The dark, eternal reign was flawless, but our greatest chapter had just completely begun.
Valerius remained perfectly still on his knees for what felt like an agonizing eternity. The absolute King of the Thorne Syndicate, a man who had violently orchestrated the complete collapse of entire governments and global cartels without shedding a single tear, was entirely paralyzed by a profound, overwhelming miracle. He gently rested his massive, calloused hands on either side of my waist, pressing his forehead delicately against the smooth silk of my robe. His broad, heavily scarred shoulders visibly trembled with the sheer magnitude of the revelation.
"An heir," Valerius whispered fiercely, his deep, gravelly voice vibrating with a terrifyingly beautiful mixture of absolute devotion and earth
