Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 120336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
He just stood there, waiting. The smallest tilt of his head betrayed his patience, as if daring me to figure out the real game before him.
I forced my voice to steady. “What does this ring mean to you, Leo?”
A flicker of emotion crossed his face—pride, maybe.
Or satisfaction.
It was hard to tell with him. “This ring is a symbol. One that binds its wearer to the title and everything that comes with it.”
Everything that comes with it?
The words twisted like a knife.
What does he mean by that?
I tried to think clearly, but the space felt too small, the air too heavy and even the sapphire’s sparkle seemed like a trap, luring me closer even as my instincts screamed at me to step back.
Leo watched me. “You must take it.”
“Why?”
“You don’t like it, my little monster?”
“I don’t like whatever could be attached to it.”
“And what could that be?”
Think, Monique. Think.
If this was a game of chess, Leo had just placed his queen in plain sight, and that alone was enough to unnerve me. He never played his cards so openly unless there was something far bigger brewing beneath the surface.
The ring wasn’t just a ring.
It couldn’t be.
Is this a claim of ownership? No. That doesn’t make sense. Is this a power play to mark me as his successor in the eyes of the East? Or something worse? Why would he tie me to his wife’s legacy?
I forced myself to look beyond the obvious; to search for the threads Leo had left dangling for me to tug on.
What isn’t he saying?
I looked at the ring again, the diamonds catching the dim light and scattering it into fragile shards. It was beautiful, yes—but beauty meant nothing in Leo’s world unless it could be used to manipulate.
The longer I thought about it, the more I knew this was a move designed to corner me.
To shape me into something he wanted.
I just didn’t know what he needed that shape to be.
I swallowed hard.
Leo had already claimed so much of me—the blood on my hands, the new nightmares in my head, the violence that lingered in my bones.
And now he wanted this, too.
A ring.
A symbol.
A shackle of some kind disguised as a gift.
What’s your endgame, Leo?
I dared a glance up at him.
His expression was unreadable but I knew him well enough to see the quiet satisfaction in the tilt of his mouth.
He was waiting for me to understand.
Waiting for me to accept it.
And I hated that.
The sound of helicopters buzzed faintly in the distance, growing louder by the second. My chest tightened at the sound, hope bubbling up through the unease.
Lei.
My baby had to be in one of those helicopters. I could feel him drawing closer like the pull of gravity, his presence grounding me even as the storm of Leo’s games swirled around me.
Focus, Moni. Stay sharp. Take the damn ring so you can get to Lei. Once next to Lei, the meaning of this damn ring won’t matter.
Leo’s voice cut through the hum of the blades. “Do you know what it means to wear this ring, Monique? Truly?”
“Please, enlighten me.”
“It means you’re not just a player in this world. You’re the one who will rule it.”
The weight of his words hung heavy between us.
Rule it.
The thought should have sent a thrill through me—should have sparked something dark and powerful in my veins.
But instead, it made me tremble.
Because the truth was, Leo never gave anything without expecting something in return.
I looked down at the box, at the glittering sapphire that felt more like a noose than a crown and I realized what he was really saying.
He wasn’t giving me power.
He was handing me a responsibility that would tie me to him forever.
Or was I just bugging?
I’m not your wife, Leo. I’m not your legacy. . .so what are you doing?
But I didn’t say it out loud.
Not yet.
Because this was still his game, and I needed to play it carefully.
The helicopters roared overhead, rattling the tent walls, and I let the sound wash over me like a lifeline.
Lei was out there, somewhere close, and soon—soon—I’d be back with him.
I just had to survive this moment first.
Leo watched me with a predator’s patience and took that beautiful jewelry out of the box. “Take the ring, Monique.”
I did what I had to do.
I lifted my hand, keeping my face as blank as stone and let him slip the ring onto my finger. The cold metal slid against my skin, smooth and heavy, and I shivered as it settled into place.
“Yes. So perfect, my little monster.”
I flinched.
“I thought about this last night, I imagined it.”
I studied him.
Leo’s gaze lingered on my hand. “It suits you.”
Without breaking his stare, he gently lifted my hand and then slowly, almost reverently, he bowed his head and pressed his lips to the finger adorned with the ring, kissing it.