Gia woke with a jolt as if realizing she had just made a mistake."Good morning... I mean, good afternoon."Raven’s voice confirmed she had indeed made a huge mistake. His tone was full of satisfaction, cheerful and almost giddy. Of course, Raven thoroughly enjoyed that Gia had fallen into a deep sleep in his arms.Gia stood up, straightening her appearance to salvage what was left of her dignity. She was supposed to still be angry at Raven, not comfortably dozing off in his embrace."How are you feeling?" Gia quickly changed the subject before Raven could ask why a hug meant to last only a moment had extended well into the afternoon.Raven touched his forehead, then shrugged. "Fine… I guess hugs are the best medicine.”Without a word, Gia turned on her heel, intent on leaving. She wasn’t about to endure any further embarrassment."STOP! Okay! I won’t bring it up again. Don’t go!" Raven called out, waving in surrender.Gia shot him a sharp glare and then approached to press a thermome
Raven went to the living room, a fireplace sat at its center, surrounded by scattered bean bags. During the day, they would have a clear view of the towering waterfall on the hill from this room. That night, they could only hear the water roaring in the darkness.Having a house with glass walls had its drawbacks, as the visible darkness outside made Gia feel trapped inside a dark cave. This thought made her panic briefly, but she managed to calm herself down by closing the curtains without needing to join Raven in his room. That nagging feeling crept in as she noticed how her room seemed engulfed by the darkness.Gia sat beside Raven as he leaned back on one of the bean bags.“This story is a fragment of Willow's tale that I mentioned yesterday,” Raven began, opening the story with the name that Gia found most disturbing."Does this story really need to mention her?" Gia asked, clearly not in the mood to hear that name. Gia asked, clearly not in the mood to hear that name. Lonan’s nam
"When I first saw you at that party, I immediately knew you were the wrong choice. You looked like an innocent, kind girl—like a lost kitten caught in the rain. You seemed so dependent on Lonan that I could tell he had done something wrong. He went too far..." Raven rubbed his face in frustration, particularly after glancing at Gia, who was now sitting silently and no longer willing to argue.In her mind, Gia replayed memories of her time with Lonan. Imagining it all as fake no longer filled her with anger; instead, it left her feeling suffocated and in pain.At first, Gia hadn’t taken things seriously. But in the end, she truly fell in love with Lonan. With all the attention he gave, who wouldn't fall in love? Despite his busy schedule, he never forgot to send her caring messages, flowers to lift her spirits, or scarves or gloves when she complained about the cold weather. Lonan knew expensive gifts wouldn't sway Gia. He paid attention to her in the smallest details. Now, those mem
Gia’s brain suddenly froze upon hearing the name mixed with numbers. Willow… a princess?“Their names are different!” Gia exclaimed, in disbelief.“That’s because their mothers are different. Caz and his brother were born from the King’s official wife—the Queen, while Willow… was born from, well, you know what.” Raven shrugged, reluctant to say it aloud. Willow was essentially born outside the palace.“But you know her mother. I mean, you were close,” Gia recalled this detail.“Yes. Willow's mother is a cousin of my mother, and her father, the King, is a relative of mine. I’ve known both of them since I was a child. After my parents died, Willow’s mother took care of me, and her f
Gia actually didn’t want to hear more of Raven’s story. But as Raven lay there, he interpreted Gia’s silence as a sign to continue, and so he did."To put it briefly, there was one family who desired the throne. However, Lindgren's presence obstructed their path, necessitating my death to secure their succession in the event of the Gustaf family's overthrow.""What?" Gia looked at Raven, her expression blank. She had heard Raven’s words clearly, but they barely registered in her mind—they seemed increasingly foreign to her."If King Gustaf falls, it means Caius and his brother lose their claim to the throne. According to the noble lineage, Lindgren—that is, me—would then have the rightful claim. So, they had to eliminate two families to secure that right."
There was no smile on Raven's face. His eyes were serious, unwavering, as Gia looked up at him."Let's get married," Raven repeated, noticing Gia hadn't reacted.Gia tiptoed to touch Raven's forehead, feeling it for any unusual warmth. For a moment, she hoped Raven was suffering from a fever once more, which would at least justify his words."I'm not sick, Haze. I'm not delirious, either. I am fully aware of the situation and am requesting your hand in marriage. I am requesting your hand in marriage now, at this very moment," Raven laughed."But how? ... How would that even work?" Gia stammered."You don’t know how to get married? That’s surprising!" Raven's sarcastic humor returned in full force, now that G
Gia was reading an article on her phone and widened her eyes in shock."Sophie, please tell me this isn't true!" Gia showed her phone to Sophie.The woman, who was in the middle of doing her makeup, frowned. Gia had moved her head for the umpteenth time, defying orders to remain still.Gia was unfamiliar with the entire makeup process. She only went to salons to tidy up her haircut and occasionally enjoyed a spa treatment—though that was mostly because Rose insisted on dragging her along.Sophie paused her task of selecting a dress to glance at the article Gia was pointing at.The article detailed various Swedish wedding customs, and Gia had stumbled upon an absurd fact about an old Swedish wedding tradition.
"Eww... What is this?"Rose exclaimed, her voice a mix of disappointment and frustration as she eyed Gia’s wedding dress. Her reaction immediately raised Sophie's eyebrows, given that she had chosen the dress herself.Gia, however, voiced no complaints, because in her opinion, the dress was stunningly beautiful. The pristine white gown featured a wide skirt with subtle wing-like fabric accents at the waist. The lace, adorned with floral patterns, covered almost the entire surface, including the front waist, the skirt's hem, and the cuffs, and was adorned with gemstones that bore a striking resemblance to diamonds.Gia hoped they weren’t real diamonds because she’d feel incredibly guilty if one fell off and went missing.“It’s so beautiful...
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