Chapter 87: Celebration at the General’s Mansion

A week after the kidnapping event, the city was alive with celebration.

The smoke had cleared. And every screen, from street corners to high-rise penthouses, looped the same footage — General Leonard Norse shaking hands with military officials, flashes from cameras exploding like gunfire.

News anchors called the operation “a masterstroke—a defining moment of military precision.” Commentators praised the swift capture of the Kuta stronghold as if it were a chess move executed by a grandmaster instead of a blood-stained battlefield reclaimed in the dark.

To the city, it was a victory.

To the Zuvel family, it was survival.

To the Norse, it was another defining moment of valor.

…

On the east side of the city, beyond a wrought-iron gate and perfectly trimmed hedges, the Norse mansion glowed beneath warm amber lights. The kind of lighting that made power look elegant and untouchable.

In the south wing garden, celebration unfolded beneath a clear, starry night, silk ribbons tied to trees swaying gently in the night breeze.

It was an intimate gathering — only the Norse family members and close friends attended. The south wing garden was only half the size of the sprawling lawn were General Leonard Norse celebrated his birthday weeks prior.

Three 12-seater round tables, were arranged with military precision. A buffet spread heavy with slow-roasted meats, pasta, glossy fruits, and imported cheeses stretched along one side. Crystal decanters lined the wine counter opposite it, ruby liquid catching the light like liquid velvet.

Laughter rose — carefree and relieved.

The kind of laughter that comes after you realize you’re still alive and safe.

Liam stood near the gazebo where the wine station was, sleeves rolled up, tie loosened — still sharp, still controlled. He recounted the operation with careful modesty, leaving out the parts where he nearly didn’t make it back during the infiltration of the stronghold.

Summer and Layla stood close, angled toward him like orbiting satellites. Summer refilled his glass before he ever needed to ask, attentive and polished.

Layla laughed at the right moments, chin lifted, posture confident — both of them standing as though the garden, the lights, the entire evening belonged to them.

Logan leaned against a marble pillar, one boot propped casually against the stone. A slow smirk played on his lips. Every so often, he cut in—

“That’s not exactly how it happened.”

Meanwhile, Amelia just sat there. Not claimed. Not displayed. Just… present.

Beside Lara, she folded inward — knees pressed together, ankles tucked slightly back beneath her chair, shoulders drawn in as if the night air were too sharp against her skin. Her spine never fully touched the backrest. She perched, careful, contained.

Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, fingers twisting softly against one another. Her chin remained slightly lowered, lashes casting shadows against her cheeks.

She wasn’t following the story. She didn’t laugh when the others did. Didn’t interrupt. Didn’t compete for attention.

She watched him.

Every shift of his shoulders. Every controlled half-smile. Every gentle gaze he would cast Summer when he praised him.

How she wished he would look at her like that.

Her gaze held a quiet devotion — the kind that didn’t demand to be seen. The kind that bloomed privately, fiercely. As if the world could celebrate the hero, but she alone saw the man.

When Liam glanced her way — just briefly — her breath hitched. Her fingers stilled. A faint warmth rose to her cheeks, and she looked down too quickly, as though being caught loving him so openly was something fragile.

Something embarrassing.

Summer stood tall. Layla stood proud.

But Amelia sat like a girl who had been chosen by a king and still couldn’t believe the crown would remain on her head.

Lara pressed her hand over her shoulder. The warmth from her touch reminded her to straighten her back and lift her chin.

Lucas, who was beside Lara, said nothing. He moved quietly, placing food onto Lara’s plate with deliberate care.

“Sis, eat some more. You have been through a lot,” he said, his voice turning soft and gaze turning gentle. It wasn’t even two months since she woke up from a coma, and she was already kidnapped.

Madeline glided between guests, pouring wine with practiced grace, her smile polished like silverware.

And at the head of it all sat Leonard Norse.

A decorated hero to the nation.

A disciplined father at home.

He spoke little. He observed everything.

Pride flickered in his eyes — tightly leashed, never allowed to roam free. His children were laughing. Drinking. Alive.

That was more than enough.

…

Then Liam stepped forward. Crystal glass raised.

Conversation quieted as everyone focused on the Norse eldest son.

“Tonight,” he began, voice steady but warm, “I want to offer this toast to my god sister. For her bravery. For her intelligence. She protected Shay and Sandro when they were captured. And she played a crucial role in taking down the Kuta stronghold.”

All eyes shifted to Lara.

She blinked, caught off guard. Compliments were not a currency she trusted. Not from Liam. Not in public.

If it had been Logan, she would’ve expected theatrics.

But Liam? That bloke with zero EQ? That meant something.

Logan straightened immediately. He pushed off the pillar and stepped forward, lifting his own glass.

“Well,” he drawled, “since Liam stole my speech, I’ll keep it simple.”

He turned to Lara, and for once, the smirk softened.

“I’m proud to be your brother.”

Glasses clinked.

But not everyone was celebrating.

Layla’s fingers tightened around the stem of her wine glass. She swallowed wrong, coughed sharply, nearly choking.

“What’s so special about her?” she muttered under her breath, bitterness sliding through her tone like a blade. “She gets kidnapped and suddenly she’s a hero? Now she has my brothers fawning over her.”

Summer leaned closer, voice low and dangerous.

“Careful.”

Layla scoffed. “Please. Mom raised me. My brothers spoiled me. Especially Lucas.”

Summer’s smirk deepened.

“Then explain why they look like they’re competing for her approval.”

Layla’s jaw tightened.

Across the garden, the shift was visible. The center of gravity had moved.

And everyone felt it.

Before the silence could settle too heavily, another figure stepped forward.

Ares raised his glass toward Lara.

“Cheers,” he said quietly. “Thank you… for taking care of Shay.”

His words were simple. His gaze wasn’t. It lingered on her face just a second too long.

The garden lights shimmered. Music drifted softly in the background. Laughter resumed.

But beneath the surface of celebration, new tensions coiled.

A different battle had just begun.

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