Chapter 73 SAGE


    As soon as Holt left, I didn''t see the need to stay there. Tim sure there''s nothing Titus would say that I haven''t heard forc


    "Where do you think you''re going?" He asked when he saw the turn my back and walk back to my chamber. "Leaving." I answered curtly, my voice cold and unyielding as I stole away, refusing to give him the satisfaction of even ncing back. I''m not done talking to you," he called after me, his voiceced with authority, like he wasn''t used to being ignored. "Well, I''m done," I shot back, the words biting as they left my lips "So, I''m leaving." I didn''t slow down; I didn''t give him a chance to argue. If anything. I increased my pace, determined to put as much distance between us as possible. My heart pounded in time with each hurried step, and the adrenaline coursing through me only pushed me faster. But I wasn''t na?ve enough to believe I could truly outrun him-not with his long powerful strides that are up the ground beneath him like it was nothing. I could feel him closing in behind me, his presence like a shadow looming closer and closer. His footsteps were steady and relentless, and despite my best efforts, the gap between us was shrinking far too quickly. Before I even had a chance to react, his hand shot out, his grip firm and unyielding as his fingers curled around my arm. He yanked me back with an effortless strength that sent me spinning, and in a heartbeat, I was pulled flush against hiro. My body collided with his broad, chiseled chest, the sudden impact stealing the breath from my lungs,


    I gasped, startled by the force of it all, my hands instinctivelying up to brace against him, but he held me fast, his grip possessive and unrelenting. I could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my palms, the hard muscle beneath his shirt, and the warmth of his body seeping through the thin fabric.


    "Let me go." I growled, my voice trembling with both frustration and something else something I refused to name.


    But he didn''t release me. Instead he leaned in closer, his breath hot against my ear. "You think you can just walk away from me like that?" His voice was low, a dangerous whisper that sent a shiver down my spine despite myself. "You should know by now, kitten, that I don''t let go so easily."


    "On the contrary, I''m perfectly aware of that, Your Majesty. It''s just that, I don''t give a fck."


    I saw his jaw tighten as his eyes darkened while looking straight into my eyes as if he were trying to reach the depths of my soul.


    "Do you still have feelings for him?" he asked after that long agonizing silence.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I scoff, "Even if I have, it''s none of your goddamn business. "It''s my fcking business because you''re my wife!"


    "You can have a lot of wives while I can''t? Isn''t that unfair?" I didn''t mean to sound as if I wanted to have another husband. I was just trying to make a point that he sounds ridiculous for using me of having feelings for another man when he was married with not just one but a whole lot of f women.


    "If I divorce all of them, will you stop having feelings for him?" he asked.


    I was taken aback for a minute. I was looking into his eyes, trying to figure out whether he''s serious or just testing me. I gulped when I saw how serious he was.


    "You know what I want, Your Majesty" My voice trembled slightly, but I forced it to remain steady as I  his gaze. The weight of my words hung between us like a delicate thread ready to snap. "I want my freedom. Divorce me, and I''ll be out of


    your way. You won''t have to deal with me anymore," For a moment, there was silence, and 1 dared to hope that my plea had reached him. But then, his lips curled into a slow, deliberate smirk, one that sent an unsettling shiver racing down my spine. It wasn''t just a smile; it was a promise, dark and dangerous, filled with unspoken intent. The kind of smirk that made the air in the room feel heavier, tighter, as if something far more sinister lurked beneath his calm exterior.


    Goosebumps prickled along my arms, and I hated the way my body reacted to him-hated the way my pulse quickened, not just from fear but from something deeper, something I didn''t want to acknowledge. There was a pull between us, undeniable and terrifying, and yet I couldn''t stop myself from feeling it.


    His gaze darkened, sharp as a de, and his voice, when he spoke, was low, almost a growl. "That will never happen, kitten" The endearment sounded both possessive and mocking, sending another wave of chills through me. His fingers brushed against my chin, tilting my face up to his, forcing me to hold his gaze as he delivered his next words like a lethal vow. "You''re mine. And I don''t let go of what''s mine."


    My breath caught in my throat. I tried to pull away to break the suffocating tension, but his grip tightened ever so slightly. just enough to remind me who held the power between us.


    "I''d rather kill them all than lose you, he murmured, his voice soft yet dripping with the kind of menace that made my blood run cold. His words hung in the air like a deadly promise the calm before the storm. There was no hint of hesitation, no flicker of doubt. He meant every single word.


    I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my chest, my mind racing toprehend the full extent of his obsession. He wasn''t just dering ownership over me-he was staking a im, an unbreakable bond that threatened to consume us both And the worst part was, no matter how hard I tried to distance myself to escape him, I could feel that invisible thread pulling me closer, drawing me back into the orbit of his dangerous desire. T


    You can ask me anything you want," he said, his tone smooth but unyielding. "Anything but letting you go. That will never happen. Not in this lifetime, kitten."


    still


    His words struck me like a blow, as if every attempt to free myself from him was an exercise in futility. And yet, there was something in his voice-an offer, a sliver of opportunity. My mind shed back to the conversation I had with Holt before Titus arrived. The words were I fresh in my memory, lingering at edges of my thoughts. I hadn''t decided whether [ should helpced with a hint of curiosity. "Do you really mean that?" Titus''s eyes narrowed, his gaze locking onto mine with a sudden intensity. He tilted his head slightly, as if trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind my words, trying to figure out what was plotting. The tension between us grew thick, palpable, as if he could sense that I was s about to spring something on him but couldn''t


    I took a slow breath, my pulse quickening with anticipation. "Anything?" repeated, my voice calm butem yet, but now, faced with Titus''s upromising stance, I knew this might be my only chance to tip the scales in their favor.


    Yes, he said slowly, his voice measured, as if til quite put his finger on what. The suspense was killing him his control was irond, but even he wasn''t immune to the feeling of the unknown.


    if still uncertain of what I was leading him toward. "Anything."


    I paused for just a moment, letting his words hang in the air, and then, with a steady voice, I made my demand. "Sentence Annika to exile instead of death."


    His reaction was immediate. His brows shot up, his expression hardening into one of disbelief. It was as though he hadn''t expected anything like that toe from my lips. "What?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous, as if daring me to repeat myself. "You heard me." I said, holding his gaze without wavering. "Spare Annika. Send her into exile, but don''t kill her."


    For a moment, the silence between us was deafening. His shock was clear-he hadn''t anticipated that I would use this moment, this opportunity, to bargain for someone else''s life. His eyes darkened, the weight of his authority pressing down on me like a storm-gathering force. Tue, Oct


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    "Why?" he asked, his voice sharper now, as if he were trying to understand the depths of my motives.


    I swallowed hard, but I refused to back down. "Because it''s what want." I replied firmly. "You said anything, and this is my request"


    His eyes locked onto mine, and I could see the inner battle ying out behind his cool exterior. Titus wasn''t an who showed mercy easily, and yet I had ced him in a position where he had promised me something-and I inted to hold


    him to it


    He stared at me for what felt like an eternity, weighing my words, weighing me. His lips thinned into a hard line, and I could sense the conflict brewing within him.


    Titus''s expression darkened the moment the realization struck him-a flicker of something primal shing in his eyes. His jaw tightened, and the casual arrogance he usually wore like armor seemed to crack, revealing something much darker beneath the surface. Jealousy. "Is that v t what that man asked you to do? His voice was low, rough around the edges, but it held a dangerous calm. "Is that what you were talking about earlier? His came out slow and measured, as though he was struggling to keep control, to keep his emotions from unraveling into something far more destructive.


    I met his gaze, unflinching, refusing to be intimidated by the possessive anger simmering behind his eyes. This wasn''t the time to back down. "Yes," I answered, my voice steady, though I could feel the tension rising between us like a brewing storm. That''s correct."


    For a brief moment, his mask slipped, and I could see it-how much the truth stung him. The idea that I would do something-anything-at the request of another man. Worse-a man who wasn''t him. His lips pressed into a thin line, and br nostrils red, his whole body going rigid as though he was barely keeping himself in check. It was obvious that he like it. He hated it. didn''t


    "You''re doing a favor for him?" He growled, the possessiveness in his tone unmistakable. "After everything Annika did to you, you''d still help him?"


    I stood my ground, my pulse quickening but my resolve unwavering. "Yes," I said again, more firmly this time. Tm helping Holt because it''s the right thing to do. Annika may have betrayed me, but that doesn''t mean I want her dead. Exile is a fair punishment, and Holt-he''s only asking for mercy, not for me to undo her crimes." Titus''s expression twisted, abination of frustration, anger, and something else-something raw and wounded. "So, you''ll give him what he wants?" He stepped closer, his towering presence pressing in on me, his voice low and lethal. "You''ll go behind my back for him, is that it? You''d put his wishes above mine?"


    I could feel the intensity of his gaze, the possessiveness in his tone, and the way his body seemed to vibrate wish barely contained fury.


    I


    This isn''t about you or him, I replied, lifting my chin, refusing to cower beneath the weight of his rage. "I only have a few friends growing up, and Holt, he''s one of those people who helps me get through the tough times."


    His eyes shed, and for a moment, I wasn''t sure if he was going tosh out or pull me closer. His emotions were vtile and dangerous, and I was walking a thin line. The air between us crackled with tension, an electric current that could either explode or pull us into something darker, something we both might regret.


    "Is that so? Very well, I''ll grant your request, but on one condition"