Chapter 30: REGRESSION
Christopher stood in the center of a dense, shadowy forest. All around him, the air was thick with the scent of soil and sweat. The digging had been going on for days, and now the moment had come.
Suddenly, a worker shouted with excitement, his voice ringing through the trees:
"We found it! We found the Crimson Shards!"
A rush of energy spread through the workers. Cheers broke out. Even Duchess Helena Ravion, standing nearby, let out a breath of relief. The tension in her chest finally loosened.
Just a few weeks ago, when she was ordered to escort and serve the First Prince—Christopher Zadberg—she had felt thrilled. She thought this was her chance. If she could get close to him, maybe even seduce him, she could become part of the Royal Family.
But her dreams were shattered quickly.
Christopher didn't fall for her beauty. He didn't flirt, didn't praise her. He didn't even look at her the way most men did.
Instead, he looked through her—cold, sharp, calculating.
Worse, he found the secret she had hidden from the world for ten years:
She had a son.
And with that knowledge, he blackmailed her into giving him access to one of the most dangerous secrets of the realm—an illegal Crimson Shard mine.