Chapter 10 - The True Sovereign
Dominic’s breath hitched. He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch.
"Liana," he murmured, his voice thick with an emotion he had suppressed for months. "I am a ruthless man. I have lived my life in the shadows, tearing down empires. You are the light that this city needs. Are you sure you want me by your side?"
"You are the only man who ever saw me as an equal," Liana replied fiercely. "I don't want a coward who hides behind his grandmother. I want the man who stood between me and a loaded gun."
Dominic didn't need another word. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest, and crashed his lips down onto hers.
The kiss was desperate, consuming, and electric. It was the culmination of every late-night strategy session, every stolen glance, and every battle they had fought side by side. Liana kissed him back with everything she had, her fingers tangling in his dark hair.
When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathless, their foreheads resting against each other.
"Stay with me," Liana whispered. "Help me rule."
"Forever, Your Grace," Dominic promised, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.
Together, they walked out onto the grand balcony of the manor. Below them, the estate gardens bloomed, and in the distance, the city skyline glittered under the late afternoon sun.
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Duchess Vivienne was locked in a concrete cell, stripped of her dignity and her name. Julian was a forgotten prisoner, drowning in his own cowardice.
But Liana stood in the light, the Sovereign’s Ruby burning bright against her chest. She had walked down an aisle as a victim, but she had risen from the ashes as a queen. And this time, no one would ever take her throne again.
