Chapter 497: The Masked Prince, the Burning Truth

At the edge of Meridien's royal archives, hidden beneath catacombs no one dared enter, Ochieng was led by a masked stranger whose voice was almost… familiar.

He wore obsidian armor laced with red fire symbols and called himself Ashriel, claiming to be a son of the forgotten prince of Anduriel—the kingdom buried in myth.

But when Ochieng removed the man's mask, what he saw shocked him.

He looked just like Ochieng.

Ashriel (age 23)

Profession: Unknown

Attitude: Calm, wise, extremely dangerous

Flaw: Lives for revenge, even against the wrong people

Background: Abandoned as a child in the desert, raised by a coven of fire dancers, believed to be the cursed twin of the true heir

"You and I," Ashriel said slowly, "we were never supposed to exist together. One of us was meant to die at birth… but someone changed fate."

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Meanwhile, in a grand union between billionaires at the Moonlit Terrace, the families of Velencia and Zion Cruz held a fake engagement to strengthen business alliances.

But drama bloomed.

Velencia (age 21)

Elegant, ambitious, devilishly beautiful

Blue-gray eyes, sleek raven hair

Flaw: Addicted to attention, loyal to no one

Her love? Bought and sold—until Ochieng bruised her ego by ignoring her for Maggy

Zion Cruz (age 25)

Trillionaire heir to the Cruz Tech Empire

Arrogant, genius hacker, wears diamond piercings

Attitude: Believes love is weakness

Background: Has destroyed three companies with a single press release

They kissed before the cameras. Behind the scenes, they whispered betrayal.

"Let them believe the show," Velencia smirked. "But we both know I'm marrying someone much more… dangerous."

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The annual University of Valemont Gladiator Games kicked off—an elite sporting event only open to the richest and most feared.

The events included:

Lust Run: couples race while blindfolded

Lie or Die: a psychological game with live voting

Royal Bloodbath: combat simulation in holographic fields

The Bidding Ball: where men are auctioned off as dates to the highest bidder

Cassara bid 90 million on Ochieng.

Liora stormed out.

Maggy stayed silent—but her gaze was fire.

Ochieng didn't flinch.

Dahlia returned from the shadows with a white dress and a ring stolen from the temple of Ceros.

She told Elira, "You were meant to marry him before your memory was stolen. That's why your heart burns every time he bleeds."

But Elira only remembered one thing:

His touch.

The way her name sounded in his voice.

Before Dahlia could continue, a voice from the shadows interrupted.

"Enough."

It was Tielen, holding a dagger to Dahlia's neck.

"You may control illusions, but I guard the truth."

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As night fell, the sky over Valemont glowed red.

A dragon-shaped aircraft descended—The Seraphim Flame, owned by the most mysterious woman in the world:

Mirabelle Thorn (age unknown)

The queen of artificial beauty, and feared leader of the underground trillionaire society

She had five husbands—all disappeared

No one dares say her name twice at night

She walked out of her ship in a glowing red dress and declared:

"The games are over. It's time we hunt the forgotten heirs.

Starting with… Ochieng."

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