In the blood....Simon, who had been watching silently all along, said nothing. His expression remained stern, offering no comfort to her growing panic.I smirked, enjoying the sight of her unraveling before me. âAww, it seems your husbands didnât think you needed to know about this, did they? Thatâs just sad,â I teased, shaking my head in mock pity.Veronicaâs face paled as she looked back at me. âTell me whatâs going on!â she demanded, her voice shaky but still filled with desperation.I took a step closer, leaning in as I spoke softly but clearly. âThe so-called âunfortunate little thingsâ you referred to are Lucas and Simonâs childrenâ*both* of them.âFor a moment, Veronica looked as though she couldnât breathe. She turned to Simon, who was still standing frozen by the door, his expression nonchalant.âIs this true?â she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper now, trembling with shock and betrayal.Simon still didn't say anything, but I was already growing very tired of the dr
Queen of infertility...### **Veronica's POV**Ever since the unfortunate return of Ashley to the mansion, I have not known peace, as the past keeps haunting me. I remember the first day I realized she was back. I was walking past her room when I heard the sound of giggles. At first, I thought it was just my imagination, since Simon and Lucas never allowed anyone to enter the room after she left. They only permitted two maids to clean it every two weeks. No one else was allowed inside. Hearing noise from there piqued my curiosity, as it made no sense that someone would be in the room.Seeing her again was terrifying, and I could feel my wolf threatening to leave me on the spot. However, this was not the end of the traumatic experience, as the worst possible outcome now stood before me: both her return and the presence of her children. They constantly avoided me at every opportunity.Itâs been almost a week now, and Ashley is still in the house, which is beginning to wear on me. Honest
Agree to disagree...As I walked towards the courtroom, the grandeur of the space seemed to loom over me, making me feel smaller with every step. The high arches and the echo of my footsteps amplified the tension inside me. I kept wondering what could possibly be going on and why Lucas and Simon had decided to summon me there instead of their study or, at the very least, the living room. The choice of location was unsettling. By the time I finally reached the courtroom, I walked in with a façade of confidence, only for it to quickly dissolve as I was met with the piercing gazes of the elders, as well as both Lucas and Simon.Standing there, seeing each and every one of them present, I froze. My anxiety surged like a tidal wave, crashing over my once-confident exterior. How could I have forgotten the conversation I overheard between Lucas and Damien a while ago? I distinctly remembered Damien telling Lucas that the elders had requested a meeting. How could I forget something so crucial
Crazy options!!!I paced faster, my mind already racing with possibilities. âYouâre right. If I can turn the packs against her, the elders might reconsider, or at least hesitate.ââThatâs right. And as for Lucas and Simon⊠keep a close eye on them. They may seem indifferent, but if they truly loved you, they wouldnât let this happen so easily. Donât trust them blindly.âHer words were a painful reminder of my vulnerability. Lucas and Simon had been the center of my world for so long, but now it seemed like that world was crumbling. Could I really trust them? Or had they already made their decision to side with Ashley?âI understand,â I whispered, my voice hardening. âIâll handle this.ââAnd Veronica,â my mother added, her tone softening slightly, âremember this: power is not given, itâs taken. Youâve fought too hard for your place to let it slip through your fingers now. Do what you must.âWith that, the line went dead. I stood there for a moment, staring blankly at the phone in my ha
Alone....I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and forced myself to speak, though my voice trembled. "If you go through with this... if you allow them to take everything from me, then I will never forgive you. Any of you."Elder Baron sighed, as though exhausted by my resistance. "We are not taking everything from you, Queen Veronica. You will still hold a place in the royal court, albeit one more suited to the circumstances.""I won't be sidelined!" I spat, rising from my chair. "You think you can just push me aside, that Iâll quietly fade into the background? No. Iâve fought too hard to be where I am. If you believe Iâll accept this without a fight, then youâve grossly underestimated me."For a moment, a flicker of uncertainty passed through the room. Even the elders, so self-assured moments ago, hesitated. But it was Daniel, the elder who had confronted me earlier, who stepped forward."Queen Veronica," he said, his voice cold and calculating. "You speak of fighting, but
An old friend...As I hung up the phone, a plan began to form in my mind. I couldnât fight this battle head-on, not yet. Daniel, Elder Baron, the entire councilâthey were too powerful. But there were others out there, those who had not yet chosen sides, those who still remembered my rule and believed in my vision for the kingdom.I needed allies. I needed to remind them who I was, what I had built, and why I would not simply vanish.The first name that came to mind was Fabian. Although he might have been a pain in the ass a while back, the little warning I gave him by getting Lucas and Simon to look into him should be enough to get him on my side this time. I had been loyal to him, and now it was time for him to return the favor. After all, we had mutual goals and aspirations.I had heard whispers that he had gone into hiding after Lucas and Simonâs thorough investigation. And if I'm being completely honest, I can't really judge him for doing that. It might seem like theyâre approacha
Strange...**ASHLEY'S POV**It had been almost a month since we were brought into the house. As soon as I got my phone, I instantly tried to reach George, who weirdly seemed a bit too calm and somewhat unbothered about what was happening.Every time I asked when he was going to come to get us out, he would initially give a specific day, and I would spend the whole time waiting for him. Since I didnât want Lucas and Simon to suspect my plans for escape, I always packed my things and my children's very discreetly so that when George came to get us, we would be ready to leave on time without being noticed.However, George would end up not coming all day, and to make matters even worse, his phone would be unavailable the entire time, so I couldnât even reach him to ask why he hadnât arrived. It would be after a day or two that heâd call to say something came up, before scheduling another day for his visit. This went on for weeks until it finally became a month since we had been brought to
Training...My mind raced. Although the boys and I had been in the mansion for about a month, Lucas and Simon still hadn't said anything regarding their supposed training. After all, that was the exact reason why they brought us here in the first place. I couldnât trust them, and they clearly didnât trust me either, but could I really blame them? Their biggest concern was me sneaking out with the kids, and given the number of escape attempts I had made during our time here, I couldnât blame them for that.Now that they had finally decided to discuss the childrenâs future, I didnât know what to feel. My emotions were all over the place, unpredictable like the gusts of wind that rattled the windows at night. Whatever Lucas and Simon had to say, I had to hear it, but I needed to tread carefully. The danger that clung to them was realâespecially after overhearing their lethal plans. Everything seemed to be moving faster than ever, and any wrong move could mean the end for me and my childr