Dale, who once prioritized Artemis above all else, now finds his world unraveling as chaos erupts within their family. Victor cynically reflects on men and lost loves, hinting that memories of the past often seem more perfect than reality. Tessa, caught in the tension, feels uneasy as Victor’s touch becomes intense, highlighting the fraught atmosphere surrounding them.
The fragile balance within the Ashen Pact, maintained for years by Artemis and Manny through Dale’s favoritism, shatters when Dale orders DNA tests on all of Artemis’s children. Dan arrives with a medical team to carry out the tests, escalating the conflict. While Dale and Dan submit willingly, Manny refuses, sparking a fierce confrontation.
Dale’s cold decision to have Manny forcibly restrained for the test devastates Artemis, who still clings to a fragile hope for trust and unity. Manny’s anger boils over as he threatens the guards with a gun, but Dale remains unyielding, showing no warmth or fatherly affection. The family’s foundation crumbles in a single night, leaving Artemis heartbroken and desperate as Dale’s focus narrows solely on the DNA tests.
865 Nothing Left to Save
In the past, Dale would have turned his back on every other child in the world just to shield Artemis from harm. She was his priority, his everything.
But now—just like that—everything had erupted into chaos.
Victor chuckled softly, a low, almost bitter sound. “Men, huh,” he muttered.
He had once pampered Artemis as if she were untouchable, and for two clear reasons: first, because she was the woman he loved deeply, and second, because she had given him three children.
“But she was his first love!” Tessa interjected quickly, her voice tinged with urgency.
Victor’s smirk grew wider. “Isn’t it funny? The ones who are gone always seem more perfect, don’t they?”
Tessa froze, caught off guard by his words.
Wait—was he really suggesting that the living could never measure up to those who had passed? That memories would always outshine reality?
The more she thought about it, the more she realized he might be right.
Even if Artemis had been Dale’s first love, if she had betrayed him over their children, then none of that past would hold any weight. She would lose everything she had.
What had started as idle gossip somehow shifted without either of them noticing, and before long, Tessa found herself pressed against Victor. His arms wrapped around her, strong and unyielding.
His touch was anything but gentle.
By the time she registered what was happening, the tension between them was already electric, thick enough to burn.
“Hey!” she gasped, trying to pull away.
“Relax,” Victor whispered close to her ear, his voice low and teasing.
“I—I’m still recovering from my cold,” she stammered, feeling her cheeks flush.
“I know,” he murmured with a hint of amusement. “Don’t worry.”
Don’t worry? she thought, struggling not to squirm under his gaze. You’re the last person I feel safe with right now.
Victor didn’t need to do anything more—Ashen Pact was already crumbling from within.
For years, Artemis and Manny had maintained their influence, all thanks to Dale’s favoritism. But now, with Dale’s sudden decision to conduct DNA tests on all of Artemis’s children, the fragile balance inside the Ashen Pact had snapped, spiraling into unpredictable chaos.
And then Dan made his move.
He arrived with a full medical team—his own people. A dozen doctors and nurses, dressed in crisp white coats, filed into Black Mountain, carrying sterile kits and an unspoken determination.
The moment Artemis and Manny spotted them, their hearts sank.
Dan glanced over at Dale. “Should we bring Tessa in too?”
Dale’s eyes burned with a fierce anger.
Dan’s smirk grew even wider. “Might as well settle everything all at once, right?”
Dale said nothing.
Settle everything all at once.
Artemis let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Settle everything, huh? That’s one way to put it.”
Dan merely shrugged and rolled up his sleeve. “Start with me.”
He was quick—almost unnervingly calm and confident—and that only fueled Artemis and Manny’s resentment even more.
Two doctors stepped forward immediately, drawing his blood with swift precision.
Then Dale came forward, offering his arm without hesitation.
They were the only two who acted decisively.
When they finished, Dan turned to Manny. “Your turn.”
Manny’s entire body trembled with rage.
“I’m not doing it,” he growled fiercely. “I’m not taking this damn test!”
But Dale’s voice cut through the tension like a knife. “Lenny, hold him down.”
“Dad!” Manny’s voice cracked, filled with fury.
Dale didn’t flinch. He shot his son a single, icy glance—no words, no emotion—just a look that could freeze anyone in their tracks.
Artemis stared at him, stunned. “Dale… you can’t be serious.”
But he was. He was ordering them to restrain their own son, to force a DNA test.
“So that’s it? You don’t trust me anymore?” she demanded, her voice trembling with hurt.
Even now, Artemis clung desperately to the last thread of trust she had left, hoping to reach the part of Dale that once was reasonable, the part that believed in them.
Dale didn’t answer. Instead, he turned back to Lenny.
Lenny hesitated for barely a moment before nodding. “Hold Mr. Manny down.”
At his command, several burly bodyguards moved in swiftly.
Artemis and Manny both froze, their breaths coming shallow as panic took hold.
For Artemis, that single command shattered something deep inside her. Dale’s coldness, his absolute lack of hesitation—it destroyed every flicker of hope she had left. The sting of disappointment cut deeper than any anger ever could.
Manny’s fury erupted.
He yanked out a gun, aiming it straight at the approaching guards. “Anyone who steps closer, I’ll shoot!”
“Grab him!” Dale barked.
The instant Manny resisted, whatever trust Dale still had in him was obliterated.
“Dad!” Manny shouted, rage boiling over.
Their eyes locked—and in Dale’s gaze, there was no warmth left. No trace of the affection or fatherly pride that had once existed.
It was all gone.
Artemis stood frozen, her heart aching so fiercely it felt like she couldn’t breathe.
All those years she had spent building this family, protecting it, holding it together—was it all going to fall apart like this? Could everything she had fought for really be destroyed in just one night?
“Dale…” she whispered, her voice barely steady.
But he didn’t hear her.
Now, there was only one thought consuming him: the test had to be done.
Under his command, the guards overpowered Manny, forcing him to the ground.
The chapter closes on a heartbreaking fracture within a family once bound by love and loyalty. Dale’s transformation from a protective father to a cold enforcer underscores the devastating consequences of broken trust and the unraveling of long-held bonds. Artemis’s silent plea and Manny’s desperate resistance highlight the emotional turmoil that comes when love is overshadowed by suspicion and control, leaving them all caught in a painful struggle for truth and survival.
Amidst the chaos, the fragile balance of power and affection shatters, revealing the harsh reality that sometimes, even the strongest connections can be undone by doubt and betrayal. The tension between past devotion and present conflict paints a poignant picture of loss and the difficult choices that come with facing uncomfortable truths, leaving the characters—and the readers—grappling with the uncertain future of their fractured family.
The next chapter promises to plunge deeper into the unraveling tensions within the Ashen Pact, as the DNA testing ignites fierce confrontations and fractures that seem impossible to mend. Dale’s cold resolve will be tested against the raw emotions of those he once held dear, and the fragile bonds of family and loyalty will be pushed to their breaking points. As Manny’s rebellion escalates and Artemis grapples with the shattering reality of her fractured family, readers will be drawn into a whirlwind of desperation and defiance.
Emotions will run high as trust erodes and hidden resentments surface, forcing each character to confront painful truths about love, betrayal, and sacrifice. The atmosphere will be thick with uncertainty and the looming threat of irreversible consequences, leaving everyone questioning what, if anything, can be salvaged from the ruins of what they once called home. Prepare for a chapter filled with heart-wrenching decisions and the raw, unfiltered fallout of a family on the edge.