Time: TC1853.01.20 (Mid-Morning)
Location: Long Estate – Darian's Private Study, First District
The Long estate appeared serene in morning light—ancient architecture reflecting centuries of military dominance, gardens maintained with precision that spoke of resources and power. Nothing in the compound's elegant surfaces suggested that everything was about to crack.
Darian's vehicle settled into its designated space with barely a whisper. He sat there for several seconds after the engine shut down. Hands still gripping the controls. Breathing with the measured discipline that had carried him through decades of military operations and business negotiations.
Your daughter and your wife.
The Emperor's words echoed with crystalline clarity. DNA evidence. Baby swap. Seventeen years of fraud executed at the highest levels of celestial society.
And Caelia—his wife, his partner, the woman he'd chosen over family approval and political advantage—somewhere at the center of it all.
