Chapter 156

• The alcohol coursed through my veins, yet it failed to cloud my mind. My regeneration dulled its effects, reducing it to nothing more than a mild sedative—just enough to steady my frayed emotions. I was exhausted, not physically but emotionally, and the choice I was making now was one I never thought I would. I wasn’t in love with Kenzo. In truth, I wasn’t sure if I had the capacity to open my heart to anyone anymore. My feelings for Hadrian still burned within me, a painful reminder of what I had lost.
• But I had to bury them. I had to rebuild myself, reassemble the pieces of my life into something that made sense.
• Had Kenzo’s words tempted me? Perhaps, in some small way. Did I crave the crown? No—it was never about power. I only longed to bring justice to my mother’s people, to find a place where I truly belonged. Was my fate to stand beside Kenzo as his queen? I couldn’t say. But if the universe had set this path for me, then I would surrender to its will and hope that one day, I would understand why the heavens had written this story for me.