April’s POV"Stacie!"Dorian's exclamation made me jolt in fright. I was stunned by how shocked he looked. His face was pale as if he had just seen a ghost."Stacie, is that you?"He asked her again, but she simply looked at him with a blank stare and turned back to Conrad.I felt my heart skip beats. I had left the Royal City to my pack, hoping to get pictures and try to convince Lady Vivian that she was Stacie.I had doubted before, but the resemblance was too glaring, and it was a perfect match, except that she was a little older. It gave me hope that I was on the right track and that the pictures would actually help. But now, I was starting to doubt my own judgment. I saw the way she looked at Dorian as if she hadn't ever seen him before in her entire life. It was the same expression that she had given me when I met her for the first time. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe it was just a coincidence that she has such a strong resemblance to Stacie. It wasn't abnormal to see unreal people wh
Conrad’s POV"Fuck! Fuck that damned woman!"I smashed my fist into the table, and the wood gave way, and all I was left with was a pile of timber."Your Highness. I believe that you should really..."I grabbed a chair and flung it halfway across the room, nearly taking Jonas' head off with it."How dare she?! How dare she just waltz into my villa and think that she can interfere with my plans! Damn her!" I grabbed a heavy book from my desk and flung it at Pierre again. He ducked and immediately decided to get out of my line of trajectory.I couldn't explain how much I loathed that woman. Ever since my father took her as his concubine, she had been upstaging everyone. I understand that she was pretty and my father had particularly liked her. I saw the way she talked to people. She placed herself on the pedestal of a queen. That shameless bitch!I grabbed the curtains and sunk my claws into them. I ripped the expensive fabric, and it fell to the ground in shreds.I didn't care about
Chapter 140April’s POVI dashed to my room and saw Lucy sitting on my bed with a smile on her face. She seemed happy to see me."Hey! I thought I saw you arrive. Welcome."However, I was silent. My mind was blurry and unfocused, and I watched her with a blank stare. Her smile quickly dissolved and was replaced by concern. "Why the long face? What's wrong?" I set Azura on the floor, and it felt as if a switch had been flipped in my brain. I began to unravel, and panic consumed me. I watched them take Dorian away. What if something happened to him? What if he was taken to be killed, and Conrad wasn't going to hold up his end of the deal? Was that Stacie that I had seen? Dorian had recognised her at a glance. Maybe it was..."April?–"I felt a gentle hand touch me, and when I looked up, I saw Lucy holding my hand and looking at me with worry."–are you alright? You are acting weird."She didn't wait for my answer and led me to the bed. I sat down and tried to gather my thoughts, but
April’s POVBrrrrrr! Brrrrrr! Brrrrrr! I groaned and threw my pillow over my head. Who on earth was calling me so early in the morning?Brrrrrr! Brrrrr! Brrrrr!"Arrgghh! Damn it!"I sat up and grabbed my phone. The screen was blurry, and I rubbed my eyes a little so that I could see what was on it."Three missed calls from Dorian?!" My eyes flung open, and I felt the drowsiness disappear instantly.When did Dorian call me? How did he call me?He was captured. How come he had access to his phone?I was still stunned at the calls and a message came through from him."Meet us at Lady Vivian's villa in the garden. We need to talk." I reread the message many times. Where was Lady Vivian's villa, anyway? And who was 'us'? Who was he with?I wasted no time and got dressed. I was surprised that all the noise and commotion didn't wake Lucy up. She was sound asleep, and so was Azura, who was on her lap and filled heartily from last night. I threw on my hoodie and a pair of shorts and tip-t
Dorian’s POVI had barely been able to sleep. What Ivar had said about Stacie had kept up the entire night. Was I really that unperceptive? Why couldn't I bring myself to believe that Stacie was alive?I had also received a letter from Conrad in the evening and it was in my hand as I lay on the bed, swimming in thoughts till the early hours of the morning.To Dorian, Due to recent events, you have been requested to appear in court before the King and Alpha of the Royal City.We warn that you acknowledge this invitation for your own good. Failure to do so will result in the multiplication of your atrocities against the Empire and against the. Royal Family, specifically towards the Crowned Prince, Prince Conrad.Long live the King!Written by the Royal Palace Secretary. I couldn't count the number of times I scoffed after reading it. Conrad was more cowardly than I thought. He knew that this problem was between us, yet he was too scared to face me and had to hide behind bureaucracy to
Chapter 143Conrad’s POVI enjoyed the disarray in the courtroom. I was stirring up the trouble that I wanted. I turned to my father, hoping to see the same disdain but he seemed calm. Calmer than I had ever seen him before. Was he thinking about what to do to Dorian? Why did he seem so unbothered? What was wrong?I was starting to get impatient but I tried my best not to show it. Maybe my father needed more time to decide what to do with him.The chaos in the courtroom stopped and all eyes were on the king. We were all waiting for his reply but he still said nothing."Father, if you need more time to make a decision, I can ask Dorian to leave and he can come back later when you are ready."I held my breath waiting for his reply but he didn't say anything. He simply glared at me and waved me off with his hand.He turned his attention back to Dorian and I felt rage build inside of me. What was the meaning of this?The king signaled his aide to come and whispered something to him. My ea
Chapter 144Dorian’s POVI was as confused as ever as I was led out of the courtroom and taken to a room in the Royal Palace.I understood that Conrad wanted to kill me but instead, I was having the red carpet rolled out for me like I was an important dignitary who had come to see the King on important business. It made me even more worried and my senses were at their peak. I didn't trust Conrad and I was definitely not going to fall for this faux sense of security.I finally reached the room that I was assigned and the servant, who had taken me there, produced a key from his pocket and handed it to me."If you need anything, Mr. Dorian, there will be a servant waiting at your door to attend to your every request. Do make yourself comfortable and enjoy the King's generosity."The servant left and I unlocked the door to my room cautiously. For all I knew, there could be a trap waiting for me inside.I opened the door slowly and poked my head in just a bit. It looked like a normal room
Dorian’s POVI was more than confused. Why was he welcoming me? Had he met me before? I tried my best not to make my confusion known, but his keen eye had already seen my discomfort, and he gave me a reassuring part on the back."I can see that you are tense, but I assure you, there is nothing to worry about. Relax, eat and drink. We are more than honoured to have you here."I gave a weak smile and took my seat in an empty chair on the right side of the King. The table was filled with assorted foods, tingling the air and filling my lungs with a delicious and savoury concoction. My mouth began to water, but there were so many options that I had no idea what to start with. I finally decided to go with the lightest option and ate silently while I watched the King eat heartily and make polite talk with his advisors on matters of the Empire.Every now and then, I would steal a glance at him. His green eyes were dazzling, and they seemed to fill the room. The familiarity in them had not