Meanwhile, on the mainland, Lucian and Ashley’s forces had already left... except for one.

Nikki walked into her office and stopped when she spotted a figure standing near the window. The frown on her face deepened.

"Lukas, what are you doing here?" She asked, closing the door behind her with a heavy sigh. "If you’re here to berate me for my choice, I suggest you leave. I’m not in the mood for another lecture."

Lukas drew a slow breath and turned, watching her march to her desk.

Pain flickered briefly in his eyes as his chest tightened at the sight of her. He knew Nikki, and he could tell she was in a foul mood. That was expected, given what she’d been counting on for her career.

"I’m not here to lecture you," he said, turning to face her fully. "I’m here to see the look on your face."

Nikki paused and turned her head toward him. "What did you say?"

"I want to see what kind of face you’d make after realizing the grave mistake you’ve made," he continued, his tone calm even as his heart ached. He nodded slowly. "It’s exactly what I expected."

She scoffed. "Get out of here, Lukas."

A beat of silence settled between them before he nodded, as if in understanding. Lukas finally pulled his gaze from her and took a few steps toward the door, then stopped.

"Do you regret it?" he asked without looking back. "Choosing the High Chamber over the Master."

He glanced back at her, studying her expression, which didn’t change. Lukas smiled wryly.

"Of course you don’t," he murmured. "And even if you did, you’re not the type to go back on a decision you’ve already made."

It was one of the things he admired about her. Not just her face or her sharp mind, but everything — the whole of her. A strong woman, very different from anyone else around him.

He exhaled. "What a shame, Nikki."

With that, he looked away and resumed walking. His heart was heavy, but love was not something he could afford to let stand in his way. Just as Gustav had said, Lukas had been blinded by his own feelings.

Had he not been, he would have been the first to catch Nikki’s intentions before she ever stepped foot in that room. But because of love, admiration, history, and friendship... he had kept giving her the benefit of the doubt. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Don’t blame me," Nikki said quietly, just as his hand reached the door. "Don’t blame me, Lukas. This isn’t all on me."

He paused, hand on the knob.

"I’ve worked harder for this organization than you and Gustav combined," she said, straightening her back. "But no matter what I do, no matter how much I give, no matter how many problems I fix — he never sees my value."

Nikki swallowed. "Instead, he orders Gustav to strip me of the position I worked so hard for and humiliates me in front of my own subordinates. So was it wrong to move to the side that actually recognizes what I’m worth?"

"Recognizes your worth?" Lukas looked back at her, the disappointment plain on his face. "Or uses you?"

"Does it matter?" she shot back. "At least the High Chamber is desperate enough to offer me something — rather than waiting around for Lucian to finally decide to throw me out."

Another silence settled over them.

"I see," Lukas nodded. "What a shame, Nikki."

He walked out with a heavy heart, not looking back — even knowing this might be the last time. There was no way they would take Nikki back. No way Gustav would allow it.

*****

Back in her office, Nikki exhaled and pinched the bridge of her nose. She dropped into her chair and rubbed her temple, trying to dull the throbbing in her head.

When the noise in her mind quieted, her eyes snapped to the door.

"Damn it," she breathed, burying her face in her palms. "I’m glad he’s alive, but..."

Her teeth clenched. Anger surged through her chest before she could stop it, and a scream tore from her throat as she swept everything off the desk.

"Why did he have to live?!" she screamed, breaking everything within reach. "Why?! Why?! Why?!"

*****

At the same time, somewhere in the world...

An empty conference room sat in silence. The tablets arranged across the table had all lit up, but no one was speaking.

"What happened?" someone finally broke the quiet. "How is he still alive?"

"And how did no one warn us that his wife would be this much of a problem?" another voice followed, sharp and stern. "We were assured she wouldn’t be a factor — that we should focus on the heir. We were assured."

Silence again.

It hung over the room as if everyone on the line was still trying to make sense of it. Every person in this meeting had been certain that things had finally turned in their favor. Even if Lucian had gotten the transplant, they’d known he wouldn’t be the same afterward.

His influence would erode. His people would waver, and so would his allies. No one wanted to stand behind a sick man who could die at any moment.

But even accounting for that, they were beginning to realize it wouldn’t be simple. Not with Ashley moving when she did, and moving a step ahead of them.

While Lucian and his people were celebrating, the people on this call were quietly dissecting everything that had unfolded. The conclusion was becoming clear: even if Lucian fell, seizing power wouldn’t be easy — not unless Ashley fell with him.

She had made herself known. Not just to the High Chamber, but to Lucian’s most powerful allies. Lucian had a fallback, and that fallback was his wife. Someone in a position that could easily sway Dominion.

"There are only a few things we can do from here."

A new voice cut through the silence.

"The problem is that Lucian’s fallback just so happens to be that woman." The voice paused. "Meaning her legitimacy and her authority are nearly equal to his, if handled correctly."

"She’s dangerous — and she made sure everyone knows she’s more dangerous than the Black Dragon himself," the voice continued. "So the question we need to answer is: what would make her turn her back on him?"

"Trust is a brittle thing," another added. "Once it’s called into question, it’s only a matter of time before it cracks and crumbles entirely. For now, we lie low. Our card is already being prepared. This is not the end."

With that, the man disconnected. One by one, the others followed without another word.

Until only one remained.

"What do you think?" the last voice asked. "Is this alliance still worth pursuing?"

What the others didn’t know was that in this empty conference room — the one they used for these meetings precisely because it kept their identities hidden — someone was actually present.

Memphis adjusted his glasses and smirked. "I’d say... it’s interesting."