Page 58 of Sweet Dominion

I grinned.

We continued forward and Moni’s amazement became more infectious, lifting my sadness.

“So. . .captivating.” She got closer to me as we walked along as if the estate could swallow her up.

Against my will, a chuckle left me.

God, I love being with her.

With Moni next to me, the sprawling mansion, the pristine beach, the lush gardens—all of it felt different, more vibrant.

In my daily life, I had taken these things for granted.

But with Moni here, everything seemed more beautiful, more significant. Her presence brought out the true essence of the properties, revealing the splendor I had grown accustomed to overlooking.

I intertwined my fingers with hers and guided her further toward the front.

There, a grand fountain dominated the entrance, its waters dancing around this huge, sculpted dragon, carved from white marble.

I pointed at the dragon. “That is Jiaolong.”

“And who is he?”

“This legendary hornless dragon who was believed to love relaxing in any aquatic environments.”

Water poured out of the dragon’s opened mouth and cascaded over its scales, creating a symphony of splashes and ripples that caught the sunlight.

“He is from one of my father’s favorite stories.”

She gazed at me. “What’s the story?”

I stopped her in front of the fountain. “Jiaolong was swimming in the ocean one day when he saw this beautiful human woman picking flowers by the beach. She was the daughter of a fisherman and loved to give her father flowers when he came ashore at sunset.”

“That was nice of her.”

“Perhaps, Jiaolong thought that was nice too, but most of all, he was taken aback by her beauty. And until that moment, he had never even regarded humans as anything more than tiny creatures that roamed the Earth.”

“Did he say something to her?”

“No, but for days Jialong would come back to that same spot in the ocean and watch her from afar, yearning.”

“Yearning for what?”

“Jiaolong didn’t know. All he understood was that he had to have her.” I lifted my view to his huge jaw as it roared out sparkling water. “For months he silently did this, until one day he could not remain in that ocean anymore. The hunger for her love and attention took over him.”

“Oh shit. What did he do?”

“Jiaolong rose from the surface. Water spilled down his massive body, causing so much noise that it startled her. That was when she turned around.”

“And what did she do?”

“Screamed.”

Moni smiled. “I would have screamed too.”

“Then, she dropped those flowers for her father and raced away.”

“Did he go after her?”

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