The night air in the palace gardens was heavy with jasmine, but Lin Wei could hardly breathe.
She stood frozen in her chamber, the echo of two voices still vibrating against her ribs. Omar's warning—urgent, whispered through the door. Hamdan's demand—loud, commanding, impossible to ignore.
Who do I trust? she thought, heart racing. Who's telling the truth?
Before she could decide, the door handle turned sharply.
"Cinderella," Hamdan's voice cut through the silence. "Don't test my patience."
Lin Wei stepped back. Her pulse roared in her ears. She glanced at the sketchbook still lying open on her desk, the courtyard drawing staring back at her like a secret beckoning in the dark. Omar's voice echoed in her mind: Meet me in the courtyard at midnight.
She clenched her fists. If she stayed, Hamdan would bulldoze her with commands until she bent. If she slipped away… she might learn something he didn't want her to know.
Decision made, Lin Wei crossed the room, flung open the balcony doors, and climbed down the trellis with the kind of agility born of desperation. Her palms scraped against rough stone, her heart slamming, but freedom—however temporary—burned like fire in her chest.
The courtyard was deserted. Moonlight spilled across the patterned stones, the same symbols she had traced in Omar's sketchbook. She knelt, brushing away leaves. The carvings beneath were sharper than they'd looked by day, arranged in deliberate lines.
A map. A hidden passage.
"Clever," a voice murmured behind her.
She spun. Omar stood in the shadows, dressed in dark clothes that blended with the night. His expression softened when he saw her fear.
"You shouldn't have come," he said. "But I'm glad you did."
Her voice trembled despite her resolve. "Why me? Why drag me into this?"
"Because you've already seen too much," Omar said simply. "And because you're not afraid to speak truth, even in front of lions."
Before she could reply, footsteps thundered on the path. Hamdan burst into the courtyard, fury blazing in his eyes.
"Unbelievable," he snapped. "I told you not to trust him, and here you are sneaking out like a thief."
Lin Wei straightened, forcing her knees not to buckle. "You don't own me."
The words cracked through the night like a whip. For a heartbeat, even Hamdan looked stunned. Then his smirk returned, sharper than ever.
"Say that again."
"I don't belong to you," she said, louder this time, every nerve in her body trembling but unyielding.
Omar stepped forward, his voice calm but firm. "Hamdan, let her go. You're making her a prisoner."
"You think you can take her from me?" Hamdan barked a laugh. "You're dreaming, cousin."
"She isn't yours to take," Omar countered.
The air between them vibrated with tension. Lin Wei felt like prey caught between two predators, their power pressing against her chest until she could barely draw breath.
"I won't be a pawn in your fight," she burst out. "I'm not a prize to win or lose. If either of you truly respects me, prove it by letting me choose."
The words silenced them both.
For the first time, Omar looked startled. Hamdan's eyes darkened, unreadable.
And then—clapping echoed through the courtyard. Slow. Mocking.
From the shadows, a figure emerged. Princess Leila, her gown shimmering like liquid silver, her smile sharp enough to cut glass.
"Well, well," she drawled. "What an interesting triangle we have here. The maid, the rebel, and the playboy."
Lin Wei's stomach dropped. She hadn't even known Leila was watching.
Leila circled her like a viper, eyes gleaming with disdain. "Do you know how fast scandal spreads in this palace, little maid? Tomorrow the newspapers will call you the prince's whore. And when that happens, do you think you'll survive?"
Lin Wei's nails dug into her palms, but she lifted her chin. "I've survived worse than rumors."
The princess's smile faltered, just for a moment. Then she leaned closer, her voice low. "You don't understand. This isn't about gossip. This is about the throne. And you've already stepped too deep."
Before Lin Wei could respond, Hamdan moved between them, his tone a snarl. "Stay away from her, Leila."
"Or what?" Leila taunted. "You'll defy the council again? You'll destroy what little credibility you have left?"
Her eyes slid to Omar. "And you… Always so righteous. Careful, cousin. Righteous men don't survive long here."
The tension grew unbearable.
Then a shout echoed from the far side of the garden. Guards. Torches. The sound of boots against stone.
Leila's smirk widened. "Ah. Perfect timing. Let's see how the King reacts when he finds his son sneaking around the courtyard with a maid."
She stepped back into the shadows just as the guards appeared, rifles glinting under torchlight.
"Your Highness," the captain barked, eyes sweeping over Hamdan, Omar, and Lin Wei. "What is the meaning of this?"
Hamdan's jaw tightened. Omar's hands curled into fists. Lin Wei's heart plummeted.
Because no matter what explanation they gave, the sight of a maid caught between two princes in the dead of night would be enough to spark a scandal the palace could not contain.
Torches held by the guards illuminated the entire courtyard, and Lin Wei stood at the center, becoming the undeniable focus of the scandal.
In the next moment, her fate was no longer in her own hands, but destined to be torn between the royal family and the court of public opinion...