The Price of a Diamond – Chapter 8

The Woman Who Led an Era

Years had passed.

Ava was no longer just a woman.

She was a pillar of the country—a name that held power, influence, and fear.

Men from all walks of life tried to court her. Business tycoons, politicians, even military leaders. But she was cold to them all.

Ruthless. Unforgiving.

The world saw her as a woman of iron and fire—someone who bent nations to her will.

But to her daughter?

She was soft, warm, gentle.

Her child was the only thing that kept her human.

Still, even with all her success, even with all her achievements—she could never forgive herself.

She could never forget him.

Daniel.

She had built an empire. She had shaped the future.

And yet, the one thing she truly wanted—the one person who had once given her his entire heart—was lost to her.

Or so she thought.

The Genius She Never Knew

One night, deep within the high-security archives of her company, she uncovered something shocking.

She had modified his data to build the foundation of her most advanced AI simulation system.

And in doing so…

She had discovered the mind of a genius.

Daniel's old diaries, hidden thoughts, and encrypted calculations contained ideas that were decades ahead of their time.

Predictions of technological advancements that were now becoming reality.

He had seen the future.

He had understood, long before anyone else, what the world would need.

And in those pages, she also found his thoughts of her.

How he had seen her not just as a lover, but as someone he wanted to build a life with.

She wept.

For the first time in years, she allowed herself to cry.

Because she had never realized just how deeply he had loved her.

And she had thrown it all away.

The Bloodline of War and Power

As she dug deeper, she uncovered his family's true history.

His grandfather had been a legendary war general.

The only reason their country had not been wiped off the map was because of his strategies, his leadership.

And yet, he had been a man who hated war.

That war had cost him his brothers, his home, his peace.

Daniel's family had once held 46% of the country's power.

They were the bridge between war and peace.

It was their decision—not the ruling family, not the other three noble houses—that had stopped the bloodshed at the most crucial moment.

Had the others listened earlier, millions could have been saved.

But they hadn't.

And Daniel's family had paid the price.

Their power had crumbled. Their name had faded.

And Daniel…

He had left it all behind.

Now, Ava held the same power his family once did.

She had achieved everything.

But what was it all for…

If she still couldn't find him?