The Almighty Dominance

Lyra had never allowed herself the luxury of dreaming about becoming governor -not when every step toward that ambition required the king's blessing.

"General Marcus," she warned, her voice tight with urgency, "you'd better move quickly against the Chicago lords. If they even catch a hint that you're plotting against them, your head will roll before you know what hit you."

Marcus threw back his head with a contemptuous laugh.

"You're damn right about one thing-gold rules everything around here. Alex is already being set loose; I've made sure of it. Let the games begin."

"Good," Lyra nodded sharply. "Now get moving."

She pivoted swiftly, making her way toward Alex.

Behind her, Marcus barked orders, his voice like a whip cracking in the tense air.

"Get your asses in gear! The faster we strike, the easier this war becomes!"

Lyra had sized Marcus up long ago—a coward beneath all the bravado, obsessed with his wealth and self-preservation.

Yet, beneath that veneer lay something more dangerous: he was a cunning fox, armed to the teeth with clever tricks.

Strike down five Chicago lords, and none of them would stand a chance against his deceitful games.

Inside the military compound, Lyra found Alex standing silently in front of a massive iron cage, its door hanging wide open.

The prisoners, however, stood rooted in place, fear etched into their faces.

"Alex!" Lyra rushed to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Are you alright?"

Alex exhaled softly, turning his eyes toward her. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"What are you staring at?"

"Them," Alex gestured bitterly toward the caged men, their hollow eyes filled with dread. "The cage is open. I told them to run, but none of them will budge."

An elderly prisoner, his voice brittle with despair, spoke up.

"It's not that we don't crave freedom, son. But if we run while soldiers are occupied, we might escape for now-but later, they'll hunt us down like dogs and shoot us dead."

Another prisoner chimed in, his voice shaking, "You don't know the terror we've seen. They'll rip off your arms, your legs... Look at him-"

He gestured toward a man slumped in agony, "he tried escaping, now he has no legs."

Alex glanced at Lyra, pain in his eyes. "The cage wasn't even locked. They've chained themselves with their fear."

Lyra sighed deeply, compassion softening her voice.

"Their spirits are broken, Alex. Healing takes time. Let's get out of here."

As they walked away, Alex's eyes hardened, his expression turning deadly serious. "Where's Marcus?"

Lyra quickly explained Marcus's plans.

"He's going after the Chicago lords because they're easier prey than tackling the Three States directly. He's dangerously clever."

"Dangerous, yes," Alex agreed darkly.

"I'll call Jasmine and Kelly, get them to stop the missiles. They only wanted to help me."

He hesitated, glancing back at the broken men in the cage.

"Lyra, do you think our new king is failing? Is he too weak to control men like Marcus, letting generals abuse their power unchecked?"

Lyra stopped walking, meeting his eyes seriously.

"Alex, don't blame the king yet. He's young and new to power. He overthrew a tyrant; since then, things have improved dramatically."

"Yes, some governors resist him, plotting evil behind closed doors. Change takes patience."

Alex studied her thoughtfully. "You know, Lyra, you'd make an excellent governor." She laughed softly, shaking her head.

"My father was governor. I learned plenty from him. But let's drop that topic if I dwell on dreams of power, I'll lose sight of what's practical. Right now, money is the goal."

At the other end of town, Sophia stared anxiously at Gilbert Guise's phone

number, scribbled hastily by Laura.

Laura's cold ultimatum echoed mercilessly in Sophia's mind.

"Either you marry Gilbert and save Alex's life, or you never see Alex again. Make

Gilbert happy, and maybe, just maybe, I'll set Alex free."

Sophia took a deep breath, picked up the phone, and dialed Gilbert's number. Her heart hammered against her ribs as the call connected.

Yet, Laura snatched the phone.

"Hello, Mr. Guise? This is Laura Montclaire," she purred, flashing Sophia a wicked, triumphant smile.

"Remember how you've always admired Sophia Lancaster, Vancouver's top

model with Montclair blood? Well, guess what I finally convinced her. Do you still want to marry her?"

Gilbert's surprised gasp was audible through the speaker.

"Absolutely! I've waited five long years for this!"

"Then it's your lucky day." Laura smirked triumphantly, thrusting the phone into Sophia's trembling hand.

"Here, Sophia. Talk to your future husband."

Sophia swallowed hard and forced herself to speak, her voice tight. "Hello, Mr. Guise. It's me, Sophia Lancaster."

"Sophia?" Gilbert's voice turned syrupy, almost disbelieving. "I never thought I'd actually hear you say yes. It's like a dream."

Sophia tightened her grip, determined to maintain control.

“Listen, Mr. Guise, to be honest, I'm not ready for marriage. Why don't we start slow and see how things develop naturally?"

Gilbert chuckled lightly, unfazed. "Of course! How about you let me take you out for dinner tonight? We'll call it a first step."

Sophia tensed immediately, her mouth dry. "Um—I—”noveldrama

"Oh come on," Gilbert teased gently, yet his voice carried an edge of command.

"You wouldn't reject a simple dinner invitation, would you?"

Sophia forced a smile, tasting bitter defeat. "Of course not."

"Perfect! I'll pick you up tonight. Can't wait!" Gilbert sounded triumphant, almost jubilant, as Sophia quickly ended the call.

“Well?” Laura demanded impatiently, eyes glistening with anticipation. "What did he say?"

Sophia sighed, drained and defeated. "He wants to have dinner with me tonight." Laura clapped her hands excitedly, eyes sparkling with twisted satisfaction. "Wonderful! Go home, dress yourself up nice, and don't keep Mr. Guise waiting. I'll tell General Marcus to release Alex as soon as you've had dinner."

Laura leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"And Sophia, you'd better seize this opportunity wisely. Gilbert is eager to marry you, and the Guises practically rule Paris state. You'd be a fool to let this chance slip away!"

Sophia shook her head slowly, meeting Laura's cold stare with quiet defiance. "I

don't care about marrying into a wealthy family."

Laura scoffed, incredulous and contemptuous.

"Then who exactly are you going to

marry? Some worthless nobody like

Alex? What is wrong with you, Sophia? With the Guises, you'd have everything you could

choose misery in this path want. Why

place?"

sŵnovel

Sophia glanced around the room, feeling the weight of Laura's greedy eyes on

her.

She said nothing, her silence speaking volumes.

Once, she too had hungered for power and wealth.

But now, standing at the brink, Sophia finally realized none of it truly mattered—

not compared to freedom, love, and the chance at real happiness.