Chapter 313

• Carmen exhaled a trembling breath. Her gaze lifted to Duke, her eyes dark with unshed tears. “Duke. For the bond we once shared… protect her. Please.”
• Duke’s heart roared inside his chest, a storm of grief and rage. “I will. You have my word. But come with me now. Submit, Carmen, before it’s too late.”
• Carmen’s laugh was brittle, tinged with bitterness. “Submit? I’ve spilled too much blood. There’s no path back for me.”