VICIOUS DEVOTION

CHAPTER FOURTEEN : The Aftermath

The Palace – One Week Later

The threat was gone.

The Marchetti family had fled the region, their power shattered. The other families had pledged loyalty to Dante—and, by extension, to Serafina. The council was in shambles. The kingdom was stable.

For the first time in five years, Serafina could breathe.

She stood in her study, looking out the window at the city below. Her city. Her kingdom. And soon—her wedding.

The door opened behind her. She didn't turn.

"You're brooding again," Dante said.

"I'm thinking."

"Same thing."

He crossed the room, wrapping his arms around her from behind. She leaned into him, closing her eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" he murmured.

"The future." She turned in his arms, looking up at him. "Our future. What it looks like. What we build together."

He smiled. "It looks like everything, Serafina. You and me. A kingdom. A family. A legacy."

"You're sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

She reached up, touching his face. "I love you."

"I know." He kissed her. "I love you too, Angel. More than you'll ever know."

---

Later, they sat on the balcony, watching the sunset.

The city stretched below them—a patchwork of glittering lights and shadowed alleys. The palace rose behind them, ancient and unyielding.

"I never thought I'd have this," Serafina said quietly. "The love. The partnership. The happiness."

"You deserve it." Dante squeezed her hand. "You deserve everything."

She looked at him—this boy who had bled for her, killed for her, burned the world for her. This man who had become her partner, her protector, her home.

"I used to think I had to be alone," she said. "I used to think strength meant never needing anyone."

"And now?"

She smiled. "Now I know that real strength is letting someone stand beside you. Someone who sees you—all of you—and loves you anyway."

Dante lifted her hand to his lips. "I see you, Serafina. I always have."

"And I see you." She cupped his face. "The monster. The prince. The boy who just wanted to be loved."

He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. "You saved me."

"You saved me first."

They sat in silence, watching the sun dip below the horizon. The future stretched before them—uncertain, dangerous, and utterly, devastatingly theirs.