Rivalry and roses

mother's confession when her phone buz

ally awake,

. No more puzzles

alo

ing the weight of all the ha

, hesitant. "Don't go. H

r whispered that it was

a said, her voice steady. "Maybe he

tightened, but

yard, the city lights flickering far behind him. His usu

he greeted,

" Mina snapped. "I'm n

were. You've always been the one writing

hase me? Why the threats? The games?

er but carefully, like she was a

I was training you. The fox's heir is always hunted. Always targeted. If you

you scared me on purpose?

. So you'd fight back. So you'd become some

place overgrown, silent, yet strangely safe. The moonlight filtered th

n old, dusty table covered wi

sually soft. "You deserve the

r arms but sat.

d, like he was measuring how

by blood. He raised me when my family was taken by th

t tightened.

eirs for centuries. You're not the first. But your grandfather-he was the first to alm

otograph acr

leven, standing beside her grandf

The threats? Why did

ed too easily. The fox's heir has to be sharp. Has to learn to run, to doubt, to fight-even w

ghtly, a rare moment

ake you hate me? Every time you ran, every time you

, everything she'd felt for weeks-it didn't

trust me to ha

mother didn't trust me. She thought I'd lead you into the

nked. "S

fell in love with your father, but the Order never forgives. She's been

en them, broken only by t

na asked, her voic

hose you. He chose your side, over and over again. I pushed him away because I ne

"So... you weren't try

ing to make sure you'd survive eve

n. Another message fr

you play l

line end

littl

hardened as he

a worn black notebook from his jacke

d it tow

inal pieces. His enemies are now

gers brushed

this time, you won't fight alone. I'm

e, she didn't fli

. "I'm not your villain, Mina. I'm the only o

me, Mina didn't

he realized maybe she

h this," she whis

-sharp, dangerous, but

'd never ask