We have to find her

Lilian took a slow, measured breath, steadying her thoughts as she studied Gabriel’s face. She knew her son’s temper all too well—Armin was unpredictable, stubborn, and more than willing to tear down anything in his path when he felt cornered. If they confronted him with the truth about this marriage now, before knowing Alysha’s whereabouts, it would ignite his fury and force him into a decision they couldn't control. For now, silence was her only weapon.

“We can’t tell him yet,” Lilian murmured, her gaze locked onto Gabriel’s. “Not until we know exactly where Alysha is. If we inform him now, he’ll demand to see her immediately—and if we have nothing to show him…”

Gabriel’s jaw tightened, the weight of her words sinking in. “You’re right,” he replied, a bitter edge to his tone. “He’ll see it as a trap, a manipulation. And if Armin thinks we’re controlling him, there’s no telling what he’ll do.”

Lilian nodded slowly, her mind already churning through the possibilities. “Our first priority is finding Alysha, locating her before anyone else gets to her. Until then, we keep this marriage under wraps. We need time, Gabriel. Time to ensure that when we do tell Armin, we can put Alysha in front of him and avoid another mess.”

Gabriel’s face was stormy, but he understood the necessity. “Then we’ll continue the search quietly. No one outside the family can know about this, not yet. If Alysha is still within the city…” His voice trailed off, his expression darkening. They needed to retrieve her before she was lost in the maze of the city or, worse, before any rivals caught wind of her disappearance.

Lilian’s gaze sharpened, her thoughts flashing to the woman they’d briefly met. “If Alysha is the wife Armin is bound to,” she whispered, her voice steely, “then we’ll make sure he understands it. But until we find her, we keep quiet.”

Their silence was not without risk, but in this dangerous game, it was the only way to maintain control. For now, they needed Alysha found, hidden, and ready—before their son discovered the secrets that could rip their family apart.

Bjorn stood in the hallway, his eyes wide with confusion, running a hand through his hair as he tried to make sense of the chaos swirling around him. His mind raced, piecing together fragments of what he’d seen, what he’d been told, and what he knew about his brother Armin. But none of it added up.

He could have sworn he’d seen a woman named Alysha Jarl at the Suegra Hotel last night—a strikingly beautiful woman with a quiet, almost haunted presence. He’d escorted her himself, seen her go up to the room meant for his brother, and left her there to wait. But now, out of nowhere, he was being told that Armin was supposedly married to someone else entirely—a woman named Seraphina Holland, the daughter of Neil Holland, their family’s long-trusted security chief.

What the hell? Bjorn thought, frustration boiling inside him. How is Armin married to two women?

And to make matters worse, the hotel security now claimed that Alysha had never even set foot in the place. No footage, no records, nothing. Like she’d been a ghost, slipping in and out of his vision. But he knew what he’d seen. He wasn’t crazy… was he?

Could they be right about me? he thought darkly, half-joking to himself. Is Bjorn the screw-up they all think he is? Seeing things that aren’t there?

The thought gnawed at him, but he shook it off. This was no trick of his imagination—he knew what he’d seen. Someone was hiding something, twisting reality, and if there was one thing Bjorn despised, it was deception.

With a frustrated growl, he muttered under his breath, “What kind of game is everyone playing here? Alysha was real—I saw her. And now you’re all trying to tell me she was never there?”

As he stood there, mind whirling, he realized he was caught in a tangle of lies and manipulations. He might be seen as the reckless one, the troublemaker of the family, but he was determined to get to the bottom of this. His mind raced with questions, and just as he was about to open his mouth to ask Armin, his father’s voice roared through the room.

“Bjorn!” Gabriel barked, his voice sharp as a whip.

Bjorn snapped his head toward his father, taken aback by the harshness of Gabriel’s tone. His lips parted, but he hesitated under the weight of Gabriel’s fierce glare.

“Come here,” Gabriel ordered, his eyes narrowing. “Do not open your mouth without my permission.”

Bjorn’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He had always been the one to stir up drama, and his father knew it. But this reaction caught him off guard. Just as Bjorn was about to respond, Lilian, ever the peacemaker, stepped in. 

“Gabriel, why do you always talk to him like this?” Lilian said softly, her voice filled with maternal concern. She walked over to Bjorn, her hands reaching up to cup his face as she gazed at him with adoration. "My precious son…" she cooed, gently stroking his hair. Bjorn gave his mother a half-smile, relishing in the attention while watching Armin and Seraphina out of the corner of his eye.

“Lilian,” Gabriel muttered, his voice dripping with irritation, “tell Bjorn not to make any drama. I know him too well. Everything in this family is a source of entertainment for him. He loves chaos.”

Bjorn’s lips curled into a sly grin, his eyes lighting up with amusement. "Isn't it, Dad?" he quipped, his voice teasing. "This family is full of drama! I was just wondering—"

“Shut up!” Gabriel cut him off, roaring once again, his face flushed with anger. Bjorn, taken aback by the sudden outburst, raised his hands in mock surrender, but the grin never fully left his face.

Lilian sighed, placing a gentle hand on Gabriel’s arm. “Gabriel, calm down,” she said softly. "We'll handle this." Then she turned to Bjorn. "Come with us, darling. Your father’s right—now isn’t the time for your games."

Bjorn frowned slightly. "Where are we going?" he asked, curiosity flashing in his eyes.

Gabriel's expression darkened. "Europe," he growled. "We’re going to meet with the Jarl family."