Valeria confronts her father, Thatch, angrily about Haskell\u2019s disrespectful and arrogant behavior despite his physical disability. She is frustrated that Haskell no longer shows any respect, especially towards their father, and feels hurt by the family tensions. Thatch tends to her injuries with care but remains bitter about Haskell\u2019s favored status with their father, Zoltan, who has yet to choose an heir after three years of Haskell\u2019s return.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thatch reveals his deep resentment and determination to prevent any cure for Haskell\u2019s condition, having personally ensured that no doctor could help him. He regrets failing to protect Valeria from Haskell\u2019s cruelty and is focused on maintaining their family\u2019s power. Draven, another sibling, has investigated the Judson family\u2019s so-called \u201ctrue heiress,\u201d Larissa, discovering she is a simple village herbalist and not officially recognized by Paxton\u2019s family, which reassures Thatch that her status could weaken Haskell\u2019s position if he marries her.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Valeria mocks the Judsons for pushing Haskell towards Larissa and suggests that Draven could marry Honora, another family member, to humiliate Haskell and improve their own standing. Draven seriously considers this plan, seeing it as a way to undermine Haskell\u2019s pride and elevate himself within the family hierarchy.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in a tense moment within Zoltan Palmer\u2019s study, Haskell plays chess with his father. Their interaction is loaded with unspoken conflict as Zoltan questions Haskell about the Judson family situation, highlighting the ongoing power struggles and alliances within the family.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDad, you saw him with your own eyes!\u201d Valeria burst out, her voice trembling with anger as she sank heavily onto the worn sofa. She pressed her hands to her swollen cheeks, her frustration palpable. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t even show you the slightest respect anymore! His legs may be useless, but what right does that give him to act so arrogantly?\u201d<\/p>\n
Draven moved quietly to her side, retrieving a cold pack from the freezer. With gentle care, he pressed it against her bruised face, hoping to ease some of her pain.<\/p>\n
Thatch\u2019s tone was sharp, laced with bitterness. \u201cHis arrogance comes from one simple fact\u2014Zoltan still favors him over the rest of us.\u201d He shook his head slowly. \u201cJust like I said, your brother has been back for three whole years, and not once has Zoltan sat down to play chess with him.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the Palmer household, everyone knew that Zoltan Palmer, the family\u2019s formidable patriarch, cherished chess above all else. An invitation to play was more than a game\u2014it was the highest form of approval he could grant.<\/p>\n
Draven\u2019s eyes flashed with a burning resentment. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Dad. Zoltan will see my value in time. The fact that he hasn\u2019t named an heir yet means he\u2019s uncertain. He\u2019s just clinging to the hope that Haskell\u2019s legs might be healed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Valeria\u2019s voice wavered, tinged with fear. \u201cBut what if they actually can be fixed?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thatch\u2019s expression hardened into something cold and unyielding. \u201cEven if that happens, I won\u2019t let it come to pass.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was the one who had handpicked every doctor to examine Haskell. If a cure existed, Thatch had the means to ensure it never reached his brother.<\/p>\n
Looking at Valeria, his voice softened, regret creeping in. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Valeria. I failed to defend you today, and you ended up hurt again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her tone shifted, almost coaxing. \u201cIt\u2019s not about my feelings, Dad. The real issue is that he doesn\u2019t respect you anymore! He actually said that your place in this family is all because of him!\u201d<\/p>\n
At that, Thatch\u2019s hands clenched tightly into fists. \u201cJust like his mother,\u201d he thought bitterly. \u201cOne despised her husband, and the other looks down on her own father.\u201d<\/p>\n
They had no one to blame but themselves for his cruelty. If he had arranged for that woman\u2019s death, he wouldn\u2019t hesitate to do the same to her son.<\/p>\n
\u201cDraven, have you investigated this so-called \u2018true heiress\u2019 of the Judson family?\u201d Thatch\u2019s face was grim as he asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have,\u201d Draven replied steadily. \u201cHer name is Larissa. She\u2019s a village herbalist from some remote, backwater place. I also heard that Paxton\u2019s family refused to acknowledge her officially because they considered her uncivilized. Instead, she\u2019s been registered under Neville and Sapphira\u2019s names.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thatch visibly relaxed, a faint smile tugging at his lips. \u201cGood. As long as she\u2019s a nobody, that\u2019s all that matters. If Haskell marries her, his standing in the family will collapse. That will be our opening to secure our own positions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014<\/p>\n
\u201cHmph. The Judsons are clearly just pushing him off with some country girl because they don\u2019t want Honora marrying a cripple,\u201d Valeria said with a sneer, her eyes flashing with disdain. \u201cI don\u2019t see what he has to be so arrogant about!\u201d<\/p>\n
A mischievous spark lit up her gaze. \u201cBro, can you imagine how furious Haskell would be if you married Honora? He\u2019d become the laughingstock of all Regal City!\u201d<\/p>\n
Draven paused, considering the idea seriously. \u201cYou\u2019re right. If I were the one to marry Honora, I\u2019d completely destroy what\u2019s left of his pride.\u201d<\/p>\n
A slow smile spread across his face as he began to plot. Winning Honora\u2019s heart wouldn\u2019t just humiliate Haskell; it would raise his own status within the family, tipping the scales in their favor.<\/p>\n
\u2014<\/p>\n
Inside the private study of Zoltan Palmer, the family patriarch, the air was thick with tension.<\/p>\n
Haskell moved his knight forward on the chessboard with deliberate precision. Across from him, Zoltan looked up, his gaze sharp and calculating. \u201cI assume your father has filled you in on the situation with the Judson family?\u201d<\/p>\n
Without lifting his eyes from the board, Haskell replied, \u201cHe has.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The chapter delicately unravels the tangled web of family loyalty, resentment, and ambition that binds the Palmers. Valeria\u2019s raw frustration and Thatch\u2019s cold resolve paint a vivid picture of a family fractured by unspoken grievances and silent battles for power. The emotional undercurrent reveals how respect and approval, symbolized by the simple act of a chess game, carry profound weight in their lives. Each character wrestles with their own desires and fears, highlighting the painful sacrifices made in pursuit of recognition and control.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Amidst the tension and scheming, the hope for change flickers faintly but remains overshadowed by bitterness and mistrust. The looming threat of betrayal and the desire to outmaneuver one another underscore the precarious balance within the family. Yet, beneath the surface of rivalry and strategy, there is an undeniable yearning for connection and validation, making their struggles deeply human and poignant. This chapter leaves us poised on the edge of shifting alliances and unspoken truths, capturing the emotional complexity of a family bound by blood but divided by ambition.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next chapter promises to delve deeper into the simmering tensions within the Palmer family, where alliances and rivalries intertwine with personal ambitions. As Draven contemplates a bold move to win Honora\u2019s heart, the stakes are raised not just in matters of the heart but in the battle for power and respect. The emotional undercurrents between siblings and the looming presence of their father, Zoltan, add layers of complexity to their struggles.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Expect the fragile balance of loyalty and resentment to be tested further, with characters forced to confront their desires and fears. The chess game between Haskell and Zoltan serves as a metaphor for the intricate maneuvers ahead, hinting at strategic plays that could alter family dynamics irrevocably. Questions about true allegiance and the cost of ambition will keep readers on edge, eager to see who will emerge victorious in this high-stakes game.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
Wings of Broken Time by Alina Das 71 Wings of Broken Time by Alina Das 71 Summary Valeria confronts her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-throne-of-thorns-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30590"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30590\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}