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Shadows of the Crown
Last Updated:
2024-11-21 23:10:37
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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 Epilogue
Epilogue Four months later,AlexThe day started like any other, though I had this odd sense that something was off. Liam had been unusually secretive for the past week—whispering into his phone, disappearing for hours, and giving me these coy little smiles that made me both suspicious and amused.“Are you hiding something from me?” I’d asked him over breakfast that morning.“Who, me?” he replied, his face the picture of innocence. “Never.”I rolled my eyes but let it go. If Liam had a secret, I’d find out eventually.The day passed uneventfully, and by the time evening rolled around, I was half-convinced he’d forgotten my birthday entirely.“Get dressed,” he said, popping his head into the bedroom. “Something nice.”“Why?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.“Just trust me,” he said with a grin, disappearing again before I could press him further.---An hour later, we were in the car, heading to a destination he refused to disclose. My curiosity was driving me insane, but I tried to play i
By Chance, By Fate 150
150AlexMoving in with Liam felt surreal, like stepping into a dream I didn’t dare believe I could have. His apartment—our apartment now—was warm and inviting, filled with little pieces of him that I was quickly coming to adore. A framed photo of his childhood dog sat on the mantel, his collection of vintage vinyl records lined the shelves, and a faint scent of cedar lingered in the air.“Home sweet home,” Liam said, tossing his keys onto the counter as we stepped inside.I dropped my bags by the door and glanced around. “It’s still sinking in that this is real.”He grinned, pulling me into a hug. “It’s real, Alex. This is us now.”Just then, the doorbell rang, breaking the moment. Liam sighed, releasing me. “That’ll be Daniel. He insisted on helping us settle in.”“And Sophia?” I asked, half-joking. “Is she coming too?”“Of course,” Liam said, smirking. “Those two are attached at the hip these days.”---Sure enough, Daniel and Sophia arrived with bags of food and a bottle of wine.
By Chance, By Fate 149
149AlexThe morning air was sharp as I stepped out of my car, nerves bouncing in my chest. Daniel was already waiting for me near the café, leaning casually against the doorframe like he had all the time in the world. His calmness was infuriating, especially since I was a mess.“Relax,” Daniel said as I approached. “You’re not going into battle.”“Feels like I am,” I muttered, shoving my hands into my coat pockets. “This isn’t just about me anymore. It’s about Liam… and Sophia, for some reason.”Daniel smirked. “You’ll thank her. Trust me.”I raised an eyebrow but didn’t press. We stepped inside, and there they were—Liam and Sophia, sitting at a table in the corner.They had come here to USA to see us and we took a rendez vous here. Liam looked as tense as I felt, his jaw tight, eyes scanning the room nervously. Sophia, on the other hand, exuded a calm confidence, sipping her coffee like this was a regular Tuesday.When Liam’s eyes met mine, I froze. The weight of everything—the lie
By Chance, By Fate 148
148AlexFew days later,Daniel paced back and forth in my room, a mix of anger and determination etched across his face. His fists were clenched, and I could see he was holding himself back from exploding.“You’re not going to believe this,” he finally said, stopping in front of me.I sat on the edge of my bed, my heart sinking at his tone. “What is it?”He hesitated for a moment, then blurted out, “Charlotte’s lying. She’s not pregnant, Alex.”My stomach dropped. “What?”“She’s lying!” Daniel repeated, his voice louder this time. “I overheard her on the phone with one of her friends. She was laughing about how she tricked you into staying. She said it was the only way to keep you from running off with Liam.”I stared at him, my mind reeling. “Are you sure about this?”“Positive.” His jaw tightened. “I even recorded part of the conversation. I figured you’d need proof.”He pulled out his phone and played the audio. It was Charlotte’s voice, clear as day, bragging about her manipulati
By Chance, By Fate 147
147AlexAfter everything that happened, I could barely think straight—well, no pun intended. I couldn’t shake the chaos of the past few weeks. Liam was miles away in Norway, dealing with his own mess, while I was stuck here with Charlotte, pretending like my life wasn’t falling apart.It wasn’t like I didn’t think about leaving her. I did. Every single day. The problem was, Charlotte knew how to play the game better than anyone. The moment she sensed I was pulling away, she dropped the bomb.“I’m pregnant.”Those two words stopped me dead in my tracks.“What?” I stammered, blinking at her as if I’d misheard.Charlotte crossed her arms, her lips twisting into that smug smile she always wore when she knew she had the upper hand. “You heard me. I’m pregnant, Alex. So whatever you’re thinking about doing, just stop. You’re not going anywhere.”I stared at her, my mind racing. “You’re… how? When?”She rolled her eyes like I was the dumbest person alive. “Do you really need a biology lesso
By Chance, By Fate 146
146Liam After Alex left, I immediately booked a business-class flight to Norway. My head was spinning, and my chest felt tight as I made my way through the airport. The scandal had erupted faster than I could comprehend, and now everything was unraveling.The messages from Sophia, my wife, wouldn’t stop coming. My phone buzzed incessantly in my pocket, and each time her name lit up the screen, I felt another wave of frustration. She knew why I’d gone to the USA. She knew I’d gone to see Alex. But being caught? That was the part she couldn’t handle.Her last message burned in my mind: "You’ve humiliated me, Liam. Fix this. Now."As if fixing this was as easy as flipping a switch.I leaned back in my seat as the plane took off, closing my eyes in a futile attempt to relax. But the stress kept clawing at me. My mother had called too, several times. I refused to pick up. Not now. I couldn’t deal with her fury and the barrage of accusations over the phone. Whatever was coming, I’d face i
By Chance, By Fate 145
145AlexI paced the room, my phone clutched so tightly in my hand that my knuckles had turned white. My breathing was shallow, and my chest felt like it was being crushed under a massive weight. The headlines were everywhere, and the notifications on my phone wouldn’t stop. Every second, there was another call, another message, another piece of my life falling apart.“Alex, you need to calm down,” Liam said, his voice steady but soft. He reached for me, but I stepped away, shaking my head.“Calm down?” I snapped, my voice trembling. “Are you kidding me right now? Do you see what’s happening? My parents are going to kill me! My dad already hates that I’m even remotely involved in politics, and now this? A scandal with a prince? God, Liam, what were we thinking?”“We weren’t thinking,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “We were just… feeling. And I don’t regret it, Alex. Not for a second.”“Well, I do!” The words came out before I could stop them, and the moment they did, I
By Chance, By Fate 144
144Alex's POVI was so shocked to see him standing there. Of all the places, of all the nights, Liam showed up here. At first, I thought I was imagining things—the dim lighting of the bar, the soft hum of alcohol in my veins. But no, it was really him. His face, those familiar blue eyes that haunted me for years, the slight stubble along his jaw that hadn’t been there before.To be honest, I’d missed him.Not that I’d admit it, at least not right now. Not after everything. But seeing him in the flesh brought back memories I had buried so deep I thought they’d never resurface. The way he used to laugh at my stupid jokes. The way he’d look at me like I was the only person in the room. And, of course, the way he shattered me when he left.I tried to keep my composure, but my voice betrayed me as I asked, "What the hell are you doing here?"His answer was almost laughable in its simplicity. "I needed to see you," he said, as if that excused everything."To say what?" I shot back, narrowi
By Chance, By Fate 143
143LiamThe moment we stepped through the grand doors of the palace, the heavy aroma of fresh lilies greeted us, mingling with the faint scent of polished marble. Queen Ingrid, my mother, stood at the foot of the grand staircase, her regal demeanor faltering for a moment as she took in our unexpected return. Her icy blue eyes, so much like mine, narrowed slightly, betraying her shock.“Liam,” she began, her voice laced with surprise. “And Sophia. Back so soon? I thought you were supposed to be in Bora Bora for another week.”I forced a smile, trying to keep my composure. “Ah, yes, Mother. There was, uh, an issue with the resort,” I said, fumbling for a plausible excuse. “Something about a mix-up with our accommodations. It wasn’t… ideal.”Sophia, ever the composed partner, chimed in seamlessly. “It was a shame, really. The resort was stunning, but the management couldn’t seem to get anything right. Liam thought it would be better if we cut the trip short.”Queen Ingrid’s brows lifted
