Page 190 of Ruthless Kings of Havoc

“You know,” he begins with a whisper, “I told myself time and again, since you’ve recovered from the incident, that I wish we could do more normal things. Dates. Walks in the park. Heck, get a dog.”

“A DOG?” I gasp and look at him like he’s lost his mind. “You’re lying! Mr. Benedict, you’d get a dog?”

“Does that mean you want one?” He looks both confused with my state of shrilled shock and amused.

“YES! I mean… well… hmm. We’d have to think that through because we’d need a permanent house so we’re not moving all the time, you know? Animals like to be comfortable in their territory, so I’d want to make sure of that, but imagine us raising a diabolical dog! A small one? No. I want a big one. A husky. A wolf!”

“Dolcezza.” Zander is struggling not to snicker. “You know Leighton has a no-pet policy.”

I wanted to argue with him, but then I didn’t look into that, leaving me in silent defeat.

“But we don’t follow the rules, do we?”

“M-Meaning?!” I squeal the word, jumping up and down.

“We’ll look into it, okay? After our Havoc reign.”

“Score!” I scream like a child as I jump in place. “My eight-year-old vision board is coming true!”

“Vision board?” Zander inquires.

I nervously giggle before I feel a bit shy to bring it up.

“It was a silly project we had to do when we were kids. You know, look through magazines, newspapers, and other books and cut out things that symbolize what you want. You glue and plaster them on a board to remind yourself of those things until they come true. Seeing it often should make sure you manifest it,” I summarize. “May sound stupid or cheesy, but I still have mine. It’s framed in my suitcase. Haven’t had the chance to rehang it, but yeah.”

“Why did you keep that specific one?” Zander asks.

“It’s the last one I made. Also, the one I resonated the most with,” I confess. “It was the last vision board that made me believe dreams could come true. That I could manifest all my hopes and dreams… without a hint of denial. They say if you don’t believe it with all your heart and soul, they won’t come to reality, but at eight, I believed everything was possible. Then everything changed.”

“When the bullying took those dreams away,” Zander concludes.

“Mhmm.” It’s oddly emotional, especially because I’ve never revealed that to anyone. Heck, Warren never knew about it. The reminder makes me teary-eyed. “You know… I told Warren not to associate himself with me anymore,” I reveal.

Zander doesn’t say anything. Instead, he pulls me closer while we maintain contact. He’s giving me his full attention, allowing me to swallow the lump growing in my throat while my eyes pool with tears.

“I think him returning as a Ruthless King made him realize he’s not over his previous Maiden. It… made me realize he was protecting me more so out of duty. That his affection may not have been mine… because I was a substitute.” I sound so unsure.Maybe I am because I can’t read Warren’s intentions for me.“So…”

“Does it make you sad?”

The way he asks something so simply makes me smile, even as my tears spill down my cheeks. I nod while thankful he doesn’t need me to say anything else.

He pulls me into a hug and holds me for a long time. If it wasn’t for the little beep signifying a letter has arrived in the chamber, I’m sure we’d stand here for longer. Even with the urgency of the letter, he doesn’t rush us moving apart. It’senough time for me to compose myself and know I won’t cry all over again.

Cupping my cheeks, he looks into my eyes, showing that surface of vulnerability I know he only allows me to witness.

“The Ruthless Kings who aligned with your reign will stick by your side through chaos and madness,” he speaks as if these are our wedding vows. “Anyone who departs never had the intention of staying from the very beginning.”

I hate to accept it, but he’s right.

He’s experienced betrayal firsthand.

“I can’t promise you that it won’t happen again,” he admits as he closes in, our lips brushing with his next powerful words. “But I’ll be damned, not another man will dare fumble your heart. Last time I checked, that was my duty.”

It makes me smile against his lips before I lift up on my tiptoes to seal the kiss and those empowering words.

“Your duty, yet you never juggled my heart.”

“Can’t play with something you cherish, Dolcezza,” he whispers. “You may be a stick of dynamite, ready to shine your marvelous spark with the world, but I’d never light you aflame, for none are deserving to witness the blaze you’ll ignite in the grand, dark sky.”

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