The day of the independent DNA test felt like the calm before a storm. Roman walked into the genetics lab with his hands in his pockets. Kade was right behind him. Eleanor had already arrived. She was flipping through some papers like this was just another Tuesday.On the other side of the room, Lucian and his entourage of frauds were already seated. Vivienne was pretending to be calm, but the way she kept tapping her nails against the table told a different story. Soren and Alistair sat with their arms crossed, wearing matching scowls. Evander, as usual, looked like he’d rather be anywhere else.And then, of course, there was Kristan. He sat there, looking as bored as ever.Lucian cleared his throat, forcing his usual fake authority into the room. “Let’s get this over with.” A doctor entered and pushed up her glasses as she scanned the room. She gave a polite nod. “We’ll be taking two samples from both individuals—one blood, one cheek swab. The results will be processed within twent

Lucian summoned the family to his apartment after the small win at the court. They had more plans to make, now that the judge had decided to hold another court supervised test. Lucian’s apartment was filled with tension. The Averne family had gathered, and for the past hour, all they’d done was argue, complain, and stress themselves out over the same thing—how to stop the next DNA test. Because this time they would be screwed if the test actually goes through. They were lucky enough to manipulate the first test. They knew that they might not have the chance to manipulate this one since more strict measures would surely be enforced,Soren rubbed his temples. "We need a plan."Alistair scoffed. "Obviously."Vivienne let out a frustrated sigh. "If the court supervises the test at every step, Kristan will fail, and everything falls apart."Lucian, who had been pacing for the past twenty minutes, stopped and faced them. "Then we need to make sure the test never happens."Evander, who had

It was yet another day for another court hearing. Roman stood outside the courthouse, his phone in hand, as he texted Kade one last time."Everything set?" Roman asked. "Yeah. The guy is ready. Kristan won’t see it coming." Kade replied. Roman inhaled deeply and glanced around. Kristan was already arriving with the Averne family, laughing smugly with Lucian and Vivienne. Roman clenched his jaw. 'Let’s see how much you’ll be laughing after today.' He thought. The plan was simple. A fight would break out, Kristan would get involved, and in the scuffle, his mask—if he was wearing one—would be yanked off. Kade would be nearby, recording everything. Roman needed that footage. He needed proof. If it turned out that the face modification was not a mask, the plan wouldn’t work, and they would have to look for another alternative to expose Kristan.Just as the Avernes were about to enter the courthouse, a man pretending to be a random pedestrian bumped into Kristan."Watch where you're g

Haylee hadn’t thought about Roman in a long time. Not since she’d walked away from him without looking back. Not since she’d cheated on him, humiliated him, and chosen Hamilton instead. Or since the auction. She had almost forgotten about his existence. And yet, here she was, sitting on her ridiculously expensive leather couch, staring at the television screen like it had just announced the end of the world.Because in a way, it had. The press conference was everywhere. On every news channel, every social media platform, every business site.And the man standing behind that podium was Roman. Her ex-husband. Roman, the man she had called weak. Roman, the man she had abandoned. Roman, now the CEO of the biggest company in the country.Haylee’s stomach twisted.Her fingers clenched the wine glass in her hand as she watched him speak. This wasn’t the same man she had once dismissed. No, this was someone else entirely.And the worst part was that she needed him. Badly. Haylee reached for

Haylee sat at the edge of the bed, running a hand through her perfectly styled hair and staring at the dimly lit room. Her heart was pounding. She had never done something this insane before. But here she was, about to pull off the most manipulative stunt of her life. Her mother’s words kept ringing in her head. It was easier said than done. Because tonight, she had to sell the performance of her life. And the man she was about to deceive was Hamilton. What if he found out? What if the plan flopped? And she still had no idea what plan her mother was going to use the video for if she eventually succeeded.Hamilton was in the bathroom, completely unaware of what was coming. Haylee took a deep breath, making sure the hidden camera was set up, and ready to record footage from the best position. The video could be edited later to remove any extra footage. She had to do this right. She had to make sure every moment was properly captured according to her mother’s instruction.And most import