at the man before her. The words he had just
rry
front of her was the man whose power and influence overshadowed everyone she had ever known. His proposal
ed, though she knew she
yet strangely magnetic. "I'm not asking," he said. "I'm telling. Marry me, Selena. You and I... we are stronger together. You will no long
een the way the world bent for him, how people obeyed without question. But this-th
asked, her voice steady
. You know too much, and you have survived too much to turn back now. This is y
whisper of mockery, every secret she had been forced to watch unfold... it all surged up like a wave. And
finally, her voice low, deliberate. "To
elena. The world is cruel. Those who hesitate are crushed. Those who act
lure of power and revenge wrapped in one dangerous package. She knew the stakes. She knew the co
, she looked up, locking eyes with him. "I will marry you," she said, her voice steady, carrying the weig
d commanding. "We will do this carefully. Publicly, privately... strategically. Every ste
to Victor's world-a world where power, danger, and control were intertwined. It meant aligning herself with a man
reclaiming everything she had lost: her dignity, her li
had laughed at her pain. The thought sharpened her resolve. With
just agreed to. "Remember," he said quietly, leaning closer, "in this game, h
o her bones. She understood the danger. She understood the p
t had betrayed her. And now, sh
es glinting with satisfaction. "You and
t was not a smile of joy, but of determination.
ment settled over the room like a storm ready to break, Se
declaration. A warning. And the first move
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