Dragon’s Lost Star - FULL | Reelshort
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Short filmTranscript
00:03The Grand Clan Gathering in Palermo
00:06Thirteen of us stood in a line, waiting to be chosen
00:09One shard, one knight, one chance
00:12As Lord Earl's half-blood bastard daughter, I couldn't afford to fail
00:16Lorenzo Rossi, heir to the Rossi clan, was my childhood friend
00:21He was the only one who'd agreed to shelter me
00:23And he had promised me the White Dragon Shard
00:26We'd made the deal just yesterday, three years of cover
00:29After that, he could love whoever he wanted
00:31Yesterday, he'd said yes, tonight, at the last second
00:34He smiled and placed the shard in the girl's hand beside me
00:38Mia, the human scholarship student he'd been sponsoring
00:42Her hands were shaking as she took it
00:44Let her have this one, Elena
00:47She's never known happiness, not once
00:50Don't worry, as long as I'm here, no one will dare arrange your marriage
00:54I looked at him, he was already turning away
00:56Already placing Mia's hand on his arm
00:59Mia is elegant
01:04She is worthy of this honor
01:05Nobody
01:06The word landed like a slap
01:08Whispers rippled through the crowd
01:10I stood there empty-handed
01:13Lord Earl's half-blood bastard
01:15Passed over for a human girl with no clan, no blood, nothing
01:20When the crowd thinned, Lorenzo appeared at my side
01:23Wine glass in hand
01:25These idiots
01:26I told them to save you at least one shard
01:29I looked at the man I'd grown up with
01:31Do you know what tonight means?
01:33The white dragon shard wasn't decoration
01:35It was a marriage declaration between clans
01:38A thousand-year-old right
01:40Without it, I had nothing
01:42No shelter, no choice
01:44No way out of the match Lady Earl had already arranged for me in the Eastern Territory
01:48Lorenzo was my only option
01:50No other man here would choose a half-blood bastard
01:52And he'd just chosen someone else
01:55Eighteen years
01:56He didn't answer
01:57Behind him, Mia was smiling
01:58The white shard still perfect in her hands
02:02Guilt flickered across Lorenzo's face
02:04He sent Mia away
02:09You're used to these events, Elena
02:10But Mia isn't
02:12This is her only moment to shine
02:14He leaned down
02:15His expression almost boyish
02:17You can have your way any other day
02:19Why does it have to be tonight?
02:21I said nothing
02:22He cleared his throat
02:26Today's her graduation
02:28After tonight, I can't sponsor her anymore
02:31I promised her one unforgettable memory
02:34Unforgettable for me, too
02:36But it was already too late
02:37Lorenzo, do you understand what the gathering means?
02:40Mia came back before I could finish
02:43Elena
02:46Did I ruin everything?
02:48Please don't blame Lorenzo
02:50I was the one who begged him to
02:53Lorenzo saw her shrinking back
02:55His expression darkened toward me
02:57Enough, Elena
02:58It's just a shard
03:00I'll get you another one
03:02He dug into his jacket pocket
03:04Pulled out a small red shard
03:06Pushed it into my hand
03:07Red suits you better anyway
03:09A white shard isn't worth making a scene over
03:11This isn't like you
03:12The moment the red shard touched my palm
03:15It cracked
03:15The stone had split clean in two
03:18Right down the middle
03:19Just my hand
03:20Lorenzo didn't notice
03:21He'd already turned back to Mia
03:23I closed my fingers around the broken pieces
03:25The red shard meant someone you didn't claim
03:28I knew the shard would shatter
03:30If one's pure blood refused to admit it
03:32But I was nothing more than a half-breed
03:35I didn't know what that meant yet
03:36Laughter rippled through the room
03:39A half-blood bootlucker thinking she could marry the Rossi heir?
03:43Didn't you hear him say noble?
03:44In his heart, even a human ranks higher than her
03:48Lorenzo silenced the woman with one look
03:50But the words had already landed
03:55Elena, I'm sorry
03:56You've always had everything
03:58I just wanted one night to feel special
04:00Everything?
04:02You've always had everything
04:03I just wanted one night to feel special
04:06The plate slipped from her hand
04:08Landed on her shoe
04:10Her eyes filled with tears
04:14Lorenzo frowned
04:15It's already done
04:16Let her enjoy tonight
04:18Come on, let's get you cleaned up
04:21You can head home if you want
04:24Home?
04:26I didn't have one
04:27The moment Lorenzo left my side
04:29Someone moved in
04:30Antonio Ricci
04:32A reckless heir from a rival clan
04:34He stepped close and breathed in slowly
04:37You smell good, Elena Moretti
04:40Without Lorenzo beside me
04:42I didn't even get basic respect
04:44Lorenzo told me to bring you a shard
04:47I didn't bother
04:48I told you before
04:50Stop chasing him and try me instead
04:52You never listened
04:53How does it feel now?
04:55Humiliating, isn't it?
04:57I turned
04:57Stared at this man
04:59Who barely reached my shoulder
05:00Lorenzo had handed him that task
05:02Knowing full well Antonio
05:04Had been harassing me for months
05:06My fists tightened
05:08Another betrayal
05:09All I'd asked for was three years
05:11Three years to build enough power
05:13To get out from under the Moretti clan's grip
05:16But Lady Earl had been gone
05:18She wouldn't give me room to breathe
05:20Elena
05:21His grip tightened
05:22Without that pretty face
05:23You'd be nothing
05:24Just a half blood
05:26I could do whatever I wanted with
05:28Lorenzo was back
05:29He knocked the hand away
05:30Ricci
05:32Didn't I warn you?
05:35Don't touch what's mine
05:36Yours?
05:38You just picked the human girl
05:40What do you need Elena for?
05:43That's none of your business
05:44Antonio spat and walked away
05:46Lorenzo spun me around to face him
05:49He touched you and you didn't fight back?
05:50I looked at him
05:51Wasn't this your idea?
05:53Listen
05:53I can protect you at events like this
05:56But that doesn't mean I have to stand next to you every second, does it?
06:00But you knew what the gathering meant
06:02Right!
06:02Mia appeared again
06:04Bright-eyed
06:04Smiling
06:06Lorenzo
06:07Could I get some champagne?
06:09One's cold and stubborn
06:10The other's bright and warm
06:13Lorenzo's choice was easy
06:15Of course
06:16Tonight you're the star
06:17Whatever you want
06:18He glanced back at me
06:19We'll talk tomorrow
06:19I'll come by by your place
06:21Tomorrow?
06:22I smiled coldly
06:23Tomorrow you'll have to come to the Eastern Territory to find me
06:28Lorenzo left to greet the other clan heirs
06:30Mia walked back to me holding a glass of wine
06:34The timid scholarship girl was gone
06:37In her place stood someone who'd tasted power
06:41You have everything, Elena
06:43Why do you need to take this one moment from me?
06:46I should never have helped Lorenzo choose her for that scholarship
06:49You grew up in luxury
06:51I only wanted one night under Lorenzo's protection
06:56Luxury?
06:57You think I'm better off than you?
06:59My mother was a human
07:00She died when I was small
07:02Lord Earl brought me back to the estate when I was little
07:05Lady Earl looked at me like she wanted me dead
07:08My father had women everywhere
07:09One more bastard daughter didn't matter to him
07:12Let alone a half-blood daughter
07:14Impure blood was a sin in itself
07:16I learned to read people early
07:18Without this face I wouldn't have survived
07:20I was trapped between two sides
07:22There were other things too
07:23Things I'd never been able to explain
07:25My body had always felt faintly wrong
07:28Like something inside me was pressed flat
07:30Held down
07:31Some mornings I woke up with heat in my hands
07:34That faded before I was fully conscious
07:36Some nights my blood felt like it was moving too fast
07:39I'd asked Lady Earl about it once when I was small
07:42She'd given me a small white pill and told me it was vitamins
07:45I'd taken them every day since without thinking
07:48I went to Uncle Luca and begged him to train me
07:51To back me up
07:52Uncle Luca never smiled
07:53I had to lock my knees to keep from shaking as I stood in front of him
07:57Your father has 23 children
08:00Why would I invest in a half-blood who won't last?
08:03Because I have nothing to lose
08:05I'll do what they won't
08:07But the timing wasn't right
08:09Uncle Luca turned me away too
08:11They said Dante Vitale was ruthless
08:13But anyone who crossed him got crushed without mercy
08:16The Moretti clan wanted his protection
08:18But they wouldn't sacrifice a legitimate daughter for it
08:21So they chose me
08:24Uncle Luca already knew how the gathering had ended
08:27He sent one message
08:28Figure it out yourself
08:29I was shaking
08:31Cold all the way through
08:32I wrapped my arms around myself
08:35Mia touched my frozen hand like she owned it
08:38Elena?
08:40Do you think Lorenzo even understands what the gathering means?
08:44I wasn't the type to dwell on emotions
08:46I needed to find a way to stay
08:48I found Lorenzo and asked him directly
08:52Do you know what tonight actually means?
08:55Sure
08:56It's a matchmaking event
08:57But it's just formality
08:59Half these arrangements fall apart anyway
09:02He knew it?
09:03Don't worry
09:04I'll talk to them already
09:06No one's forcing you into marriage
09:09Then can you get the shard back from Mia?
09:12I'll return it tomorrow
09:13Lorenzo looked uncomfortable
09:16That's...
09:17Not good
09:18It's already hers
09:20How about I send another one instead?
09:22Don't fight with Mia over this
09:23That white shard had a rare gold vein running through it
09:26It couldn't be replicated
09:28Everything I'd held back all night came out at once
09:31Lorenzo
09:32You know I was never going to cling to you
09:34I have someone I care about
09:37After three years you'd be free
09:39So why did you humiliate me tonight?
09:41Someone you care about?
09:42His voice went sharp
09:44Again with this?
09:45Elena, no one else is going to take you
09:47You're a Moretti half-blood
09:49Everyone in Palamo knows you're mine
09:51My shadow
09:53My little follower
09:54It's cut deep
09:55Being called a shadow
09:56A follower
09:57It was the price of surviving inside the Moretti clan
10:00Hearing it from his mouth made me sick
10:02I stepped back and bumped into him
10:06Elena
10:06Please don't fight with Lorenzo
10:08Lorenzo pulled her into his side immediately
10:11Enough Elena
10:12It's one night
10:13Stop making a scene
10:15Tomorrow Mia goes back to her life
10:17But Mia's expression said otherwise
10:19I walked out of the hall and got into Uncle Luca's car
10:22He sat in the shadows dressed in black
10:25Expressionless
10:26Accept your loss
10:27Tomorrow you leave for the Eastern Territory
10:29After that you're on your own
10:32I'll come back
10:34His mouth curved slightly
10:36We'll see
10:37Back in the estate
10:38Lady Earl glanced at Uncle Luca
10:40Then at me
10:41We've raised you for 18 years
10:44Time to repay that
10:45You've been chosen
10:46Tomorrow you leave
10:48Nothing in this house was mine
10:50Not even the plane ticket
10:52I paid for it myself
10:54Uncle Luca said nothing and walked to his room
10:56I went to my small bedroom and started packing
10:58My half-sister Bianca leaned in the doorway
11:00Inspecting her nails
11:02If I were you
11:03I wouldn't have gone to the gathering at all
11:06Mom told me to keep an eye on you
11:08Don't take anything valuable
11:11Not even tonight's gown
11:12Oh and mom said Dante Vitale is already in love with someone else
11:16Good luck
11:17Removed every piece of jewelry
11:18Set it all on the tray
11:20I took off the gown in front of her
11:22Then I walked to the bathroom in my slip
11:25Bianca left
11:26Bored
11:26On my phone Mia had already posted
11:29A photo
11:29Glowing
11:30Lorenzo's arm around her
11:32He was still wearing the cup links I'd given him
11:34I left everything Lorenzo had ever given me behind
11:37Before dawn I was up
11:38No goodbyes
11:39I grabbed my backpack and headed to the airport
11:42Security
11:42Boarding
11:43Everything smooth
11:44As the plane began to taxi
11:47I switched my phone off completely
11:48Cut every tie to Palermo
11:51Apologies passengers
11:52The Rossi clan has sealed the airways above Palermo
11:55All flights are returning to the terminal
11:59I stared out the window as the runway slowed
12:02It took me a moment to understand what was happening
12:04The plane stopped
12:06My phone reconnected
12:08Messages poured in
12:09Then a refund notification
12:11We apologized for the inconvenience
12:13To compensate
12:14The Rossi clan will reimburse your ticket at ten times the original price
12:18The complaints died instantly
12:21Who do you think they're looking for?
12:24This is so dramatic
12:26Like something out of a film
12:29I scrolled through my phone
12:31Exhausted
12:32Lorenzo had gone to the Moretti estate early that morning looking for me
12:36When he found I wasn't there he stormed into my bedroom
12:38He saw the gown
12:40The jewelry
12:41Everything I'd left behind
12:42But my backpack was gone
12:44He panicked
12:46He demanded answers from the Morettis
12:48That's when he found out I'd already left for the Eastern Territory
12:51Lorenzo lost it
12:52Nearly tore the estate apart
12:54Then he started calling
12:55But by then I was already on the plane
12:57When he realized I hadn't taken a single thing he'd ever given me
13:00He snapped
13:01That's when he sealed the sky
13:03I grabbed my backpack and stepped off the plane
13:06Inside the terminal I stopped
13:08Go back
13:09Or keep moving
13:10It was early
13:11I was starving
13:12I found a small cafe and ordered pasta
13:15Uncle Luca's message came through
13:17Do you want to come back?
13:18Lorenzo still wants you
13:20The Moretti clan ran on schemes
13:21Lorenzo might spoil me
13:23But he'd never lose face for me
13:25Going back meant more humiliation
13:27Moving forward
13:28Maybe something different
13:31I ate slowly
13:32Outside the cafe window
13:34Dragon guards in black flooded the terminal
13:36Dozens of them
13:37Stopping every woman who looked anything like me
13:40Then Lorenzo came through the doors
13:41Soaked in sweat
13:43Phone pressed to his ear
13:44He walked straight past my table
13:45He looked wrecked
13:46Frantic
13:47Calling my number over and over
13:49My phone buzzed in my pocket
13:50I watched him
13:52When no one answered
13:53He almost smashed the phone against the pillar
13:55His guards came back empty handed
13:57I'd never seen Lorenzo like this
13:59Completely unraveled
14:01Where is she?
14:02Keep searching
14:03Every terminal
14:06No flight leaves for the eastern territory today
14:08I don't care what it costs
14:10I checked my phone
14:11There was a flight to the central territories in 20 minutes
14:14I scrolled through the news while I waited
14:17Palermo's gossip feeds were already running with it
14:19The headline
14:20Rossi airs new flame
14:21But who is he hunting at the airport?
14:23Two women at the table behind me were deep into it
14:26God, that's so romantic
14:28If someone grounded the entire sky for me
14:31I'd say yes on the spot
14:35Her friend was more cynical
14:36You don't get it
14:37Last night at the gathering
14:38Lorenzo gave the white shard to some human scholarship girl
14:41I'm guessing he got played
14:42Wait
14:43He didn't pick a clan daughter?
14:45He picked a human?
14:46Then why is he losing his mind today?
14:49I kept my eyes on my coffee
14:50My guess?
14:52Lorenzo had no idea what the shard ceremony actually meant
14:55How would you know?
14:56Because I was at the gathering last night
14:59I went still
15:00I glanced back
15:01Didn't recognize her
15:03Lucky
15:04So what does the clan girl look like?
15:07Beautiful
15:08Genuinely stunning
15:09Then why would Lorenzo give the shard to an outsider?
15:13Who cares?
15:14The other one's just a half-blood anyway
15:15Not like the rest of us
15:17I coughed
15:18Both women turned
15:19The moment they saw my face
15:21One of them went completely silent
15:23Pointed
15:23Couldn't speak
15:24What?
15:25Do you know her?
15:26The other one stared at me
15:27She's gorgeous
15:28Wait
15:28Are you?
15:30She looked toward the guards
15:31Still sweeping the terminal
15:32Eyes wide
15:35I pressed one finger to my lips
15:38Both women covered their mouths with both hands
15:40I picked up my bag and walked away
15:43Behind me
15:44I heard one of them hiss
15:45You didn't tell me she looked like that
15:47You have zero chance now
15:49Zero
15:50I reached the gate for the central territories
15:53Another refund notification hit my phone
15:55The Rossi clan had purchased out every route leaving Palermo
15:59Not just the eastern territory flights
16:01Everything
16:02I stood there
16:03Phone in hand
16:04Nowhere to go
16:06Then it rang
16:07An eastern territory number
16:09Hello?
16:11Dante Vitari
16:12My arranged husband
16:14His voice was cool
16:15Unhurried
16:16The kind of voice you wanted to keep listening to
16:18I'm sorry, I
16:20My people are already at the airport
16:22They'll bring you to me
16:23Before I could explain that the entire sky was sealed
16:26I saw it through the terminal window
16:28A private aircraft on the tarmac
16:30Sleek
16:31Unmarked
16:32Several dragon guards in black
16:34Stepped off and stood at attention
16:35Understood
16:36I said
16:38I hung up and walked toward the jet
16:43It had started to drizzle
16:44The moment I stepped outside
16:46An umbrella appeared over my head
16:48The man holding it kept his eyes down
16:52Respectful
16:52Mrs. Vitari
16:54We're here to bring you home
16:55That's when Lorenzo spotted me
16:57He sprinted across the tarmac
17:00Grabbed my wrist
17:01Elena
17:03Come with me
17:04Vitari
17:05Vitari's dragon guards closed in immediately
17:07Lorenzo's men did the same
17:09The two groups faced each other
17:11Nobody moved
17:12People inside the terminal pressed against the glass
17:15Phones out
17:16The man leading Dante's guards was older
17:18Immaculate suit
17:20The kind of calm that came from having seen everything twice
17:23He smiled politely
17:24His eyes didn't
17:26Mr. Rossi
17:27I'm here to escort Mrs. Vitari home
17:30Please step aside
17:31She hasn't left Polemo yet
17:33I'd like to see who has the nerve to take what's mine
17:37I was tired
17:38Deeply tired
17:39I'd tried to tell him
17:40More than once
17:41But his attention was always somewhere else
17:44Always on Mia
17:45Lorenzo
17:46You've protected me for years
17:48I'm grateful
17:49But this is where it ends
17:51I don't blame anyone
17:55Don't blame anyone
17:56Then come back with me
17:57I'll marry you
17:59I'll tell the Morettis myself
18:01The rain came harder
18:03Lorenzo's hair was soaked
18:04His eyes were red
18:06For just a moment something flickered at the edge of his irises
18:09A deep amber
18:10Gone before I could be sure I'd seen it
18:12Dragon blood under pressure
18:13Even the composed ones cracked eventually
18:15The Vitari butlers stepped between us
18:18Unmoved
18:19Apologies, Mr. Rossi
18:21The agreement with the Moretti clan has been finalized
18:24Mrs. Vitari leaves with us today
18:27Lorenzo ignored him
18:28He only looked at me
18:29Lorenzo
18:30I told you
18:31I only ever wanted three years
18:33I have someone I genuinely care about
18:36I was never planning to marry you
18:38This again
18:40Elena, you've been locked inside the Moretti clan your whole life
18:43When exactly did you meet someone to love?
18:46I know calling you my shadow upset you
18:48Stop being stubborn and come back
18:50We'll talk there
18:51Okay?
18:52His tone had shifted
18:53Almost pleading
18:55I was grateful
18:56Truly
18:56He'd kept me safe for years
18:58But when Lorenzo let go of my hand and gave the shard to Mia
19:02Our path split
19:03For good
19:07Lorenzo
19:08Mia is your chosen
19:09All of Palermo
19:11All of Palermo witnessed it
19:12Go be happy with her
19:15Marry a human girl?
19:16Are you serious?
19:18I'd marry you before I'd ever marry her
19:20My expression went flat
19:22Lorenzo had always wanted me around
19:24He'd never once respected me
19:26I didn't hesitate this time
19:28I turned and walked toward the jet with the butler
19:30Lorenzo stood frozen behind me
19:33Fists clenched
19:34Something radiating off him that I didn't look back to read
19:38Elena
19:40You leave Palermo and no one protects you anymore
19:45Think carefully
19:46Once you're gone
19:47Don't come back regretting it
19:49I didn't answer
19:51I stepped onto the plane
19:53The butler had already prepared a change of clothes
19:55He gestured toward the back of the cabin
19:57Voice low
19:58You can freshen up there, Mrs. Vitale
20:01Getting caught in the rain
20:03You'll catch cold
20:04The jet was extraordinary
20:06Not a rental
20:07This was the Vitale clan's own aircraft
20:13The Vitale clan operated on a different level entirely
20:16Even the Morettis didn't own anything like this
20:19The plane didn't just have a bathroom
20:21It had a full bedroom
20:22The bedding was soft pink
20:24Definitely not something Dante Vitale had chosen for himself
20:27I changed in the bathroom
20:29Then stopped
20:31The clothes fit me perfectly
20:32When I came out
20:34The butler had quietly moved the dragon guards to the rear of the cabin
20:39Excuse me
20:40Does the Lord usually use this plane?
20:42This aircraft was commissioned specifically for you, Mrs. Vitale
20:45Everything was customized to your preferences
20:49The Lord selected the bedding personally
20:51Softest material available
20:53I didn't know what to say
20:54Something this considered
20:56Given to a stranger without a word
20:58Wasn't he supposed to be in love with someone else?
21:02The flight to the Eastern Territory is long
21:05You should rest
21:06The climate there is dry
21:08We've prepared a humidifier for you
21:13No one had ever thought about my comfort before
21:15I'd spent my whole life reading other people's moods
21:18Adjusting
21:19Disappearing into whatever shape kept me safe
21:22This kind of attention made me restless
21:24The butler noticed and quietly withdrew
21:26I pulled out a pen and started sketching notes
21:29My mind was already running through what came next
21:32What I was walking into
21:33What I'd need
21:34The plane landed on a sprawling green estate
21:37I looked closer
21:38The Vitale compound
21:39Vast
21:40Immaculate
21:41The main structure was built from dark stone
21:43That seemed to hold the light differently from ordinary material
21:46Warmer
21:47Even from the steps of the jet I could feel it
21:50A subtle heat rising from the ground beneath my feet
21:53Ancient dragon rock
21:54I'd read about it once
21:56Quarried only from the oldest dragon territories
21:59It held warmth for centuries without any source
22:02I filed the detail away without knowing why it mattered
22:06Dante Vitale came out to meet me personally
22:08He was smiling
22:10Warm
22:10Nothing like the ruthless lord the rumors described
22:13He draped a coat over my shoulders before I could speak
22:18Are you cold?
22:19Something moved in my chest the moment his hand touched my shoulder
22:22A pull
22:24Faint but distinct
22:25Like a thread I hadn't known was there had just been tugged from the other end
22:29I stepped back
22:30Put some space between us
22:32Told myself it was nerves
22:35Mr. Vitardi
22:36I know you have someone you love
22:38I know this marriage wasn't your choice
22:40Don't worry
22:41I only need three years
22:42I won't keep you from her
22:44He frowned
22:45Looked genuinely puzzled
22:50Someone I love?
22:52Three years?
22:54Yes
22:54Three years
22:55I'll play the role of your wife
22:57I won't interfere with your private life
22:59After that we separate
23:01I won't take anything from you
23:02I'll sign whatever you need
23:04His frown deepened
23:06He looked sharply at the butler
23:07Some silent question passing between them
23:10Then he stepped closer
23:12Gently pulled me in
23:13My face went completely red
23:16Who said anything about keeping things separate?
23:21You're my wife
23:22He seemed to enjoy the fact that I was flustered
23:24He lifted my chin
23:26Leaned in just slightly
23:28Everything I have is yours
23:31We went inside
23:32I still hadn't recovered
23:34Wasn't this man supposed to be cold?
23:36Ruthless?
23:37The interior of the Vitale compound was all sharp lines and clean edges
23:42Dark stone
23:43Minimal furniture
23:44But there were soft touches throughout
23:46Warm fabrics
23:48Carefully chosen color
23:49Things that had clearly been added recently
23:54Good taste
23:55Nothing clashing
23:56The additions made the space feel less severe
23:59More like somewhere a person could actually breathe
24:02I sat on the couch
24:03I handed him a folded piece of paper
24:05This is my plan
24:10I'd like to borrow some money
24:12I'll pay it back in installments
24:14He took it
24:15Scanned it
24:16You need money?
24:17It was humiliating
24:18Arriving with nothing
24:19Lord Earl's half-blood daughter showing up with a backpack and no dowry
24:24No offering
24:25Nothing of value
24:26For the Vitales, this had to look like an insult
24:28I'd done my research before landing
24:31The Vitali clan didn't need alliances
24:33Didn't need anyone's backing
24:35They stood alone at the top of the Eastern Territory
24:38People came from across the continent just to ask them for favors
24:41I still didn't understand why they'd agreed to this match with the Morettis
24:46I pressed my lips together
24:47Yes
24:48I don't have money right now
24:50But I have a way to pay you back
24:51I promise
24:53He didn't question it
24:54His hand closed over mine instead
24:56Warm against my cold fingers
24:58He rubbed them slowly
25:03My face flushed again
25:05His mood seemed to improve
25:10Why do you need money?
25:12I looked up
25:12Suddenly aware
25:13Maybe as Mrs. Vitale
25:15I wasn't supposed to have financial control
25:17Maybe I was expected to live on an allowance
25:20To ask permission
25:22Mr. Vitale
25:23I don't want to be trapped by the Moretti clan anymore
25:26And I'm not going to sit here and ask for handouts
25:29I want my own income
25:30My own footing
25:32And if possible
25:34I want to take back what's mine from the Morettis
25:36He looked surprised
25:37Like he hadn't expected me to say it that plainly
25:40Then he reached over and ruffled my hair
25:43Everything the Vitalists have is yours
25:46Before I could process that
25:48He nodded to the butler
25:49The butler produced a black card
25:52This is my account
25:53Spend whatever you need
25:55The room Dante gave me was the finest in the entire compound
25:58Morning light came through the windows at the perfect angle
26:02The decor was soft
26:03Feminine
26:04Like something out of a story I'd never thought would include me
26:07That night I lay down expecting to stare at the ceiling for hours
26:11Instead I was asleep within minutes
26:13Deep
26:14Still
26:16Dreamless
26:17I told myself it was exhaustion from the journey
26:20I didn't consider the warmth rising steadily from the ancient stone beneath the floors
26:25Didn't consider that the Vitale compound had been built on the oldest dragon rock in the eastern territory
26:31That the heat it held had a particular quality
26:34One that ancient texts described as resonant with dormant dragon blood
26:38I didn't know any of that then
26:40I just slept
26:43For the first time in years I woke up rested
26:46A message from Uncle Luca
26:50Lorenzo is furious
26:51Why didn't you go back with him?
26:54Uncle Luca was the only person in the Moretti clan who'd ever looked out for me
26:58But his protection always came at a price
27:00I typed back
27:01Uncle, I'm a person
27:03Not something you can call back whenever it's convenient
27:07His reply was immediate
27:08Cold
27:09Really?
27:11I thought you'd already turned yourself into a weapon
27:14Three years passed
27:15I borrowed 100,000 from the Vitales
27:17I did everything a lord's wife was supposed to do
27:20Attended galas with Dante
27:22Smiled for the right people
27:23Let the right people court my favor
27:25I played the part
27:27The beautiful, composed Lady Vitale
27:29Dante spoiled me without restraint
27:31But I never lost sight of why I was there
27:34Behind the smiles
27:35I was working
27:36That 100,000 became leverage
27:38Quietly
27:39Carefully
27:40Somewhere in the second year I stopped taking the white pills
27:43It wasn't a decision exactly
27:45I'd run out during a trip and hadn't replaced them
27:48A week passed
27:49Then another
27:50I kept waiting to feel worse
27:52Instead I felt more
27:53Heat in my hands when I was angry
27:56A sharpness behind my eyes when I was focused
27:58Small things
28:00Easy to dismiss
28:01I told myself it was confidence
28:03That I was simply becoming someone harder to intimidate
28:06I didn't connect it to the pills
28:08I didn't connect it to anything yet
28:12I dismantled Moretti operations piece by piece
28:16Pulled their best dragon guards and wing commanders into my own network
28:19Lord Sergio finally had to look at what he'd built
28:23His 23 children
28:24Useless everyone
28:25The second generation panicked
28:28Afraid the clan's collapse would hit their share of the territories
28:31They started selling off assets
28:33I bought them all
28:33One by one
28:35The gambling operations
28:36The shipping routes
28:37The legitimate fronts they'd spent years building
28:40I took the businesses that were bleeding and made them profitable
28:43Expanded the territories they'd abandoned
28:46By the time Lord Sergio understood what was happening
28:49I controlled more of the clan's income than he did
28:52The other Moretti heirs couldn't touch me anymore
28:54During the negotiations for the last of the shipping routes
28:57Something happened that I couldn't explain
28:59The Moretti representative had tried to walk out
29:02I'd reached out to stop him
29:04And the glass of water on the table between us had cracked
29:07Clean through
29:08No one had touched it
29:10The representative had gone pale
29:12He signed everything
29:13I stood in the corridor afterward and looked at my hand
29:16It felt warm
29:18The same warmth I'd been ignoring for months
29:20I thought about the pills
29:22I thought about the pills
29:2418 years of white capsules
29:26Lady Earl had called them vitamins
29:28She'd never explained what they were for
29:31Never let me miss a dose
29:32I'd stopped taking them 14 months ago
29:35Since then
29:36The heat in my hands
29:37The sharpness behind my eyes
29:39The glass that cracked without being touched
29:41I wasn't imagining it
29:43Something was different
29:44Something was changing
29:45I didn't know what
29:47It was past 10 when I got home that night
29:49Dante was in the living room
29:51Sitting in the warm light
29:52Waiting
29:53My chest tightened
29:54I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his shoulders
29:59I held on for a moment
30:00Then I let go and stepped back
30:02Composed again
30:03Why so late?
30:04Are you tired?
30:06I had soup made
30:07The words I'd been preparing stuck in my throat
30:09He took my hand and led me to the table
30:12Watched me eat
30:15When are you going to let yourself lean on me?
30:19You don't have to run yourself into the ground like this
30:22The warmth of it hit me somewhere I wasn't ready for
30:24I looked at him in the low light
30:26Felt something pull tight in my chest
30:28The three years are up
30:30It's time for me to go back
30:32To finish what I started with the Morettis
30:34Dante had always known I hadn't let go of my plans
30:37He didn't look surprised
30:39You don't like the Morettis
30:41From what I know only Luca was ever decent to you
30:45And Lorenzo, he came to the Eastern Territory several times looking for you
30:49You never saw him
30:50I hadn't known he'd been aware of that
30:52That he'd said nothing
30:53I hadn't known he'd been aware of that
30:54But he'd say no more
30:54But he was able to say no more
30:57So he'd rays and I was sure
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