LOGINAmara grabbed Clara by the back of the neck with one hand and Hilda's arm with the other. Without breaking stride, she marched them toward the family villa.Both sisters struggled.It didn't help. Amara's grip was far beyond anything they had anticipated. Even with Giana throwing herself into the effort, the three of them together could not break free from her hold.Giana watched as Amara dragged Clara and Hilda down the street, then did the only thing left to do.She followed.…By then, Diana had tracked Elara all the way to the Miller villa.Helena was in the courtyard watering her flowers when she looked up and found two young women staring at her."Hello, Grandma!" Elara launched herself straight into Helena's arms.Helena held no affection for the Chamberlains, but Elara was an exception. After all, who could argue with someone who was practically behaving like a child?"Good girl."She pulled Elara close and spoke softly, asking how she had been these past few days an
Clara stopped mid-sentence. 'Damn. I miscalculated.'In her effort to paint Oscar as the villain, she had also reinforced the idea that losing the villa was not Amara's fault. Which meant Amara now believed, at least on some level, that the villa wasn't truly lost. That she had still fulfilled the mission her father had entrusted to her.It was no wonder she was defending Jason. In her mind, Jason moving into the family home had essentially been her decision.She had passed the family to Arthur's heir, bypassing Oscar entirely. She hadn't failed the family. She had secured its future. It wasn't a stain on her record, but a victory.Clara caught Hilda's eye and nodded toward the door.Hilda would go get the doctor.They had already woken Amara up. The family already had one person untethered from reality. They didn't need two.The doctor arrived shortly afterward. He had barely reached the bed when Amara sprang to her feet. "There is nothing wrong with me. No examination needed.
Giana pressed her lips together. "When did Oscar become like this? Driving us out of the family wasn't enough. He had to bring Jason in too. He's doing to us exactly what we did to him, just to humiliate us. He's not letting it go, even when he's in the right. That kind of thing catches up with people."Giana was genuinely angry now. For days, she had been reinforcing the idea in Amara's mind that all of this was Oscar's fault.In her own mind, however, she had always kept a private ledger. The family had wronged him, and he had come back to collect. It was fair to call things even. No one owed anyone anything anymore.But what Oscar had just done with Jason made it seem as though the ledger was still open, as though he wasn't finished pressing down on them.They were already living like this, and he still wanted more? That was not principle. That was pettiness disguised as victory.'How does a man like that end up leading Draconox?' Giana wondered.Amara let out a cold laugh. "Y
"You're all liars. Liars! You promised me a big bed and good food. And look at this. Pasta every single day. My mouth has forgotten what real flavor tastes like."And a big bed? You threw a blanket on the floor and told me the whole floor was my bed."I'm done with all of you. I'm going to find Oscar." Elara hurled her doll at Amara and bolted for the door.Clara was too far inside the room to cut her off. She called out to the person closest to the exit. "Go, Diana!"Diana hesitated for half a second, then sprinted after her.How had things come to this?Back at the family home, they had always gotten along. There were no arguments and no blame. Everyone had a role, and everyone played it. The days passed smoothly, without friction.After only a few days out in the world, they were already pulling in different directions. People often said it was easy to suffer together but hard to enjoy success together.They had enjoyed the success. Now they could not even endure the hardshi
The room fell silent after Diana's words.In that stillness, the sound from the bed was unmistakable."Amara!""Amara!"The sisters rushed to her side.Amara's eyes opened slowly. The days of effort had not been wasted. Her eyes were not even fully open before the words came out through clenched teeth. "Damn Oscar."The sisters exchanged glances.Clara stepped forward at once and rubbed Amara's back, helping her sit up. "Amara, it's all right. You're all right."She continued until Amara's breathing steadied. Then she asked carefully, "Amara, what did Oscar do to you? Why did you..."The doctor had already explained the situation to Clara. The method they had used would wake Amara.However, it came with a cost. A mind in that state carried two competing currents of thought. Whichever one prevailed would bring her back to consciousness. Even so, the other wouldn't disappear. It would remain beneath the surface, quietly waiting.Under normal circumstances, as long as the domin
Years of living under the same roof, years of being cared for, and all of it erased by a single expulsion?"Do you think... now that Jason is at the villa, we could find a way to see him quietly? Maybe ask him to help us..."Diana had not even finished speaking before several sharp looks turned toward her.Clara was the first to object. "Ask Jason for help? Why don't we just ask Oscar for forgiveness while we're at it? If we're going to swallow our pride either way, Oscar is at least someone with real power. Jason can't compare to him."Besides, if you want to beg someone, go ahead. I'm not setting foot anywhere near Jason. After the way he treated us, do we have no self-respect left?"Giana quickly followed. "Diana, how could you even think that? Yes, things are difficult right now. But you know what Jason is like."The moment he found out Oscar was the Draconox Archon, he couldn't distance himself from us fast enough. If we go to him now, the only thing we'll get in return is h
"Miss Bella, you're here!"Unlike Oscar, the Chamberlain sisters lived in the spotlight. They made headlines almost daily. In Silverton, nearly everyone recognized them.Victor hurried to drag over a stool. He wiped it down with his sleeve and offered it to Bella.She glanced at it. Disgust flick
"Victor, we really have no money left!" George dropped to his knees. "We already repaid the 60,000 dollars we borrowed from you. Over the years, it was 6,000 here, 6,000 there. Now it's somehow 600,000? How are we supposed to come up with that?"He pressed his forehead to the floor. "Please. Leave
Rain streamed down Oscar's face and soaked through his clothes, but he felt none of it.For years, he had given the Chamberlain family everything.Amara's Chamberlain Group would never have risen to the top of Silverton without him supplying her with intelligence day after day, placing winning str
"Mr. Chamberlain, I'm sorry." The doctor slid the lab report across the desk. "Brain cancer. Late stage."Oscar Chamberlain stared at the doctor for several seconds, then lowered his gaze to the two words on the page. The paper was still warm from the printer. The sharp, chemical smell of ink hit h







