The following morning, Lara returned to Isla alongside Ares and Jack, the morning breeze curling around them as the island slowly stirred awake beneath the golden light of early morning. The mont they stepped into the Isla’s grounds, a familiar voice cut through the calm.
"Lara, where have you been these past few days?" Alia rushed toward her the mont she saw her, throwing her arms tightly around Lara as if they had been separated for months instead of re days.
Lara let out a soft laugh and returned the embrace. "Wasn’t it only five days?"
"Really?" Alia pulled back just enough to pout dramatically. "Then why did it feel like an entire month?"
Lara laughed again and lightly flicked Alia’s forehead.
The playful gesture made her suddenly still.
For the briefest mont, a forgotten mory resurfaced—another laugh, another carefree afternoon. She had done the exact sa thing to Althea once while they teased Aldrich endlessly about the painfully awkward way he tried to court his first love.
The mory flashed through her mind like sunlight through glass.
Then, just as quickly, it disappeared.
Lara blinked, her smile fading for a fraction of a second before she tucked the strange feeling away.
From a short distance away, Liam watched the exchange in quiet surprise. Ever since returning from the treasure-hunting mission, he had rarely left Alia’s side, yet this was the first ti he had seen her so openly attached to soone else. The warmth in Alia’s eyes when she looked at Lara was impossible to miss.
A faint smile tugged at Liam’s lips.
His gaze lingered on Lara for a brief mont—curious, thoughtful—before shifting back to Alia, who was already tugging Lara toward the restaurant, her excitent impossible to hide.
A small smile tugged at Liam’s lips.
Wasn’t this a good thing?
The two most important won in his life—his fiancée and his sister—seed to get along effortlessly. The warmth and ease between them felt natural, almost comforting, and for the first ti in a while, he found himself quietly hoping it would stay that way.
"We’re eting one of my favorite producer and director today," Alia announced, practically glowing.
Lara arched a brow, though she already suspected the answer. "Who?"
"Lionel Brookes."
So it really was him.
Lara’s eyes flickered with recognition. Lionel Brookes was known for moving quickly once he set his mind on a project, and that was one of the things she admired most about him.
"He’s an independent film producer," Alia continued enthusiastically. "I absolutely love the movies he makes."
"That’s good," Lara replied with a small smile. "I like him too."
But beneath her calm expression, hesitation stirred.
It still wasn’t the right ti to tell Alia that she was one of the people behind Starlight Entertainnt.
Alia led Lara through the quiet halls of Isla Pavilion, her steps light with excitent. When they reached the private dining room, Lara imdiately noticed the difference. It was far smaller than the lavish conference suites they had used when eting major entertainnt companies, yet the intimate space carried a warmth those grand rooms lacked.
Soft amber lights glowed against polished wooden walls, and the faint aroma of brewed coffee lingered in the air. The comfortable atmosphere made the room feel less like a business eting and more like a gathering among old friends.
Without realizing it, Lara relaxed.
"Lara, this is Director Lionel Brookes," Alia introduced enthusiastically as they entered. "Director, this is Larissa Reyes, a close friend of mine."
For a split second, surprise flickered across Lionel’s face.
"Miss Nades," he began awkwardly, quickly correcting himself, "I’m actually acquainted with Larissa Reyes."
Despite his montary slip, he imdiately stood and extended his hand politely.
"Boss, you’re here."
His voice dropped low enough that only Lara could hear, the respect in his tone unmistakable. The subtle caution in his expression told her he had already realized she had no intention of revealing her identity as one of Starlight Entertainnt’s co-owners to Alia.
Alia’s brows lifted slightly as she turned toward Lara, suspicion flickering in her narrowed eyes.
"When did you two et?"
Lara accepted Lionel’s handshake calmly before answering without hesitation. "I helped Ares with the negotiations and paperwork before."
It was the truth—just not the entire truth.
"I see..." Alia murmured, though curiosity still lingered in her gaze.
A mont later, however, her attention shifted completely when Lionel handed her a set of docunts. The earlier suspicion vanished almost instantly, replaced by eager focus as she began scanning the pages with growing excitent.
The negotiation ended far more quickly than Lara had expected.
At first, Alia had listened carefully as Lionel explained Starlight Entertainnt’s proposal—the production budget, filming schedule, marketing plans, and the company’s vision for adapting the project.
She asked questions with surprising seriousness, occasionally glancing through the docunts while Lionel answered each one patiently.
Then Ares entered the room, and the entire atmosphere subtly shifted.
The casual ease from earlier faded as attention naturally gravitated toward him. Even Lionel straightened unconsciously in his seat. There was sothing about Ares’ presence—quiet yet commanding—that made people instinctively pay attention whenever he spoke.
Without making it sound important, Ares casually revealed that he had recently beco one of Starlight Entertainnt’s shareholders. He explained that one of the reasons behind his investnt was his desire to bring the story of Calma and the lost empire of Azuverda beyond the country’s borders and introduce it to the rest of the world.
For a mont, silence filled the room.
Alia’s eyes widened slightly in surprise as she turned toward him. "You invested in Starlight just to promote Calma?"
Ares leaned lazily against his chair, completely at ease despite the attention now focused on him. One arm rested carelessly along the armrest while the corner of his lips lifted into a faint smirk.
"Mm. Partly," he answered calmly. "I don’t invest in things that won’t make money."
The confidence in his voice was effortless, almost arrogant, yet no one in the room found it unreasonable. Ares had built a reputation for seeing opportunities long before everyone else did. If he chose to back sothing personally, it usually ant he already knew it would succeed.
But beneath his blunt response, Alia could still sense sothing deeper.
For soone like Ares—who rarely involved himself in anything without purpose—to invest because he wanted the world to rember Calma and Azuverda... that alone carried weight.
Alia stared at him for several seconds before slowly lowering the docunts in her hand. Everyone in the room knew Ares’ reputation in business. Despite his seemingly carefree attitude, his instincts when it ca to investnts were frighteningly accurate. Projects he touched rarely failed.
More importantly, Lara trusted him. And Alia trusted Lara.
If Ares was willing to attach his na and money to Starlight, then it ant the company was far more stable and promising than the rumors circulating outside suggested.
The hesitation she initially carried disappeared almost instantly.
"In that case," Alia said decisively as she closed the folder, "I’m willing to give Starlight the filming rights."
Lionel blinked in visible surprise, clearly not expecting the negotiation to conclude so smoothly.
"That fast?" he asked carefully.
Alia laughed lightly. "Director Brookes, I may not understand the technical side of business, but it is fact that I love your movies." Her gaze briefly shifted toward Ares before softening. "And if Mr. Zuvel believes Starlight is worth investing in, then I believe it’s worth trusting too."
Beside her, Lara quietly observed the exchange without saying a word.
She knew Alia’s decision was not entirely based on business logic. Trust, loyalty, and personal feelings had played a large role in it. Ironically, Alia had unknowingly placed her confidence in the very person sitting quietly beside her.
Lara lowered her gaze slightly, hiding the complicated look in her eyes.
...
"Lara, Grandfather gave a scroll," Alia said excitedly, unable to hide the anticipation in her voice. "And do you know what it contains?"
Lara glanced at her curiously. "What is it?"
Alia carefully unfolded the ancient scroll in her hands, her movents unusually gentle, as though afraid the fragile parchnt might crumble if handled too roughly.
"It contains a fragnt of Empress Lara’s lost years," she said softly. "It tells the story of the ti she disappeared after she was abducted by human traffickers... and how she t her master, Jethru ndel."
Her eyes brightened with fascination as she continued.
"The scroll described how he trained her relentlessly until she beca a warrior and how she saved Carles with her wit. It said he turned her from a lost princess into soone strong enough to survive war, betrayal, and bloodshed."
The mont the na left Alia’s lips, Lara’s expression subtly changed.
Her eyes flickered.
A a painful longing settled within them as mories long buried stirred violently in the depths of her mind.
She rembered the discipline that her master had imbued in her, the harsh training, her hands bloodied from gripping a sword far too heavy for her younger self. She rembered Jethru ndel’s cold, rciless gaze as he forced her to stand every ti she collapsed.
He taught her not to show any weakness...not to hesitate... but to show rcy when needed.
Those were the lessons he carved into her soul.
To the world, Jethru ndel was a legendary master who forged the empire’s strongest warrior.
But to Lara... he had been far more complicated than that.
A teacher. A father.
And, in many ways, the closest thing she had ever had to family during the years she was lost.
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