Chapter : The Final Heir Must Fall

The message echoed in my mind like a curse carved into stone.

The final heir must fall.

I stared at the card, its ink smudged from my shaking fingers. No signature. No return address. Just those five words, stamped in red like blood. A threat—plain, unmistakable, and close. Too close.

The air in Lucien’s office turned heavy. My breath grew shallow, each inhale scratching down my throat like broken glass. For a moment, I couldn’t move. My fingers refused to let go of the message. My legs locked, paralyzed by the truth.

They weren’t done.

"Adeline?"

Lucien’s voice cut through the fog. He...