Page 149 of Shattered By Grace

Cassian stands at the edge of it all. The king of this empire, watching, waiting for his son to fall back in line. His presence alone is a command, a chain tightening around Tristan’s throat.

“Enough games,” Cassian’s voice slides out, smooth and cold, a threat. “Tristan, I’m growing impatient. I’ve killed for less.”

Tristan should obey. He always has before.

But this time…this time, it was only her.

“If I haven't made it clear to you where I stand,” Tristan says, his voice hoarse, raw. He takes a step toward her. “It’s here.” Another step. “With you.”

Cassian doesn’t react. Not at first. Then a flicker of disbelief.

“Tristan,” Cassian demanded

A low murmur spreads through the crowd, rippling outward like a shockwave.

Tristan’s voice cuts through the noise, drowning out the ref’s final words. “I choose you. Over blood, over loyalty, over everything I was raised to be.” His jaw tightens. He lifts a hand, fingers brushing her cheek before settling at the nape of her neck. His grip is steady. Certain. “Especially over him.”

The crowd gasps.

Cassian’s smirk vanishes.

“Because there is no world, no fucking reality, where I exist without you.”

The crowd goes still, the weight of his words hanging in the air like a live wire.

Cassian watches from his platform, seemingly composed, but his empire feels like it’s on the brink.

Tristan doesn’t care.

“I’ll fight for you,” he vows, his voice hoarse. “I’ll burn this fucking world down if it means keeping you safe.” He steps closer, close enough that she can feel the heat of him, the intensity in his eyes. “I don’t care who stands in my way. I don’t care who I have to bury.” His fingers brush hers, lightningbetween them. “I am yours, Victoria," he breathes, his gaze searing her skin. "Heart, body, and soul... if you want, I’ll even tattoo it over my heart permanently, just like what I’m giving you.”

A single breath. A single moment.

“I love you.”

Not a plea. Not a promise. A declaration. A death sentence. A battle cry.

The arena is drowned in a heavy silence.

Cassian's expression darkened. For a long moment, he said nothing, his eyes narrowing as he weighed Tristan's words. The silence stretched, thick with unspoken promises and threats. Then, with the slightest tilt of his head, he whispered, “You’ve made your choice.”

The ref yells over the chaos, pulling them back into the present. “Fighter over here, are you ready?”

The words cut through the air, and Victoria, shaken, pulls her eyes from Tristan.

“Sir, I need you to clear the mat.”

“Go, Tristan. I’ll be fine,” she says, her voice barely more than a whisper but carrying the weight of everything between them.

“I love you, too.”

Chapter Sixty-Seven

“Fight.”

The roar of the crowd was a distant hum in Victoria’s ears. Her eyes locked onto Lena, who stood across from her, a smirk curling her lips as she rolled her shoulders in preparation.

Lena started circling. “You know, Tristan and I go way back.”

---