Dylan stood in the ruins of the west gate, jaw clenched, fury simmering in his blood. The moment Jayden's voice came through his earpiece, telling him Richard had gotten close to Heaven, something inside him snapped.
He was no longer just defending his empire. He was protecting her.
He wasted no time. Within minutes, he was back at the mansion.
Heaven sat quietly in the living room, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Jayden hovered protectively nearby, a cut on his arm from the glass but otherwise fine.
The moment Dylan entered, she looked up—eyes stormy, but strong.
"Are you okay?" he asked, walking up to her.
She nodded, but her voice was soft. "He got in, Dylan… He was here."
Dylan's hands curled into fists. "I know. That's on me."
Heaven stood, dropping the blanket. "No. It's on him."
Jayden gave them a moment and quietly slipped out of the room.
Dylan stared at her—this woman who had fought so hard to keep her brother safe, who had loathed him once, and yet now... there was something more between them. Something neither of them had fully acknowledged.
"I'll tighten security," he muttered. "I'll burn down every inch of Richard's empire if I have to."
"You shouldn't fight fire with fire, Dylan," Heaven said quietly. "It'll burn everything, including you."
Dylan gave a bitter smile. "He threatened you. There's no going back now."
Heaven walked closer, standing inches from him. "I'm not asking you to spare him. I'm just asking you… don't lose yourself in this war. You've already lost too much."
Dylan's expression shifted—just for a second—as a memory of Samantha flashed through his mind. Her soft voice echoed inside his head.
> "You deserve peace, Dylan. Even if it's not with me."
He closed his eyes briefly, feeling that old wound crack open again.
Then he looked at Heaven, really looked at her. Not as someone caught in the middle. Not as someone he once took as collateral. But as the only one who ever managed to reach the man buried beneath the king.
"I'll protect you," he said, voice low and certain. "Even if it costs me everything."
Heaven opened her mouth to say something—but the sound of an explosion in the distance made her jump.
Dylan's phone rang.
Jayden's voice was grim. "Richard just hit the docks. It's war, boss."
Dylan's eyes darkened.
"Then we give him one."