Chapter 39 The Final Game

• Diane dashed out of her concealed room, her heart pounding wildly, her mind consumed by darkness and rage. All she needed now was to survive and take revenge. She no longer thought as a woman, no longer dreamed of a crown or luxury. She had become a predator cornered, and her instincts screamed: strike first, or die.
• A pain still burned in her chest—not from a physical wound, but from the emptiness left after Lucian’s death. He had been her father, ally, puppeteer, and shield all at once. Now that he was dead, everything was crumbling. The world she ruled was turning to dust.
• She approached the door leading outside and was about to leave the tower when her eyes caught a faint movement in the corridor. Diane froze.