Her childhood was forged in shadows, and she was sharpened into a weapon, trained to be a ghost, a killer—an instrument of vengeance. The target: a decorated general who brought down her family.

But fate doesn't follow orders.

Just as Lara was about to execute her long-planned mission, everything spiraled out of control. A military convoy intercepted her escape route—escorting none other than the general himself. And then came the moment that changed everything.

A blinding crash. Screeching tires. Her body was thrown like a ragdoll, then darkness.

She had a fleeting recollection of another world, another lifetime where kings ruled the land with an iron fist.

But she woke up, and twelve long months had passed. 

She did not know where she was or who she was. She remembered nothing.

They told her different names.

A child with trembling hope whispered, “Mommy, your name is Moira Torres.”

Her doctor insisted, “Your admission slip says Larissa Reyes.”

A hardened general leaned close and commanded, “Remember who you are. Remember your mission.”

Then another general—dangerously calm, incredibly familiar—looked at her as if she mattered and asked, “Can I call you Lara?”

The name unlocked something buried deep in her soul.

Lara Norse Kromwel.
Daughter of General Odin Norse.
Empress of the First Empire.

But the man who watched her most closely dismissed it with cold certainty.
“This is the 21st century,” he said. “What nonsense are you spouting? What Empress?  You are my woman.  You can only be mine!"

Later that night, another conflict erupted inside the Zuvel mansion.


Shay refused to sleep anywhere except with Lara.


The little girl clung stubbornly to Lara's hand, her tiny fingers wrapped tightly around hers as though letting go would make Lara disappear.


"I want Mommy Lara," Shay insisted, her voice trembling with determination. "I want to sleep with Mommy Lara tonight."


"No," she said firmly. "You should sleep with your real mother."


The words caused the atmosphere in the hallway to stiffen.


Shay's grip on Lara tightened even more.


Moira looked toward Ares and Asher, clearly expecting support.


"Ares, say something," she urged impatiently. "You can't keep tolerating this behavior."


Meanwhile, Ares pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaustion flashing briefly across his face. Before he could even respond, Shay suddenly burst into tears.


Chapter 232 - The Child Between Them