The photograph sat on the breakfast table between them.
Adrian stared at it.
Liora stared at Adrian.
Neither spoke.
Finally, Adrian picked it up.
A flicker of something crossed his face.
Gone almost immediately.
But not before Liora noticed.
“You hate it.”
Adrian sighed.
“Unfortunately.”
A smile tugged at her lips.
“Why?”
“No reason.”
“That’s clearly a lie.”
“It isn’t.”
“It is.”
Adrian set the photograph down.
Carefully.
Like it mattered more than he wanted to admit.
Liora immediately noticed that too.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
She leaned forward.
“Why did Elara write that you hated it?”
Adrian looked up.
Expression perfectly neutral.
Too neutral.
The expression of a man deliberately hiding something.
“Because she found it amusing.”
“Found what amusing?”
Silence.
Liora smiled.
She was winning.
Slowly.
But winning.
Then Adrian ruined everything.
“Finish your breakfast.”
Her smile disappeared.
“I dislike you.”
“You’ve mentioned.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
Liora groaned.
Somewhere in the distance, she could practically hear Elara laughing at her.
School provided little relief.
The moment she arrived on campus, reality returned.
Students.
Assignments.
Deadlines.
Normal life.
At least as normal as her life could still be considered.
Tessa was waiting outside one of the lecture halls.
Relief immediately washed through Liora.
“Finally.”
Tessa looked up from her phone.
“There she is.”
Liora dropped into the seat beside her.
“You disappeared.”
“So did you.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“Because my disappearance was justified.”
Tessa laughed.
The sound instantly made Liora feel lighter.
Some things hadn’t changed.
Not yet.
“How’s your aunt?”
“Better.”
“Good.”
Silence followed.
A comfortable one.
At least initially.
Then Tessa spoke.
“You’ve changed.”
The words hit harder than expected.
Liora looked away.
Toward the lecture hall.
Toward literally anything else.
“What does that mean?”
Tessa studied her.
“Exactly what I said.”
Liora forced a small laugh.
“Very helpful.”
“I’m serious.”
The smile vanished from Tessa’s face.
“You’ve been distant.”
Liora’s stomach tightened.
“You hardly come over.”
Silence.
“You barely tell me anything.”
More silence.
Liora looked down at her hands.
Because the worst part?
Tessa wasn’t wrong.
Not even slightly.
The truth sat heavily inside her chest.
She wanted to explain.
Wanted to tell her everything.
The mansion.
The contract.
Adrian.
Cassian.
Elara.
All of it.
But she couldn’t.
Not yet.
Maybe not ever.
“Can I ask you something?”
Tessa’s voice softened.
Liora nodded.
“Do you trust the people you’re with?”
The question caught her completely off guard.
She opened her mouth.
Then paused.
Just for a second.
One tiny second.
But it was enough.
Tessa noticed.
Of course she did.
Tessa noticed everything.
Liora quickly recovered.
“Yes.”
Another lie.
Not entirely.
Not completely.
But not entirely true either.
Because trust wasn’t simple.
Not when the people in question had changed your life.
Not when one of them had practically purchased your future.
Tessa watched her quietly.
Then nodded.
The conversation moved on.
But Liora knew she hadn’t convinced her.
Not really.
The estate felt different when she returned that evening.
Tense.
Not visibly.
Subtly.
The sort of tension that slipped beneath doors and lingered inside hallways.
Staff members moved more carefully.
Conversations ended when others approached.
Something was happening.
Liora noticed it immediately.
And curiosity, unfortunately, remained one of her greatest weaknesses.
She followed the signs.
A partially open door.
Muted voices.
Footsteps.
Eventually, she reached one of the larger meeting rooms.
The door opened.
A man emerged.
And instantly the atmosphere shifted.
Liora understood why.
He wasn’t particularly tall.
Perhaps slightly above average.
But presence wasn’t measured in height.
The man carried authority effortlessly.
Silver hair.
Sharp features.
Perfect posture.
Dark eyes that seemed to assess everything around him.
Nothing about him felt warm.
Nothing about him felt inviting.
The staff nearest the hallway immediately straightened.
Not out of respect.
Out of caution.
The distinction mattered.
The older man adjusted his cufflinks.
Then continued walking.
Not acknowledging anyone.
Not looking at anyone.
Just moving forward as though the world naturally stepped aside for him.
Which, disturbingly enough, it did.
Liora watched him disappear around the corner.
A shiver ran down her spine.
Something about him felt wrong.
Not evil.
Not obviously.
Just… cold.
A staff member passed by.
“Who was that?”
The man hesitated.
Just briefly.
Then:
“Mr Octavian Valmere.”
Liora froze.
The name landed instantly.
Octavian.
One of the relatives.
One of the people Adrian had once mentioned.
The staff member quickly continued on his way.
Leaving Liora standing alone.
Watching the empty hallway.
Thinking.
Later that evening, she found herself wandering near one of the estate’s private libraries.
Not intentionally.
At least that was the lie she told herself.
The truth was simpler.
She was curious.
Again.
Voices drifted through a partially open door.
Two voices.
One she recognised immediately.
Cassian.
The second belonged to Octavian.
Liora should’ve walked away.
Instead, she stopped.
Just for a second.
Only a second.
Or so she intended.
“…years, Cassian.”
Octavian’s voice carried clearly.
Calm.
Controlled.
Cassian didn’t respond immediately.
When he finally did, his tone sounded tired.
“I know.”
“No.”
Octavian replied.
“You don’t.”
Silence followed.
Heavy silence.
Then:
“You’ve spent years refusing to move forward.”
Liora frowned.
Inside the room, neither man raised his voice.
That somehow made the conversation more uncomfortable.
“Elara is gone.”
The words struck like a hammer.
Silence followed.
Long silence.
Then Cassian spoke.
His voice had become colder.
“Be careful.”
Octavian didn’t seem concerned.
“The truth doesn’t become less true because it hurts.”
Liora’s heart pounded.
Every instinct screamed at her to leave.
But she remained where she was.
Listening.
Unable to stop.
Then Octavian said the words that changed everything.
“The company cannot remain frozen forever.”
Another pause.
“You need an heir.”
Silence.
Complete silence.
Liora stopped breathing.
Because suddenly…
Everything clicked.
Not fully.
But enough.
This wasn’t just about grief.
This wasn’t just about a daughter.
This wasn’t even just about family.
This was about succession.
Inheritance.
Power.
The future of an empire.
And for the first time since Adrian approached her outside that café…
Liora realised how enormous the Valmere name truly was.
Inside the room, chairs shifted.
Footsteps moved.
The conversation was ending.
Panic shot through her.
She immediately retreated down the hallway before anyone could find her there.
Her heart hammered all the way back to her room.
And long after she’d shut the door behind her, one sentence continued echoing inside her mind.
You need an heir.
For the first time, Liora began wondering whether she had truly understood what she had agreed to.
And for the first time…
She suspected she hadn’t.