The Price of a Diamond – Chapter 8.1

The Bloodline of Kings

Ava sat in her private study, staring at the documents spread before her.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she turned the ancient pages, her heart pounding in her chest.

The name Fujiwara echoed through history like a storm.

She had known Daniel's family held power. She had always suspected he came from a significant bloodline.

But this?

This was beyond anything she had imagined.

The Fujiwara were not just powerful.

They were rulers.

For centuries, the Fujiwara had shaped the destiny of Japan. They had placed emperors on thrones, pulled them down at will, and dictated the course of history like hereditary dictators.

They had controlled government affairs, military strategy, and cultural advancements.

And even as the world changed, their influence never truly faded.

Ava leaned back in her chair, exhaling a sharp breath.

"No wonder his brain was so terrifying."

"He doesn't just think ahead—he thinks in centuries."

She couldn't help but laugh softly to herself.

Daniel was too much.

At first, she had thought he was just a kind and intelligent man. But now, she realized—his mind was built differently.

"I could write an entire book on this."

She flipped through more records, tracing the footsteps of his ancestors.

The Fujiwara weren't just warriors or politicians.

They had led an era of culture and artistic brilliance.

They had developed Japan's writing systems, promoted poetry, literature, and art, and shaped the imperial court.

The very foundation of modern Japan was painted with their fingerprints.

Ava shook her head in disbelief.

"And this guy was out there running a tiny ramen shop?"

She couldn't decide whether to be frustrated or impressed.

She had spent years building her empire.

He had been born with one.

And yet, he had walked away from it all.

She sighed, rubbing her temples.

"What kind of man leaves behind this level of power and prestige?"

And more importantly…

"Why did he never tell me?"

For the first time in years, Ava felt small.

She thought she had caught up to him.

She thought she had built herself into someone who could stand at his level.

But the more she uncovered, the more she realized—Daniel had always been ahead of her.

Not just in intelligence.

Not just in kindness.

But in vision.

"If I had known this back then… would I have still betrayed him?"

The thought made her chest ache.

No.

She had been a fool. A blind fool who had abandoned a diamond for something that now disgusted her.