Royal Ties

ise penthouse, Alexander Beaumont finds the city stretched out like a sea of brilliant glass and steel. He sits with his warm cup of coffe

stiny. The wealth and the celebrity come with a price: a life that allows little room for true freedom or love. He is cool-headed and intelligent; he always uses words a

most at ease in her little studio area, which is covered in handmade goods, drawings, and sketches. Unlike Alexander, she likes her freedom and the simple delight of creating art. But her

d happiness into a mold. Yet, as fate would have it, her family has determined that the only way to preserve their faltering business is to join forces

ers for a ceremonial breakfast. The sounds of polite discourse blend with undercurrents of stress. His father talks about heritage and authority. Every word is chosen deliberately, leaving no r

pieces of a well-oiled machine. Isabella listens, her mind drifting to dreams of art, music, and true love,things money cannot buy. She fee

finest clothing. The room buzzes with enthusiasm and polite chatter. Everywhere you turn, shimmering chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and meticulously s

ves her restless eyes and the quiet determination in her grin. She is not like the other women he has met at similar events: she does not appear defeated

e had met under better circumstances." In that brief instant, as their eyes contact, each senses a spark, a clue that there might be more to this encounter than simply business. But the trut

helps clarify his racing thoughts. He looks out across the city, wondering how someone as free-spirited as Isabella could possibly exist in a world structured on secrets and c

ander glanced at the screen and sees a message that makes

You have only one chan

exander's mind races. All his life, he has disguised his inner personality behind a mask of obligation and precise plannin

painting, her phone rings. The caller ID is concealed. With a mix of interest and caution, she says in a hushed voice, "Hello?" A weak, artificial voice says, "Your path is chosen for you. Accept it or face the c

lexander clutches the mysterious note as if it contains the key to his liberation. Isabella, with her heart thum

every peaceful nook hides the threat of peril. For the first time, both Alexander and Isabella understan

talks in riddles? Meanwhile, Isabella grabs her phone hard, thinking whether her heart will ever beat free from the confines of obligation. In

ehind the hidden voice on the phone? And can two hearts,

beyond the dawn,waiti