Chapter 10 - The Empire Built on Silence
Later that night, the penthouse was quiet. The lights of the city twinkled below them like scattered diamonds on black velvet.
Sadi stood on the balcony, the cool night air brushing against her bare shoulders. The heavy diamond necklace was gone, replaced by the simple, comforting weight of Roman’s jacket draped over her.
Roman stepped out onto the balcony, handing her a cup of hot tea. He didn't say a word, just wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her back against his chest.
“It was a beautiful gala,” Sadi murmured, leaning into his warmth.
“It was entirely boring until you walked into the room,” Roman replied, his voice a low rumble.
Sadi smiled into the darkness. She thought about the journey that had brought her here. The pain, the poverty, the betrayal. It had all been necessary. Every scraped knee, every tear shed, had paved the road that led her to this balcony, to this man.
“Did you know he was there tonight?” Sadi asked softly. “Serving drinks?”
Roman’s grip tightened imperceptibly. “I know everything that happens in my city. I allowed him to take the shift so he could see exactly what he threw away, and exactly who you are now.”
Sadi turned around in his arms, looking up into his stormy eyes. “You are a deeply ruthless man, Roman Blackwood.”
A slow, devastatingly handsome smile spread across Roman’s face. He leaned down, his forehead resting against hers. “Only for you, Sadi. Only for you.”
May you like
He kissed her, a slow, deliberate promise in the dark. The city below them hummed with noise, with chaos, with people fighting for a scrap of power. But up here, above it all, there was only silence.
The ghost had found his queen. And together, they ruled the quiet.
