–Damon–
It was still too early—just as I'd planned. I had time to check on the business while I was here in Korea, but honestly, nothing felt more important than this: snuggling with her until she drifted off to sleep. That used to be part of my delusional teenage fantasies. Back when love was an abstract dream. Now, it's my reality—rare, fragile, and entirely mine. My wife.
She stirred beside me earlier, her body curling into itself, her breaths uneven. Menstruation. Huh. I don't remember her getting it the last two months. We made love like lunatics the past few weeks, insatiable, desperate almost. So, it's true then—she really is infertile.
And yet, she still needs an heir. That's why she's manipulating Damien. Trying to get him to sleep with her sister. I know it. But I don't hold it against her. We all have our shadows, our quiet sins. In this empire, legacy matters more than anything. We do what we must to protect our bloodline.
