King Stuar rose from his seat, his decree carrying the weight of the underworld and the corporate world combined.
"This Sunday," the King declared, his voice echoing with absolute authority, "Nova and I have decided to hand over the entire Stuar World Group—both the legal assets and the unofficial holdings—to our only son, Prince Robert Stuar, for a trial period of six months."
He looked directly at Robert. "If he handles this responsibility successfully, I shall officially name him the new King of the underworld Mafia and the permanent owner of the Stuar World Group."
"Yes," Nova affirmed, her eyes sparkling with pride and ambition. "I have also spoken to my father, the King. The vast assets granted to me upon my marriage, as a second daughter of the royal family, will also be transferred to Robert upon his confirmation."
"Mom, Dad, what's the rush?" Robert protested, clearly unsettled. "I'm not ready for this—"
"See, my dear son," Nova interrupted, crossing the room to stand beside him. "Giving you this authority now does not mean we are retiring. It means you must immediately begin learning to sustain our legacy. You are our only son; we must ensure your protection. Establishing you in this powerful position at this age is the only way to safeguard your future."
King Stuar nodded toward Rov. "Rov, announce this to all media outlets this Sunday. The Stuar World Group will host a grand event to celebrate this transition. Ensure my father-in-law and mother-in-law—the country's reigning King and Queen—attend, along with the extended royal family."
It was late night. The "Heart of Sweets" was locked and dark. Levis sat alone, staring into the dark.
"Stop torturing yourself," Stofia said, sitting beside him. "I know how you feel. You've received more love and proposals before, but nothing like this Mafia background. But you have to stop thinking about him. Focus on Bright."
Levis slowly opened his hand. The Stuar signet ring caught the faint light, the tiger emblem gleaming, making his fear tangible.
Suddenly, a terrifying scream cut through the stillness. "Levis! Levis! Come here!" Nora's voice was frantic.
"Aunt! What happened?" Levis and Stofia jumped up and rushed to the back room.
"Your mother isn't responding!" Nora cried, pointing to Stella, who lay still.
"Mom! Mom! I'm here! It's Levis!" Levis pleaded, his voice cracking. "We need an ambulance!"
Within minutes, Levis, Nora, and Stofia were at the hospital. Levis could only sit numbly while Nora comforted him. "It's alright, son. Nothing will happen to your mother. Come, sit here."
Back at the Stuar mansion, Nova was personally serving Robert a late dinner in the lavish kitchen.
"It feels like only yesterday you were a baby," Nova mused, beaming. "And now you are ready to take over our entire legacy."
"Mom, is this really necessary now?" Robert asked, his voice stressed. "I don't understand the sudden urgency."
"It has to be done sooner or later. This is your destiny," Nova waved away his concerns. "Now, forget that. Do you know who will be attending the event?"
"Who, Mom?"
"Your fiancé," Nova announced brightly.
Robert dropped his fork. "My fiancé? Who is this? And why was I not consulted?"
Nova smiled innocently. "You know my royal family. My mother's younger sister—she's about my age—married a maritime tycoon. She has a son, Sienna. He's a Mister World contestant winner, absolutely stunning, and best of all, he is exclusively interested in men. He's a perfect match! I wanted talk to their family about an engagement at the Sunday event."
"Mom! You can't just arrange my entire life without even letting me know!" Robert's voice was strained. "This is my private life!"
"I heard you broke off your last relationship, and he's already moved on," Nova countered sharply. "Why can't you?"
"Mom!" Robert's sudden sharpness made Nova pause.
"Don't tell me you've already found someone else?" Nova asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Actually, Mom, I've already given him my family ring," Robert admitted.
Nova snatched his hand, looking at the bare finger. "You did what?! You gave away the Stuar family ring? Is he that spectacular?"
"Yes, definitely," Robert said, a genuine smile forming. "If you saw him, you would fall in love with him instantly. He's that gorgeous."
"Hmph. I already have your father. But if you like him so much, bring him! Let us meet him now, and we will introduce him at the event as your future fiancé!" Nova challenged.
"Mom, he's not a normal person. He values dedication more than money and loyalty more than royalty," Robert explained, his voice suddenly soft. "It will be hard to pursue him."
"Good heavens! Are you truly my son?" Nova gasped. "He sounds remarkable! Fine. I'll give him whatever he asks. Let's see if he refuses my money to marry you."
"I don't think he would accept anything," Robert admitted. "He seems too self-respecting to start a relationship over money."
"Oh, really? Alright," Nova decided firmly. "I will speak with Sienna's family this Sunday, regardless. If you can convince this mystery boy to accept your proposal before the engagement is finalized, then you can marry him. If not, you marry Sienna. That is final."
Nova paused, her eyes gleaming with an idea. "I desperately want to see this paragon you speak of. Can you ask him to attend the event?"
"Mom, he's just the owner of a small sweet shop," Robert said, thinking quickly. "But he does catering for big events. We have a massive event this Sunday... why don't we hire him to handle the food services?"
Nova considered this. "The King and Queen will be there. The menu must be flawless. Contact him. Let me review his food proposals, and then I will decide."
"Thank you, Mom!" Robert kissed his mother's cheek gratefully.
"Wait! I need you to arrange a fake ring immediately," Nova instructed, pulling him aside. "If your father finds out you gave the real Stuar ring to some boy without permission, he will be furious."
"Yes, Mom, thank you!" Robert agreed, his mind racing.
It was now morning at the hospital.
"Doctor, what happened to my mother? Is she stable?" Levis asked anxiously.
"Mr. Heart, your mother is entering the next critical stage of her paralysis," the doctor explained. "We need to shift her to the emergency observation ward immediately for specialized examination."
Levis watched them wheel Stella away, his heart sinking.
Nora and Stofia sat with him. "It's going to be okay, Levis," Nora whispered, though her eyes were worried.
"Levis," Stofia said softly, "your bank account doesn't have enough to cover this specialist ward. Do you remember what happened last month? You used almost all our savings to pay the bills for that neighbor who had the car accident."
Levis closed his eyes, overwhelmed. "Where am I supposed to borrow money now?"
Just as he was spiraling, the hallway filled with the sight of ten well-dressed men in suits. They walked with purpose, led by Steven.
"Ah, Mr. Levis Heart," Steven said smoothly, stopping directly in front of Levis. "You are the catering service owner, correct?"