"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...
"I do."Gia was genuinely afraid of ruining her makeup by crying again. But as those two words left Raven’s lips, her vision blurred further, clouded by overwhelming emotion and joy.Raven's voice, brimming with emotion, particularly resonated with her. Raven's voice conveyed to Gia that this union held equal significance for both Raven and herself.Caius stepped forward, carrying a box containing two rings, which Gia now knew for certain were exorbitantly expensive.Gia’s ring was a braided design, adorned with small, neatly arranged diamonds. At its center sat a larger diamond, completing the luxurious and elegant look. Gia hadn’t chosen it herself, but she didn’t mind. To her, all wedding rings were beautiful.Raven&rsqu
The darkness that blanketed the wedding venue did not diminish its beauty; instead, it added a serene and enchanting atmosphere.Hundreds of vanilla-scented candles scattered in various corners, akin to the mysterious glow of fireflies, complemented the dim lights from the garden lampposts. Gia silently marveled at the preparation of all this in just one day.The table where they dined was equally stunning. They meticulously arranged the plates and glasses to match the color theme of the decor. They served warm and delicious food."Don’t you want to give a toast? Even though there are only five of us, we’re still your guests!"Caz nudged Raven, who sat beside him. Max was nowhere to be seen. After offering his congratulations, Max disappeared again to attend
“There’s been a slight change of plans. We cannot return to Norway today,” Raven said, accelerating the car after the traffic light turned green.“What about Al and Frey?!” Gia protested loudly. She had been holding back her longing for them, and Gia was sure Raven felt the same.“Don’t worry. Jasper has sent a plane there. I think they’ll arrive here tomorrow.”"Oh, that’s good.” Gia sighed in relief.“The problem we faced earlier isn’t as simple as I thought. It might take a month or two to resolve. You don’t mind staying here for a while, do you?” Raven knew Gia loved their cabin in Norway the most.Gia quickly shook her head. “I don’t mind being anywhere as long as they’re there and you’re with me.”Raven smiled gratefully, appreciating how easily Gia understood and accepted the situation without making many demands.“Then where will we stay?” Gia asked. Raven was now driving toward the city area.“We don’t need to hide anymore. So I think it is safe to return to my old home.”"Th
However, they immediately faced west. They didn’t notice Gia sitting behind them.Gia felt cornered, as she had no other space to hide or escape. The entrance to Raven’s office was far to the east.Reluctantly, Gia sat still, waiting for them to leave.“You’re not joking, are you?” one of them, a woman with wavy red hair, exclaimed in shock.“I saw it with my own eyes. Sia came out of the elevator with Mr. Lindgren. And you should have seen it. Mr. Lindgren was carrying a coat and a large box, even though he usually never carries anything in his hands when he’s with someone else.”Gia’s heart raced as she realized they were talking about her, making her nervous.The lengthy explanation came from the woman Gia had first seen welcoming Raven. Her short black hair swayed as she nodded enthusiastically.“Is she pretty?” another member of the group asked."Her face is decent. Not extraordinarily beautiful, but sweet and pleasant to look at.”As if she had just passed a challenging test, Gi
Gia’s face flushed with embarrassment. She remembered how nearly everyone had stared at her face and scrutinized her body earlier.“They were just staring; no one made any comments. The rule still stands, Haze. If any of them had commented about you, and I happened to know or hear it myself, I would send them to hell faster than you can blink,” Raven asserted.“Bad comments, you mean,” Gia corrected.Gia didn’t support Raven’s habit of firing or punishing employees, but there wasn’t much she could do when Raven was so determined. Besides, it wasn’t like she could keep track of every employee Raven had let go.Gia made a slight correction, hoping the number of employees fired would be fewer. She also hoped no one would comment negatively about her, so no one would have to lose their job.***“Come in,” Raven said as they arrived in front of a large wooden door engraved with the name ‘Raven Corbin Lindgren’ in gold ink.Raven’s office was located in the most strategic corner of the floo
"Wait." Raven stopped Jasper from entering the elevator, then pressed the button for the top floor, marked P. The elevator doors closed.“If you want to change clothes before meeting the occupants of this building, you’ll have to do it here. Right now."That was the reason Raven had prevented Jasper from entering the elevator. She explained this before Gia could accuse her of being cruel for leaving Jasper behind.“Once these doors open, a room will be full of employees working under the board of directors. So, you need to change now.”That wasn’t a fabricated excuse, but Gia still had to think twice before doing something so bold. She would be undressing in a public space, even inside an elevator.At the moment, her outfit wasn’t appropriate for making a good impression. She had dressed casually, thinking today’s event was just about picking Raven up from prison—an occasion that didn’t require fancy attire."How about it?" Raven asked."What about you? You’re changing too." Gia point
"Take good care of her!""No need to tell me!" Raven snapped upon hearing Matteo's message.As they left the prison, Matteo expressed his desire to return to Italy again. He had urgent matters to attend to.Seeing no way to stop him, Gia finally gave up, trying to persuade him to stay. Raven kindly lent one of his planes to Matteo to take him to Italy.“Send my regards to Aria and Vero,” Gia said.Matteo nodded, briefly hugged Gia, and gently touched her face. “Take good care of yourself. Come visit as soon as you finish your business here.”“Sure,” Gia nodded confidently. Matteo then walked up the plane’s stairs, waved his hand, and the door closed behind him.“We need to take off soon, too,” Raven said, leading Gia toward another plane Jasper had prepared.But just as they were about to step forward, Raven’s phone vibrated. “What now?" Raven asked, answering the call with an annoyed expression.“What for? Isn’t it clear that I..."Raven paused momentarily, listening to what was undo
Yesterday, the political world of Sweden was shaken when Prime Minister Ronald Errikson suddenly resigned from his position. He cited health reasons, but three people in the car knew the reason.Gia was sure Caius knew since she had shared everything in that room with Jasper.“I hope Queen Silvia lets him go,” Gia muttered, shivering as she recalled Caius’s mother’s threats.“Don’t worry. My mother loves making threats, but considering her calculated moves so far, I think she’ll forgive him,” Caius replied confidently.Gia felt a bit sorry for Robert, who had also been manipulated by Willow. Yet, remembering what the two of them had done made Gia feel nauseous.“I met your brother. You two look alike,” Gia said, steering the conversation to a lighter topic.“I’m better looking, of course,” Caius smirked, refusing to back down.“Yeah… sure,” Gia conceded half-heartedly as Matteo snorted in disgust.That was all they said about Daniel. Gia fell silent, unable to comment further. She did
Gia stared at the building in wonder, then turned to Matteo, who was frowning as he tried to park the car neatly.The remaining parking space was narrow, requiring full concentration to fit their car in without grazing the vehicles on either side.“Are you sure we’re in the right place? We’re supposed to pick Raven up from prison. Why did you bring me here?" Gia protested as Matteo turned off the engine.“That building is Tabellen 4 Sollentuna, the highest-security prison in Stockholm,” Matteo explained.“Are you sure you didn’t mix up the address?” Gia asked, still doubtful."No, Gia. You can read the nameplate over there.”Gia wanted to argue again, but when she read the nameplate, she froze.She realized the tall building was indeed a prison. However, since the exterior was entirely covered in glass, it didn’t look like a typical prison but resembled a modern office building. From this angle, the sunlight reflecting off its surface made Gia squint slightly, even though it wasn’t ho
Matteo uttered the keyword “materialistic” and sparked an idea in Gia’s mind.King Gustaf greatly valued money if it served the nation’s interests. Taxes were the answer—essential to the country’s finances, with the funds allocated for the people’s welfare. He would never willingly lose that much money in an instant.Lindgren Corp likely contributed at least ten to fifteen per cent of the nation’s tax revenue. This is a small percentage, but in monetary terms, it was immense. The sum was roughly equivalent to the nation’s needs for two months. Losing it would disrupt the economy.Gia regretted not realizing this sooner, but it seemed Matteo had prepared it as a final negotiation card if all else failed. Still, she felt proud of herself for quickly deciphering Matteo’s brief hint.Once again, laughter erupted behind Gia. “I like your style, Gia. I really do…” Queen Silvia clapped in delight. She enjoyed the drama Gia brought and seemed thoroughly satisfied. “Someday, I’ll invite you
CRASH!As Queen Silvia finished her sentence, an ashtray flew through the air and slammed into the wall behind Ronald. King Gustaf had thrown it. He snatched the ashtray from the table and hurled it with all his strength in Ronald’s direction.His fury had reached its boiling point. Anyone could understand the implication behind Queen Silvia’s words about “spreading legs.” Imagining Willow doing such a thing with Ronald was enough to make Queen Silvia’s disgust apparent.Especially for King Gustaf. Though he found it hard to believe his wife’s words, Ronald’s increasingly bowed head confirmed the truth.Gia covered her mouth, trying to stifle her gasp. She hadn’t expected Willow to stoop so low to achieve her plans. Matteo, however, seemed utterly unbothered, the only one in the room unimpressed by the unfolding drama. He’d witnessed far more shocking events in the past.“I knew that girl was disgusting! But you are even more repulsive for accepting her. She’s the same age as your dau