I was cast out by my blood familly but returned back powerful for revenge - A Frozen Past, and a Reversal Set in Motion

A heavy silence hung in the study of Winterhaven. The fireplace crackled and popped. Walls lined with old leather-bound books. A thick Persian rug spread across the floor. And across the heavy mahogany desk in the center of the room, two men faced each other. One was an old man with pure white hair slicked back. Deep wrinkles carved into his face, and age-clouded steel-gray eyes glinted like blades. On his left ring finger sat a massive ruby ring. The grip of his cane was a silver wolf's skull. Dmitri Volkov. The other was a man with dark brown hair. A single strand of his slicked-back bangs fell loose. Beneath it, sharp steel-gray eyes glared at the old man. Alexei Volkov. "You must be tired from your business trip to Europe." Dmitri spoke in a hoarse voice. Alexei didn't answer. Unable to sleep on the plane, he had driven straight from the airport to this secondary residence in the Hudson Valley. His suit was wrinkled, and the old scar above his left eyebrow was raised red with anger. "You're the one who summoned me, saying you had something to discuss. Make it quick." Dmitri slowly opened a desk drawer. What emerged was a single document and an old USB memory stick. "First, look at this." Alexei snatched the offered document roughly. A DNA test report. The moment he saw the lines of numbers and the bottom section. Alexei's hand stopped dead. "Probability of Parentage: 99.999%" Subject A: Alexei Volkov Subject B-1: Emma Subject B-2: Sophia Subject B-3: Luca Subject B-4: Leo "...What is this?" His voice dropped so low he barely recognized it himself. "Exactly what it says. You have four children. They were living in poverty with their mother in a port town called Brightwater. Recently, they were taken by Child Protective Services due to a false report made by a woman claiming to be a relative." "Don't screw with me! There's no way I have children!" Alexei slammed the report onto the desk. "Do you remember the Celestia Circle gala six years ago?" Alexei froze. "That stormy night. You probably don't remember—but you were drugged. And a young lady who attended the same party was drugged in the same way. The result is these four." "...Who did this?" "I did." The air in the room froze solid. Alexei slowly raised his head. "The Bloodline Succession Decree—a direct male heir of the Volkov family must produce a legitimate child by the age of thirty, or forfeit the right to succession. You were twenty-nine at the time. You hadn't even made a lover, let alone married. So I took measures. I merely... 'added a little something' to your drink. The partner didn't matter. The goddess of fate brought you and that young lady together." Alexei clenched the wine glass in his hand. His knuckles turned white. "You... to me—" "There's one more thing I want to show you." Dmitri plugged the USB stick into a laptop. What appeared on the screen was old security camera footage. A lavish banquet hall. Beneath a crystal chandelier, glittering people mingled— A young woman with platinum blonde curls took two drinks from a server's tray. Then, she quickly dropped a white powder into one of them. Smiling sweetly, she offered that drink—to a young woman with black hair. "Lisa Greyson. That is the moment she drugged her older sister, Aria Greyson. It took me six years to obtain this footage." Alexei stared at the screen as if devouring it. The black-haired woman—Aria—accepted the drink. Hesitantly, she took a sip. The next moment, her body staggered. "This woman has been trying to take everything from you for six years. And just recently, she took your children. Without knowing anything, you had become one of the perpetrators." A shattering sound rang out. The wine glass had burst in Alexei's hand. Red liquid mixed with blood, staining the cuff of his white shirt. "...I..." His voice trembled. "I, without knowing anything... left her... alone... for six years..." "Go. Your children are currently in a temporary shelter run by Child Protective Services. Their mother is in a Brightwater apartment, trembling alone." Alexei stood up, still clutching the shards of the broken glass. Blood dripped onto the floor. "I have done something unforgivable. But this is a chance. Take back that woman and your children. And—protect the Volkov house." Alexei was no longer listening. He violently threw open the study door and burst into the hallway. The sound of footsteps faded away. The fireplace crackled again. Dmitri quietly raised his glass. "...History is written by the victors." ―――――――――――――――――――― Late night in Brightwater. Snow quietly blanketed the port town. The temperature had dropped below freezing. All the fishing boats were back in the harbor, and every shop on Main Street had its shutters down. A time when everyone was asleep. But Aria Greyson's eyes were open. A room in an apartment with broken heating. Lying in bed, she had layered several thin blankets over herself. Her breath misted white. The children's beds were empty. Only the photo of the four of them, placed by her pillow, supported her heart. —Several hours had passed since Dmitri Volkov left. The old man's words echoed in her head. *'If you want those children back, become my pawn.'* (What should I do?) No answer came. Just picturing her children's faces was enough to tear her heart apart. Emma's dependable smile. Sophia's shy gestures. Luca's mischievous footsteps. Leo's spoiled voice. (I want to see them.) (Just one word is enough. Just once more, to hear them say "Mama"—) That's when it happened. —Bang, bang, bang! The apartment door was pounded violently. Aria sprang up. Her heart pounded painfully. Who could it be at this hour? Dmitri? Or another scheme of Lisa's? —Bang, bang, bang! The knocking didn't stop. If anything, it had the force of someone trying to break the door down. Aria stood up on trembling legs. She looked out the window. Amid the heavily falling snow— She saw the figure of a man standing in front of the door. A black long coat. Snow piled on his shoulders. Blood dripping from the sleeve of his suit. Alexei Volkov. "...Why?" Aria unlocked the door. The door swung open forcefully. Cold wind and snow blew into the room. And then— Alexei dropped to both knees on the spot. "I'm sorry." He bowed his head deeply. His bangs fell forward, hiding his expression. The usual mask of the cold-hearted businessman was completely gone. What was there was just a blood-soaked man, crushed by guilt. "I... I didn't know anything. What happened to you that night. That the children existed. I didn't know any of it. I just heard it from my grandfather. I saw the footage too. ...Your sister drugged you, didn't she? And I was... the same." Alexei's voice was wet with tears. A weakness he had never shown before. Aria stood rooted to the spot. "Six years. For six years, I made you suffer alone. I should have protected you. I should have realized sooner. But I... I did nothing—truly, I'm sorry." Alexei gripped the floor with his bloodied hand. That hand trembled, and fresh blood still seeped from the wound. Aria slowly crouched down in front of him. "...Alexei." For the first time, she called him by name. Alexei looked up. His steel-gray eyes were moist with tears. "Good grief. You're a mess." Aria showed a tired smile. But her eyes were gentle. "That night wasn't your fault. We were both victims. The last thing I saw before I collapsed... was Lisa's face, smiling happily." "Lisa Greyson—I will never forgive that woman." "Neither will I. But right now, getting the children back comes before revenge. I don't know where they are. But if it's you—" Aria cut her words short. Then, she took a deep breath. "Alexei, I have something to ask of you. Please lend me your strength. Help me—help *our* children." Alexei slowly looked into her eyes. "...Of course. Those children are my children too. Even if it costs me my life, I will definitely get them back." He held out his injured hand. After a moment's hesitation, Aria grasped it. It was wet with blood and cold. But it held a definite strength. "Thank you. Let's fight together. To expose that woman's schemes, and to return to our children, no matter what." Their hands clasped firmly. Outside the apartment window, the snow had let up just a little. ―――――――――――――――――――― The next morning. Men in black suits appeared one after another at Aria's apartment. It was the legal team Alexei had summoned from Manhattan. Stacks of thick documents and laptops were spread out on the small living room table. The strategy was simple. Attack simultaneously from three fronts. First—pressure on Child Protective Services. Re-investigate the source of the false report and seize evidence that a Greyson family servant made the report on Lisa's orders. Second—pursuing Lisa's criminal liability. Identify the detective agency she hired and confiscate the records of her instructing the false report. Third—testimonies from the residents of Brightwater. Gather statements from the townspeople about what kind of mother Aria was. "Funding is unlimited. I will commit the entire Volkov family fortune. Understood?" Alexei coldly declared to the legal team. The lawyers nodded with tense expressions. "I'll move too. I'm going to talk to the townspeople with Margaret. To dispel the lies Lisa spread." Aria stood up. "Be careful. That woman might still be plotting something." "It's fine. I have friends in this town." Aria gave a small smile. That smile was no longer the utterly exhausted one from the day before. ―――――――――――――――――――― Café "Tidal." Margaret Chen had been standing in front of her shop since early morning. As always, flour was caked on both hands. Her black hair, streaked with white, was tied up in a high bun, and her small brown eyes were red as if she'd been crying. "Come on, gather round! Regulars, newcomers, anyone—just lend me your ears for a moment!" Fishermen and shopkeepers passing along Harbor Street stopped in their tracks. "I've watched that girl Aria for six years. Working from morning till night, raising four kids all by herself, and never once complaining to anyone. She even helped the old man next door with his shopping without a single word of complaint. Why does a girl like that have to be accused of 'child neglect'!" Tears streamed down her cheeks. "That girl was born into a rich family, but her sister drugged her and drove her out of the house. And then, all alone, she gave birth to those children. In a run-down apartment with no heating, she worked herself to the bone, desperately trying to survive. And then—that woman Lisa took her children away with a false report!" The customers began to stir. "Some of you probably believed that rumor about Lisa being a 'celebrity scammer' and avoided Aria. But think back carefully. Is she the kind of person who would do that? Six years! For six years, she lived in this town, right alongside all of you!" That's when it happened. "...I believe her." The one who spoke up was an old fisherman. Deeply etched wrinkles. Dark skin weathered by wind and rain. He was one of those who had been deceived by Lisa's false rumors and had avoided Aria. "I've seen that young mother walking around with her four kids many times. Always looking tired, but desperately smiling. If a kid fell, she'd run over faster than anyone. There's no way a mother like that would abandon her children. ...I was wrong to be fooled. Now it's our turn to help. I'll gather some friends. We'll be witnesses!" The old man declared forcefully and rushed out of the shop. Watching him leave, Margaret covered her face with both hands and broke down crying. "Thank you... thank you, everyone..." At that moment, a single woman stood at the entrance of the shop. Jet-black hair reaching her waist. A sharp jawline. Her hazel eyes, holding back tears

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Episode 6

Name: I was cast out by my blood familly but returned back powerful for revenge
Author: Novelia

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