- 4 hours ago
The Dragon Lord's Forbidden Bride Englishsubtitle ⚡️
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:09The Grand Clan Gathering in Palermo
00:1113 of us stood in a line, waiting to be chosen
00:14One shard, one knight, one chance
00:18As Lord Earl's half-dened bloodbastard daughter
00:22I couldn't afford to fail
00:23Lorenzo Rossi, heir to the Rossi clan
00:26Was my childhood friend
00:28He was the only one who'd agreed to shelter me
00:31And he had promised me the White Dragon Shard
00:34We'd made the deal just yesterday
00:36Three years of cover
00:37After that, he could love whoever he wanted
00:40Yesterday, he'd said yes
00:42Don't worry
00:43I promised to give you the White Dragon Fragment
00:46Tonight, at the last second
00:48He smiled and placed the shard in the girl's hand beside me
00:51Mia, the human scholarship student he'd been sponsoring
00:55Her hands were shaking as she took it
00:57He leaned close to my ear
00:59I looked at him
01:00He was already turning away
01:02Already placing Mia's hand on his arm
01:06Let her have this one, Elena
01:09She's never known happiness
01:11Not once
01:14What about me?
01:16Don't worry
01:17As long as I'm here, no one will dare arrange your marriage
01:23Mia is elegant
01:25She is noble
01:28She is worthy of this honor
01:30Noble
01:30The word landed like a slap
01:32Whispers rippled through the crowd
01:34I stood there empty dan-handed
01:36Lord Earl's half-dan blood bastard
01:38Passed over for a human girl with no clan
01:41No blood
01:42Nothing
01:43These idiots
01:45I told them to save you at least one shard
01:51I looked at the man I'd grown up with
01:53Do you know what tonight means?
01:55A White Dragon Shard wasn't decoration
01:58It was a marriage declaration between clans
02:01A thousand-year-old rile
02:04Without it, I had nothing
02:06No shelter
02:08No choice
02:09No way out of the match
02:10Lady Earl had already arranged for me in the Eastern Territory
02:15Lorenzo was my only option
02:16No other man here would choose a half-dan blood bastard
02:20And he'd just chosen someone else
02:23Eighteen years
02:25He didn't answer
02:26Behind him
02:27Mia was smiling
02:29The white shard still perfect in her hands
02:41Guilt flickered across Lorenzo's face
02:43He sent Mia away
02:45You're used to these events, Elena
02:47But she isn't
02:49This is her only moment to shine
02:52Just do me this one favor
02:54He leaned down
02:56His expression almost boyish
02:58You can have your way any other day
03:00Why does it have to be tonight?
03:03I said nothing
03:04He cleared his throat
03:07Today's her graduation
03:08After tonight, I can't sponsor her anymore
03:11I promised her one unforgettable memory
03:13Unforgettable for me too
03:15But it was already too late
03:17Lorenzo, do you understand what the gathering means?
03:20Mia came back before I could finish
03:22Elena
03:23Her voice was soft
03:25Careful
03:25Did I ruin everything?
03:27Please don't blame Lorenzo
03:28I was the one who begged him to
03:31Lorenzo saw her shrinking back
03:33His expression darkened
03:35Toward me
03:36Enough, Elena
03:38It's just a shard
03:40I'll get you another one
03:42He dug into his jacket pocket
03:44Pulled out a small red shard
03:46Pushed it into my hand
03:48Red suits you better anyway
03:50A white shard isn't worth making a scene over
03:54This isn't like you
03:57The moment the red shard touched my palm
03:59It cracked
04:01The stone had split clean in two
04:04Right down the middle
04:05Just my hand
04:07I closed my fingers around the broken places
04:10The red shard meant someone you didn't claim
04:13I knew the shard would shatter
04:15If one's pure blood refused to admit it
04:17But I was nothing more than a half-breed
04:20I didn't know what that meant yet
04:23Laughter rippled through the room
04:25A half-blood bootlicker
04:28Thinking she could marry the Rossi heir
04:30Didn't you hear him say noble?
04:32In his heart
04:34Even a human ranks higher than her
04:36Lorenzo silenced the woman with one look
04:39But the words had already landed
04:43Elena, I'm sorry
04:44You've always had everything
04:46I just wanted
04:47One night to feel special
04:49Everything
04:50I stared at her
04:51I'm a bastard
04:53Mia
04:54Half-blood
04:55Do you have any idea how the Maradi clan treats me?
04:58The plate slipped from her hands
05:00Landed on her shoe
05:01Her eyes filled with tears
05:03It's already done
05:05Let her enjoy tonight
05:09Come on
05:10Let's get you cleaned up
05:14You can head home if you want
05:15I didn't have one
05:17The moment Lorenzo left my side
05:19Someone moved in
05:20Antonio Ricci
05:21A reckless heir from a rival clan
05:23He stepped close and breathed in slowly
05:26You smell good Elena Moratti
05:30Without Lorenzo beside me
05:32I didn't even get basic respect
05:34Lorenzo told me to bring you a shard
05:37I didn't bother
05:38I told you before
05:40Stop chasing him and try me instead
05:42You never listened
05:45How does it feel now?
05:48Humiliating, isn't it?
05:49I turned
05:51Stared at this man who barely reached my shoulder
05:54Lorenzo had handed him that task
05:56Knowing full well Antonio had been harassing me for months
06:00My fists tightened
06:01Another betrayal
06:03All I'd asked for was three years
06:05Three years to build enough power to get out from under the Moritti clan's grip
06:10But Lady Earl wanted me gone
06:12She wouldn't give me room to breathe
06:15Elena
06:17Without that pretty face, you'd be nothing
06:20Just a half-blood I could do whatever I wanted with
06:23You think the Rossi clan will protect you forever?
06:26His grip tightened
06:27Lorenzo was back
06:29He knocked the hand away
06:31Didn't I warn you?
06:32Don't touch what's mine
06:33Yours?
06:34You just picked the human girl
06:35What do you need Elena for?
06:37That's none of your business
06:39Antonio spat and walked away
06:42Lorenzo spun me around to face him
06:44He touched you and you didn't fight back
06:47Wasn't this your idea?
06:48Listen
06:49I can protect you at events like this
06:52But that doesn't mean I have to stand next to you every second, does it?
06:55But you knew what the gathering meant
06:56Mia appeared again
06:59Lorenzo?
07:00Could I get some champagne?
07:02One's cold and stubborn
07:04The other's bright and warm
07:06Lorenzo's choice was easy
07:08Of course
07:09Tonight you're the star
07:11Whatever you want
07:12He glanced back at me
07:14We'll talk tomorrow
07:16I'll come by your place
07:17Tomorrow
07:18I smiled coldly
07:20Tomorrow you'll have to come to the Eastern Territory to find me
07:26Lorenzo left to greet the other clan heirs
07:28Mia walked back to me holding a glass of wine
07:32The timid scholarship girl was gone
07:34In her place stood someone who tasted power
07:37You have everything Elena
07:40Why do you need to take this one moment from me?
07:42I should never have helped Lorenzo choose her for that scholarship
07:46You grew up in luxury
07:48I only wanted one night under Lorenzo's protection
07:52Luxury?
07:53You think I'm better off than you?
07:55My mother was a human
07:57She died when I was small
07:59Lord Earl brought me back to the estate when I was little
08:01Lady Earl looked at me like she wanted me dead
08:05My father had women everywhere
08:07One more bastard daughter didn't matter to him
08:10Let alone a half-blood daughter
08:13Impure blood was a sin in its life
08:16I learned to read people early
08:18Without this face, I wouldn't have survived
08:21I was trapped between two sides
08:23There were other things too
08:25Things I'd never been able to explain
08:28My body had always felt faintly wrong
08:30Like something inside me was pressed flat
08:33Held down
08:35Some mornings I woke up with heat in my hands
08:37That faded before I was fully conscious
08:40Some nights my blood felt like it was moving too fast
08:43I'd asked Lady Earl about it once when I was small
08:46She'd given me a small white pill and told me it was vitamins
08:50I'd taken them every day since without thinking
08:53I went to Uncle Luca and begged him to train me
08:56To back me up
08:58Uncle Luca never smiled
09:00I had to lock my knees to keep from shaking as I stood in front of him
09:04Your father has 23 children
09:07Why would I invest in a half-blood who won't last?
09:11Because I have nothing to lose
09:14I'll do what they won't
09:15But the timing wasn't right
09:17Uncle Luca turned me away too
09:20They said
09:21Dante Vitell was ruthless
09:23That anyone who crossed him got crushed without mercy
09:26The Meridi clan wanted his protection
09:28But they wouldn't sacrifice a legitimate daughter for it
09:33So they chose me
09:36Uncle Luca already knew how the gathering had ended
09:38He sent one message
09:40Figure it out yourself
09:42I was shaking
09:43Cold all the way through
09:45I wrapped my arms around myself
09:47Mia touched my frozen hand like she owned it
09:50Elena
09:51Do you think Lorenz even understands what the gathering means?
09:57I wasn't the type to dwell on emotions
09:59I needed to find a way to stay
10:01I found Lorenzo and asked him directly
10:05Do you know what tonight actually means?
10:07Sure
10:08It's a matchmaking event
10:11But it's just formality
10:13Half these arrangements fall apart anyway
10:15He knew it
10:17Don't worry
10:18I'll talk to the Morettos
10:19No one's forcing you into marriage
10:23Then can you get the shard back from Mia?
10:25I'll return it tomorrow
10:26Lorenzo looked uncomfortable
10:28That's not good
10:30It's already hers
10:30How about I send another one instead?
10:32Don't fight with Mia over this
10:34That white shard had a rare gold vein running through it
10:37It couldn't be replicated
10:39Everything I'd held back all night came out at once
10:43Please, Lorenzo
10:45You know I was never going to cling to you
10:47I have someone I care about
10:51After three years
10:53You'd be free
10:56So why did you humiliate me?
10:58You stepped forward
10:59Backed me against the wall
11:03Someone you care about?
11:05You taught Savary
11:09Again with this!
11:13Elena, no one else is going to take you
11:15You're a Marathi half-blood
11:18Everyone in Palamo knows
11:20You're mine
11:22My shadow
11:25My little father
11:26The words cut deep
11:28Being called the shadow
11:30The father
11:31It was the price of surviving inside the Marathi clan
11:34Pairing it from his mouth made me sick
11:37I stepped back and bumped into him
11:39Elena, please don't fight with Lorenzo
11:42Enough Elena
11:43It's one night
11:45Stop making a scene
11:46Tomorrow Mia goes back to her life
11:52But Mia's expression said otherwise
12:04I walked out of the hall and got into Uncle Luca's car
12:07He sat in the shadows
12:08Dressed in black
12:09Expressionless
12:10Accept your loss
12:12Tomorrow you leave for the Eastern Territory
12:14After that
12:15You're on your own
12:18I'll come back
12:20We'll see
12:21His mouth curved slightly
12:24Back at the estate, Lady Earl glanced at Uncle Luca
12:26Then at me
12:28We've raised you for 18 years
12:30Time to repay that
12:33You've been chosen
12:34Tomorrow, you leave
12:36Nothing in this house was mine
12:38Not even the plane ticket
12:40I paid for it myself
12:41Uncle Luca said nothing
12:43And walked to his room
12:44I went to my small bedroom
12:46And started packing
12:48My half-sister Bianca leaned in the doorway
12:51Inspecting her nails
12:53If I were you
12:54I wouldn't have gone to the gathering at all
13:00Mom told me to keep an eye on you
13:02Don't take anything valuable
13:03Not even tonight's gown
13:07Oh, and mom said Dante Vitale
13:09Is already in love with someone else
13:10Good luck
13:11I took off the gown in front of her
13:14Removed every piece of jewelry
13:16Set it all on the tray
13:18Then I walked to the bathroom
13:20And I slipped
13:21Bianca left
13:22On my phone
13:24Mia had already posted
13:25A photo
13:26Glowing
13:28Lorenzo's arm around her
13:29He was still wearing the cufflinks I'd given him
13:32I left everything Lorenzo had ever given me behind
13:36Before dawn
13:36I was up
13:38No goodbyes
13:39I grabbed my backpack and headed to the airport
13:42Security
13:43Boarding
13:44Everything smooth
13:46As the plan began to taxi
13:47I switched my phone off completely
13:50Cut every tie to Palermo
13:52Then the announcement came
13:54Apologies passengers
13:56The Rossi clan has sealed the airways above Palermo
13:59All flights are returning to the terminal
14:07I stared out the window as the runway slowed
14:10It took me a moment to understand what was happening
14:13The plane stopped
14:15My phone reconnected
14:17Messages poured in
14:18Then a refund notification
14:20We apologize for the inconvenience
14:22To compensate
14:23The Rossi clan will reimburse your ticket at ten times the original price
14:27The complaints died instantly
14:29Who do you think they're looking for?
14:30A few girls behind me started whispering
14:32This is so dramatic
14:33Like something out of a film
14:34I scrolled through my phone
14:36Exhausted
14:36Lorenzo had gone to the Marretti estate early that morning looking for me
14:40When he found I wasn't there
14:42He stormed into my bedroom
14:44He saw the gown
14:45The jewelry
14:46Everything I'd left behind
14:47But my backpack was gone
14:49He panicked
14:50He demanded answers from the Marretti's
14:52That is when he found out I'd already left for the Eastern Territory
14:56Lorenzo lost it
14:58Nearly tore the estate apart
14:59Then he started calling
15:01But by then I was already on the plane
15:03When he realized I hadn't taken a single thing he'd ever given me
15:07He snapped
15:07That is when he sealed the sky
15:09I grabbed my backpack and stepped off the plane
15:12Inside the terminal
15:14I stopped
15:14Go back or keep moving
15:16It was early
15:17I was starving
15:18I found a small coffee and ordered pasta
15:21Uncle Luca's message came through
15:23Do you want to come back?
15:24Lorenzo still wants you
15:25The Marretti clan ran on schemes
15:28Lorenzo might spoil me
15:29But he'd never lose face for me
15:31Going back meant more humiliation
15:33Moving forward
15:34Maybe something different
15:38I ate slowly
15:40Outside the cafty window
15:42Dragon guards in black flooded the terminal
15:44Dozens of them
15:45Stopping every woman who looked anything like me
15:48Then Lorenzo came through the doors
15:50Soaked in sweat
15:52Phone pressed to his ear
15:53He walked straight past my table
15:56He looked wrecked
15:57Frantic
15:59Calling my number over and over
16:01My phone buzzed in my pocket
16:03I watched him
16:04When no one answered
16:05He almost smashed the phone against the pillar
16:08Where is she?
16:10I'd never seen Lorenzo like this
16:11Keep searching
16:12Completely unraveled
16:13Every terminal
16:13No flight leaves for the eastern territory today
16:15I don't care what it costs
16:16I checked my phone
16:17There was a flight to the central territories in 20 minutes
16:20I scrolled through the news while I waited
16:22Pelermos gossip feeds were already running with it
16:25Two women at the table behind me were deep into it
16:28God that's so romantic
16:30If someone grounded the entire sky for me I'd say yes on the spot
16:35Her friend was more cynical
16:37You don't get it
16:38Last night at the gathering
16:40Lorenzo gave the white shard to some human scholarship girl
16:43I'm guessing he got played
16:45Wait
16:45He didn't pick a clan daughter
16:47He picked a human?
16:49Then why is he losing his mind today?
16:51I kept my eyes on my coffee
16:53My guess?
16:55Lorenzo had no idea what the shard ceremony actually meant
16:58How would you know?
17:01Because I was at the gathering last night
17:03I went still
17:04I glanced back
17:06Didn't recognize her
17:07Lucky
17:09So what does the clan girl look like?
17:12Beautiful
17:13Genuinely stunning
17:14Then why would Lorenzo give the shard to an outsider?
17:17Who cares?
17:18The girl's voice sharpened
17:19The other one's just a half-blood anyway
17:21Not like the rest of us
17:22I coughed
17:23Both women turned
17:25The moment they saw my face
17:26One of them went completely silent
17:28Pointed
17:29Couldn't speak
17:30The other one stared at me
17:33What?
17:33Do you know her?
17:34She's gorgeous
17:36Wait, are you?
17:38She looked toward the guards
17:39Still sweeping the terminal
17:40Eyes wide
17:44I pressed one finger to my lips
17:46Both women covered their mouths with both hands
17:48I picked up my bag and walked away
17:51Behind me
17:52I heard one of them hiss
17:53You didn't tell me she looked like that
17:55You have zero chance now
17:56Zero
17:57I reached the gate for the central territories
18:00Another refund notification hit my phone
18:03The Rossi clan had purchased out every route leaving Palermo
18:06Not just the eastern territory flights everything
18:08I stood there
18:09Phone in hand
18:10Nowhere to go
18:13Then it rang an eastern territory number
18:19Hello?
18:20Dante Vitale
18:22I'm sorry I
18:23My people are already at the airport
18:25They'll bring you to me
18:26My arranged husband
18:27His voice was cool
18:29Unhurried
18:29The kind of voice you wanted to keep listening to
18:32Before I could explain that the entire sky was sealed
18:35I saw it through the terminal under
18:36A private aircraft on the tarmac
18:38Several dragon guards in black stepped off and stood at attention
18:42I said
18:43Understood
18:43I hung up and walked toward the jet
18:48It had started to drizzle
18:49The moment I stepped outside
18:51An umbrella appeared over my head
18:53A man holding it kept his eyes down
18:56Respectful
18:58Mrs. Vitale
18:59We're here to bring you home
19:01That is when Lorenzo spotted me
19:03Grabbed my wrist
19:04Elena
19:06Come with me
19:07White Hale's dragon guards closed in immediately
19:10Lorenzo's men did the same
19:11The two groups faced each other
19:13Nobody moved
19:14People inside the terminal pressed against the glass
19:17Phones out
19:18A man leading Dante's guards was older
19:20Immaculate suit
19:21A kind of calm that came from having seen everything twice
19:25He smiled politely
19:26His eyes didn't
19:29Mr. Rossi
19:30I'm here to escort Mrs. Vitale home
19:33Please step aside
19:35Lorenzo's gaze went cold
19:39She hasn't left Polono yet
19:41I'd like to see who has the nerve to take what's mine
19:44I was tired
19:45Deeply tired
19:46I'd tried to tell him
19:48More than once
19:49But his attention was always somewhere else
19:51Always on Mia
19:54I kept my voice steady
19:56Lorenzo
19:57Lorenzo
19:58You've protected me for years
19:59I'm grateful
20:01But this is where it ends
20:03I don't blame anyone
20:08Don't blame anyone
20:10Then come back with me
20:12I'll marry you
20:13I'll tell the Morettis myself
20:16The rain came harder
20:17Lorenzo's hair was soaked
20:19His eyes were red
20:21For just a moment
20:22Something flickered at the edge of his irises
20:24A deep amber
20:25Gone before I could be sure I'd seen it
20:28Dragon blood under pressure
20:29Even the composed ones cracked eventually
20:31The vital butler stepped between us
20:33Unmoved
20:34Apologies Mr. Rossi
20:36The agreement with the Moretti clan has been finalized
20:39Mrs. Vital leaves with us today
20:43Lorenzo
20:44I told you
20:46I only ever wanted three years
20:48I have someone I genuinely care about
20:50I was never planning to marry you
20:51This again
20:53Elena you've been locked inside the Moretti clan
20:55Your whole life
20:56When exactly did you meet someone to love
20:58I know calling you my shadow upset you
21:01Stop being stubborn and come back
21:04We'll talk there
21:05Okay
21:06His tone had shifted
21:07Almost pleading
21:09I was grateful
21:10Truly
21:10He'd kept me safe for years
21:12But when Lorenzo let go of my hand
21:14And gave the shard to Mia
21:16Or path split for good
21:20Lorenzo
21:21I said quietly
21:22Mia is your chosen
21:24All of Pilemer witnessed it
21:28Go be happy with her
21:30He laughed
21:32Short and bitter
21:34Marry a human girl?
21:36Are you serious?
21:37I'd marry you before I'd ever marry her
21:40My expression went flat
21:42Lorenzo had always wanted me around
21:44He'd never once respected me
21:46I didn't hesitate this time
21:47I turned and walked toward the jet with the butler
21:50Lorenzo stood frozen behind me
21:52Fists clenched
21:53Something radiating off him
21:54That I didn't look back to read
21:56Elena
21:58You leave Palamo
21:59And no one protects you anymore
22:01Think carefully
22:03Once you're gone
22:04Don't come back regretting it
22:07I didn't answer
22:08I stepped onto the plane
22:10The butler had already prepared a change of clothes
22:13You can freshen up there, Mrs. Vitari
22:16Getting caught in the rain
22:17You'll catch cold
22:19The jet was extraordinary
22:20Not a rental
22:21This was the Vital Clan's own aircraft
22:26The Vital Clan operated on a different level entirely
22:29Even the Morettis didn't own anything like this
22:32The plane didn't just have a bathroom
22:34It had a full bedroom
22:36The bedding was soft pink
22:39Definitely not something Dante Vital had chosen for himself
22:42I changed in the bathroom
22:44Then stopped
22:45The clothes fit me perfectly
22:47When I came out
22:49The butler had quietly moved the dragon guards to the rear of the cabin
22:53Excuse me
22:55Does the Lord usually use this plane?
22:57He saw my confusion
22:58This aircraft was commissioned specifically for you, Mrs. Vitari
23:03Everything was customized to your preferences
23:06The Lord selected the bedding personally
23:09Softest material available
23:11I didn't know what to say
23:12Something this considered
23:14Given to a stranger without a word
23:16Wasn't he supposed to be in love with someone else?
23:20The flight to the Eastern Territory is long
23:22You should rest
23:23The climate there is dry
23:24We've prepared a humidifier for you
23:29No one had ever thought about my comfort before
23:32I'd spent my whole life reading other people's moods
23:35Adjusting
23:37Disappearing into whatever shape kept me safe
23:39This kind of attention made me restless
23:42The butler noticed and quietly withdrew
23:45I pulled out a pen and started sketching notes
23:47My mind was already running through what came next
23:51What I was walking into
23:53What I'd need
23:54The plane landed on a sprawling green estate
23:56I looked closer
23:58The vital compound
24:00Vast, immaculate
24:02The main structure was built from dark stone
24:04That seemed to hold the light differently from ordinary material
24:08Warmer, like it had its own temperature
24:11Even from the steps of the jet I could feel it
24:13A subtle heat rising from the ground beneath my feet
24:16Ancient dragon rock
24:18I'd read about it once
24:19Quarried only from the oldest dragon territories
24:22It held warmth for centuries without any source
24:25I filed the detail away without knowing why it mattered
24:29Dante Vitale came out to meet me personally
24:32He was smiling
24:34Warm
24:35Nothing like the ruthless lord the rumors described
24:39He draped a coat over my shoulders before I could speak
24:43Something moved in my chest the moment his hand touched my shoulder
24:47A pull
24:48Faint but distinct
24:50Like a thread I hadn't known was there had just been tugged from the other end
24:54I stepped back
24:56Put some space between us
24:58Told myself it was nerves
25:02I said carefully
25:17Someone I love
25:19Three years
25:20Yes
25:21Three years
25:23I'll play the role of your wife
25:25I won't interfere with your private life
25:27That we separate
25:29I bootake anything from you
25:31I'll sign what you need
25:32His frown deepened
25:34He looked sharply at the butler
25:36Some silent question passing between them
25:39Then he stepped closer
25:41Gently pulled me in
25:43My face went completely red
25:46Who said anything about keeping things separate
25:49His voice was quiet
25:51Almost amused
25:53You're my wife
25:55He seemed to enjoy the fact that I was flustered
25:58He lifted my chin
26:00Leaned in just slightly
26:03Everything I have is yours
26:05We went inside
26:07I still hadn't recovered
26:10Wasn't this man supposed to be cold
26:12Ruthless
26:13The interior of the vital compound was all sharp lines and clean edges
26:19Dark stone
26:20Minimal furniture
26:21But there were soft touches throughout
26:25Warm fabrics
26:26Carefully chosen color
26:28Things that had clearly been added recently
26:32Good taste
26:34Nothing clashing
26:35The additions made the space feel less severe
26:38More like somewhere a person could actually breathe
26:42I sat on the couch
26:43I handed him a folded piece of paper
26:48This is my plan
26:50I'd like to borrow some money
26:51I'll pay it back in installments
26:53He took it
26:54Scanned it
26:55You need money?
26:56It was humiliating
26:58Arriving with nothing
27:00Lord Earl's half-blood daughter showing up with a backpack
27:03And no dowry
27:04No offering
27:06Nothing of value for the vitals
27:08This had to look like an insult
27:11I'd done my research before landing
27:13The vital clan didn't need alliances
27:16Didn't need anyone's backing
27:18They stood alone at the top of the Eastern Territory
27:20People came from across the continent just to ask them for favors
27:24I still didn't understand why they'd agreed to this match with the Morettis
27:28I pressed my lips together
27:30Yes, I don't have money right now
27:32But I have a way to pay you back
27:35I promise
27:35He didn't question it
27:37His hand closed over mine instead
27:39Warm against my cold fingers
27:42He rubbed them slowly
27:47My face flushed again
27:49His mood seemed to improve
27:52Why do you need money?
27:53I looked up
27:55Suddenly aware
27:56Maybe his miss is vital
27:57I wasn't supposed to have financial control
28:00Maybe I was expected to live on an allowance
28:03To ask permission
28:05I straightened
28:06Mr. Vitale
28:07I don't want to be trapped by the Moretti clan anymore
28:09And I'm not going to sit here and ask for handouts
28:11I want my own income
28:13My own footing
28:14And if possible
28:16I want to take back what's mine from the Morettis
28:18He looked surprised
28:20Like he hadn't expected me to say it that plainly
28:23And he reached over and ruffled my hair
28:26Everything the vitalists have is yours
28:29He nodded to the butler
28:30The butler produced a black card
28:32This is my account
28:33Spend whatever you need
28:36The room Dante gave me was the finest in the entire compound
28:40Morning light came through the windows at the perfect angle
28:42The D.D. core was soft
28:45Feminine
28:46Like something out of a story I'd never thought would include me
28:49That night
28:50I lay down expecting to stare at the ceiling for hours
28:53Instead I was asleep within minutes
28:56Deep
28:56Still
28:58Dreamless
28:59I told myself it was exhaustion from the journey
29:02I didn't consider the warmth rising steadily
29:05From the ancient stone beneath the floors
29:07Didn't consider that the vital compound had been built on the oldest dragon rock in the eastern territory
29:13That the heat it held had a particular quality
29:17One that ancient texts described as resonant with dormant dragon blood
29:22I didn't know any of that then
29:23I just slept
29:30For the first time in years I woke up rested
29:33A message from Uncle Luca
29:36Lorenzo is furious
29:37Why didn't you go back with him?
29:39Uncle Luca was the only person in the Moretti clan who'd ever looked out for me
29:44But his protection always came at a price
29:46I typed back
29:48Uncle, I am a person
29:50Not something you can call back whenever it is convenient
29:53His reply was immediate
29:55Cold
29:56Really?
29:57I thought you'd already turned yourself into a weapon
30:01Three years passed
30:02I borrowed one hundred thousand from the vitals
30:05I did everything a lord's wife was supposed to do
30:08Attended gallus with Dante
30:11Smiled for the right people
30:12Let the right people court my favor
30:14I played the part
30:16The beautiful composed lady vital
30:19Dante spoiled me without restraint
30:21But I never lost sight of why I was there
30:25Behind the smiles
30:26I was working
30:27That hundred thousand became leverage
30:30Quietly
30:32Carefully
30:32Somewhere in the second year
30:34I stopped taking the white pills
30:36It wasn't a decision exactly
30:38I'd run out during a trip and hadn't replaced them
30:41A week passed
30:43Then another
30:44I kept waiting to feel worse
30:46Instead I felt more
30:48Heat in my hands when I was angry
30:51A sharpness behind my eyes when I was focused
30:54Small things
30:55Easy to dismiss
30:57I told myself it was confidence
30:59That I was simply becoming someone harder to intimidate
31:02I didn't connect it to the pills
31:05I didn't connect it to anything yet
31:10I dismantled Meridi operations piece by piece
31:13Pulled their best dragon cards and wing commanders into my own network
31:17Lord Sergio finally had to look at what he'd built
31:21His 23 children
31:22Useless
31:24Everyone
31:24The second generation panicked
31:26The second generation panicked
31:27Afraid the clan's collapse would hit their share of the territories
31:30They started selling off assets
31:32I bought them all
31:34One by one
31:35The gambling operations
31:37The shipping routes
31:38The legitimate fronts they'd spent years building
31:41I took the businesses that were bleeding and made them profitable
31:46Expanded the territories they'd abandoned
31:48By the time Lord Sergio understood what was happening
31:51I controlled more of the clan's income than he did
31:54The other Meridi heirs couldn't touch me anymore
31:57During the negotiations for the last of the shipping routes
32:00Something happened that I couldn't explain
32:03The Meridi representative had tried to walk out
32:06I pitched out to stop him
32:08And the glass of water on the table between us had cracked
32:12Cleaned through
32:12No one had touched it
32:14The representative had gone pale
32:16He signed everything
32:18I stood in the corridor afterward
32:20And looked at my hand
32:23It felt warm
32:24The same warmth I'd been ignoring for months
32:27I thought about the pills
32:29I thought about the pills
32:30Eighteen
32:31Years of white capsules
32:34Lady Earl had called them vitamins
32:36She'd never explained what they were for
32:38Never let me miss a dose
32:40I'd stopped taking them fourteen months ago
32:42Since then
32:44The heat in my hands
32:45The sharpness behind my eyes
32:48The glass that cracked without being touched
32:50I wasn't imagining it
32:52Something was different
32:55Something was changing
32:56I didn't know what
32:58It was past ten when I got home that night
33:02Dante was in the living room
33:03Sitting in the room
33:05Waiting
33:06My chest tightened
33:08I walked up behind him
33:10And wrapped my arms around his shoulders
33:15I held on for a moment
33:17Then I let go and stepped back
33:19Composed again
33:23Why so late?
33:25Are you tired?
33:26I had soup made
33:28The words I'd been preparing stuck in my throat
33:31He took my hand and led me to the table
33:34Watched me eat
33:38When are you going to let yourself lean on me?
33:41You don't have to run yourself into the ground like this
33:43The warmth of it hit me somewhere I wasn't ready for
33:47I looked at him in the low light
33:49Felt something pull tight in my chest
33:52The three years are up
33:53It's time for me to go back
33:54To finish what I started with the Morettis
33:58Dante had always known I hadn't let go of my plans
34:00He didn't look surprised
34:02You don't like the Morettis
34:05From what I know
34:06Only Luca was ever decent to you
34:08And Lorendo
34:09He came to the Eastern Territory several times looking for you
34:12You never saw him
34:14I hadn't known he'd been aware of that
34:17He came to the Eastern Territory
34:18He came to the Eastern Territory
34:19He came to the Eastern Territory
34:19He came to the Eastern Territory
34:20He came to the Eastern Territory
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