Two individuals older than Mette were the wives of nobles with the rank of Baron, a title lower than Count. But according to Raven, such matters no longer held any significance.
Since Raven was no longer a Count, Gia didn’t need to do anything. Once again, Raven emphasized that they should not get involved in politics.
Baroness Jonsson, a middle-aged woman, scrutinized Gia from head to toe. Her eyes were brown, almost yellow. However, her blonde hair seemed suspicious to Gia—it didn’t appear natural. It seemed dyed, likely to hide the grays.
The other, Baroness Everling, was similar. While her mouth smiled warmly in greeting, her eyes critically assessed Gia’s appearance from head to toe, judging her. The wrinkles around her lips deepened as she forced a smile, ensuring her perfect teeth were
Essentially, Svvere was a cheerful child. Despite his unique circumstances, Svvere enthusiastically described every detail of his treehouse. Using sign language, occasionally interspersed with words, his deep blue eyes sparkled with excitement.Seeing this, a hint of sadness crept into Gia’s heart. She imagined Svvere’s future, which would be far from easy. By birthright, he would one day become king after his father. His challenges as a king with hearing impairment would not be light.If being an ordinary king was already demanding, Svvere would have to work twice as hard as any other king. However, Gia felt slightly relieved. Mette and Haakon seemed to be raising Svvere well.The boy grew up like any typical seven-year-old—cheerful, full of laughter, and quick-witted. Gia hoped those traits would
“Let’s go home, Max. The sooner, the better!”Gia threw herself onto the back seat and rubbed her temples as a sudden headache set in. She had resolved not to take their words to heart, but those sly and unkind remarks still echoed in her mind.Since her wedding day with Raven, Gia had imagined moments like this would come. There would always be people pointing fingers and making cruel accusations. She had steeled herself, yet it still hurt.Gia reached for the phone in her bag, debating whether to call Raven, but she decided against it. He already had too much on his mind with the trial; she didn’t want to add to his burdens.“Are you alright, Mrs. Lindgren?” Max asked, glancing at her through the rearview mirror. He had heard Gia sigh heavily at least fiv
When they finally arrived at the airport, Gia still felt like she was in a dream. Max had to guide her by the arm as they walked inside.The man assumed Gia’s shock was due to the chase they had just endured. He didn’t realize she was struggling to hold on to her sanity. Gia was desperately trying not to scream as shards of her memories clawed at her consciousness.“Mrs. Lindgren, please wait here for a moment. I need to make a report,” Max said, pointing to his phone.Gia nodded blankly and sat on a sofa in the airport lounge, her expression vacant.Slowly, she raised her hand to cover her mouth, stifling the scream that threatened to escape as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She wanted to deny what she had just seen—that her eyes had
Gia woke up, and fear gripped her heart as the scent of disinfectant once again assaulted her senses. She feared her nightmare had become a reality.Slowly, she sat up; tears welled in her eyes as she saw the man curled up and sleeping soundly on the sofa beside her. It was Max.Seeing Max there meant only one thing: everything that happened at Schwechat Airport was real—it wasn’t just a bad dream as she had hoped. Raven would never allow another man in her room if everything had been fine.Gia closed her eyes, trying to process the painful memories. Every word Max had told her was accurate. She glanced down at her body, still clad in the red dress. So it happened...“Raven...”Even in her mind, she co
For a moment, Willow’s green eyes widened, glaring at Lonan in fury. Not only Gia but even she hadn’t expected this—Lonan, who always obeyed Willow’s every whim like a loyal dog, dared to ‘bite his master’ for the first time.Lonan’s defiance was a breath of fresh air for Gia.“Your Majesty! I believe it’s now your turn!” Gia began with biting sarcasm. No one has ever acknowledged Willow’s status as the king’s daughter, and Gia purposely addressed her with mocking politeness.“You…” Willow shook off Lonan’s grip, but Gia didn’t allow her to raise her hand again.Gia stepped closer, narrowing the distance to the point where Willow couldn’t slap her. Automatically,
Gia had seen medical equipment and life-support devices attached to patients thousands of times. Thousands!But seeing Raven lying there with his eyes closed, surrounded by the entanglement of tubes and wires, stole every breath from Gia’s lungs, replacing it with the piercing sensation of thorns.Every breath Gia took sent a stabbing pain down her throat. The tears she had been holding back cascaded uncontrollably, soaking her hands.Gia raised a hand to cover her mouth, muffling the painful cries that threatened to echo through the silent hallway. Her other hand touched the glass wall separating her from Raven. She knew full well that during a critical condition like this, no family members were allowed to approach."Rave... open your eyes, please..." she pleaded
Gia gently moved the oxygen tube under Raven’s nose and applied shaving cream evenly across his cheeks and chin. She began shaving the two-day stubble on his face with the utmost care.It took some time, as Gia had to avoid the oxygen tube and ensure she didn’t nick Raven’s skin. Once done, she wiped his face with a warm, damp towel, ensuring all traces of cream were gone. Her fingers softly caressed Raven’s now-smooth face, her forefinger brushing against his still-closed eyes.“Open your eyes, Rave. Don’t you miss me?” she whispered, resting her head beside Raven’s cheek.Gia broke hospital rules and lay down beside him. She lifted Raven’s hand, the one free from IV needles, and placed it on her stomach, which had yet to show any significant change.
Gia exited the car, stretching her legs briefly before walking forward. The journey from Vienna to Hallstatt had taken over three hours, leaving her back and legs aching.Her dark blonde hair swayed as her head turned quickly, her eyes immediately catching the breathtaking sights around her. Once again, Gia stood in a place that stole her breath away. Hallstatt was like another fragment of a fairy tale come to life. The scenery here made her understand why Raven and Ranallo had invested so much money, hoping their resort project would succeed.The small town was nestled beside a lake and surrounded by mountains cloaked in eternal snow. It bore a slight resemblance to Lofoten, but instead of the deep blue of the sea, Hallstatt’s lake reflected a dominant green hue. That green harmonized perfectly with the reds and yellows of autumn leaves. A veil of mist d
King Gustaf held Raven’s hand tightly for a moment. He was aware that their happiness depended on each other.He kept his eyes on Raven as their hands separated.“Well then, I’ll take my leave.” King Gustaf saw no reason for further pleasantries, so he turned around immediately. But before taking a step, he glanced back.His gaze focused on Lonan, who had remained silent and lowered his head after declaring he would be a witness.“I truly wished you had married Willow, but I couldn’t force her. I’m sorry. And please forgive Willow for her mistake this time.” His eyes flickered toward Raven as well, not just Lonan. Then, finally, he stepped out.Two deep sighs of relief filled the room as the door closed—one from Lonan, one from Raven. Raven picked up his phone, checking something. Maybe he was telling Jasper to cancel a plan.“King Gustaf will keep his promise because he will never let Willow’s name be tarnished in the eyes of society. He always avoids scandals so that Willow can live
Gia didn't know who Tilda was, but Raven's intense reaction made her suspect something. Raven clearly cared about whoever Tilda was."Why can't I mention her name? She's Willow's mother!"Gia's suspicion proved correct. King Gustaf disgustingly uttered a name that would surely shake Raven. He mentioned someone Raven loved as dearly as her own family. It was a deceitful move.Raven's face burned with anger, yet the furrow in her brow showed she was thinking. That name had driven her to get engaged and save Willow's life. The inner battle flared up again—this time, it was Raven's turn."For Tilda's sake, I beg you: don't press those charges. And please hand over that recording. You surely don't want to ruin Willow's life, right?""He ruined himself without my interference. You only sped up his plunge into ruin by continually excusing all his misdeeds." Raven stopped using the formal "you" when addressing King Gustaf. Merely mentioning Tilda's name ignited deep emotions within her."You
King Gustaf stared at Al and Frey. "Are they your children?" Gia wanted to answer with a scathing remark with the word idiot, just like she'd used earlier to respond to Lonan's question. It was blatantly obvious who Al and Frey's parents were. "Yes," Gia replied politely. The time when she could curse at the king had long passed. "Then you must understand my feelings. The feelings of a father who must do everything to protect his child." King Gustaf quickly turned to Raven. Unfortunately, his emotionally charged statement was met with a mocking laugh from Raven. "No. I can't understand your feelings. Because I'll make sure these two don't grow up to be manipulators who casually stab others in the back," Raven retorted sharply. King Gustaf's jaw tightened in anger. "What's going on?" Gia demanded. Seeing Raven provoke the king's anger, she felt some satisfaction, but she still didn't grasp the full context. "I'm filing charges against Willow. This time, I'll ensure she
"Oh... My... God...," Lonan muttered as he saw Raven enter carrying Freya. Gia followed behind, with Al playfully twirling around her neck.They had to wrestle a bit while heading to the hospital. Al began teething and fussed whenever things didn't go his way.Freya, who always imitated her older sibling, considered crying together a fun activity. As a result, Gia and Raven had to fight through a torrent of tears before they could leave the house."They…"Lonan shot a disbelieving glance. He rarely saw Raven accompanied by a cute baby; in his opinion, it didn't seem right. In fact, Gia used to feel the same—but that was then. Gia feels something is missing without Freya clinging to Raven's chest.It wasn't Gia's idea to bring them to the hospital; Raven requested it. He wanted to introduce Al and Freya to their uncle. It was a common wish, and Gia simply couldn't refuse."Are they twins?" Lonan asked."You don't eat enough apples. How can you ask such a stupid question? The answer is
Gia peeled the apple on the table and cut it into smaller pieces. That wasn't how she ate apples—she preferred whole ones, eating them with the skin on.The apple wasn't for her. After placing it in a bowl, Gia carried it to the patient's bed and set it on the table. The person sleeping in that bed jumped awake at the sound of movement and footsteps.Gia glanced sideways, and their eyes met. Too late to look away, she could only huff in irritation.Lonan looked toward the bowl of apple. "I thought you'd never do something kind for me again."Gia snorted. "Exactly! I didn't do this for you. I did it for Raven. He'll be upset if he finds out I still despise you."Lonan gave a bitter smile. He had set his hopes too high. Gia always tried her best to be kind to him because she knew that if she kept showing her dislike, Raven would end up sad. Gia understood that feeling well—it reminded her of the time she watched Matteo and Raven argue.Of course, that argument couldn't compare to the ha
Raven felt a little calmer after Gia invited him to sit. Although he still felt anxious, his breathing steadied. He leaned back in his seat while gripping Gia's hand.Doctors had been operating on Lonan for about four hours, and they still hadn't given any news about his progress. Based on her experience, Gia could only guess that the knife must have injured one of his organs—she couldn't tell how severe the damage was.The wait felt like hell to Raven. He no longer displayed any emotion, as if his tears had drained every ounce of feeling. The overwhelming memory of his parents leaving haunted him, and he clung to the hope that Lonan would pull through.All his anger melted away and gave way to hope. He no longer cared about Lonan's mistakes—they now seemed insignificant.Whenever a lousy memory threatened to overwhelm him, Raven squeezed Gia's hand, and Gia stroked Raven's arm gently. Gia reminded him of other parts of his life that still awaited him, assuring him that his world woul
From the beginning, Willow never planned to jump in or be fooled by Raven's blatantly apparent lies. Willow orchestrated this drama to get close enough to Raven so that they could hurt him.Now, Willow screamed in anger as their plan failed once again. Willow didn't care at all that Lonan collapsed and bled because of what they had done."Lonan!"Raven finally realized what was happening and roared Lonan's name. He tried to catch the falling body but couldn't manage it well."No!" Raven roared again when he saw the red stain spreading across Lonan's stomach.Gia pushed aside the nearby guards and ran toward them."Help him, Haze… I beg you," Raven whimpered. He clutched Lonan's head as Lonan began losing consciousness.Gia studied the wound that kept bleeding. The knife is still stuck there.Gia pressed her hand against the wound to stop more blood from flowing out and to prevent Lonan from going into shock from excessive blood loss."Call for help!" Gia shouted. Many ambulances waite
Yesterday's mini forest that once looked peaceful and comfortable had transformed into a warzone. Gia now understood why all the police were downstairs. The royal guards had taken over their duties—not just the ones earlier on the stairs, but a much larger force now spread across the roof. Their primary purpose here wasn't Willow but because their master was also on the rooftop. King Gustaf stood roughly five meters behind Willow, trying to coax her down. Willow had already stepped outside the safety railing, facing the open air, her hands still gripping the rooftop's edge barrier. "Don't jump! Willow!" Gia could faintly hear his desperate pleas. "I should've made that barrier taller," Raven muttered. The railing would have been sufficient to prevent someone Gia's height from climbing over. But Willow, tall as a giraffe, stood only a few centimeters shorter than Raven. Her perfectly proportioned body—especially those long legs—made it easy for her to vault the barrier.
“What's going on?!" Gia demanded, staring at Raven. Her face was pale, and her hand covered her mouth, holding back a torrent of curses.“How did she get in?!” Raven shouted, still directing her question to Jasper at the other end.After hearing Jasper’s response, Raven lowered the phone from her ear. Her eyes shifted to Lonan, who now looked as if he were having a heart attack."You gave her your pass card?" Raven asked quietly.Lonan shook his head. “She came to apologize yesterday... I didn't know... she must've taken it then.”He straightened up and rushed toward Raven.“We have to go there...,” Lonan said, shaking Raven’s arm."Why?"“Can someone explain what's happening?” Gia hated being left in the dark.“Willow is trying to kill herself. She's on the roof of the Lindgren Tower, ready to jump,” Raven explained.“She...” Gia couldn’t find the right words—Willow was beyond crazy.Raven didn’t look at Gia as he spoke. His eyes were fixed on Lonan, who kept shaking his arm.“We hav