” I scoffed, my voice filled with disbelief. “What the hell are you talking about? You think I’m just going to roll over and play your game?”He didn’t flinch, his lips curling into a smile. “I don’t think you have much of a choice,
By Chance, By Fate 75
75AlexThe fire crackled softly, its warmth doing nothing to ease the icy tension in the room. Damon Nightshade leaned back in one of the leather chairs, exuding a relaxed authority that made my skin crawl. He studied me like I was some pawn on a chessboard, waiting for me to make a move he could exploit. “Have a seat,” Damon said, gesturing to the chairs opposite him. His voice was smooth, calm, but it carried an undertone of command that left no room for argument.I stayed standing, crossing my arms. “We’re not here to make ourselves comfortable.”Damon tilted his head, a faint, amused smile on his lips. “Suit yourself. Though, I find negotiations go smoother when everyone’s relaxed. Charlotte, what will you have to drink?”Charlotte, who had made herself at home on the chair beside him, smiled like she belonged there. “A glass of red wine, Damon. Something bold.”“Of course,” Damon said, nodding toward one of the silent attendants who stood in the shadows near the door. The man d
