Christabel went back to work.
Not the company.
Not the bank.
The empire.
And she took her place beside Damien as his equal. His partner. His queen.
But first, she needed to ask him a question.
A dangerous one.
The kind of question that could destroy everything they had built.
---
They were in the garden.
The rose was blooming. The sun was setting. Lena was asleep.
Christabel was watching Damien. The way he moved. The way he breathed. The way he looked at her like she was the only woman in the world.
"What if I left?" she asked.
He went still.
"What?"
"What if I left you? For another man?"
---
The air between them changed.
Grew cold.
Grew dark.
Damien's eyes turned to ice.
"You're not serious."
"I'm asking a question."
"Why?"
"Because I need to know."
"Know what?"
"Who you are. What you're capable of. What would happen if I ever tried to leave."
---
He stood.
Walked to the edge of the garden.
Stared out at the city.
"You want to know what I would do?"
"Yes."
"If you left me for another man?"
"Yes."
He turned to face her.
His eyes were black. Empty. The eyes of the monster she had fallen in love with.
"I would remind you of every crazy thing you've ever done. Every person you've killed. Every secret you've buried. Every drop of blood on your hands."
Christabel's heart pounded.
"I would remind you that you're not innocent. That you're not good. That you're just like me."
"I'm not like you."
"You're exactly like me. That's why you're still here."
---
He walked toward her.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
"I would find him. Your other man. The one you thought was worth leaving me for."
She didn't move.
"I would find his family. His mother. His father. His brothers. His sisters."
"You wouldn't."
"I would make them watch."
"Damien—"
"I would make them watch while I cut him into pieces. While I cooked him. While I fed him to you."
---
Christabel's breath caught.
"You wouldn't."
"I would."
"You're lying."
"I've never lied to you."
"You've never told me this."
"You've never asked."
---
He stood in front of her.
Close enough to touch.
"I would torment you. Every day. Every night. Every moment. I would remind you that you chose him. That you left me. That you broke our family."
"Stop."
"I would make you watch while I destroyed everything you loved. Your company. Your city. Your sister."
"Stop."
"I would make you wish you had never been born."
---
She tried to step back.
He grabbed her wrist.
"Not until you understand."
"Understand what?"
"That you can't leave me. You can never leave me. Even if you try. Even if you run. Even if you hide."
"I'm not going to leave you."
"Then why did you ask?"
"Because I needed to know."
"Know what?"
"That you love me."
---
He pulled her closer.
"This isn't love."
"Then what is it?"
"This is obsession. This is possession. This is the kind of thing that destroys people."
"I know."
"And you want it anyway?"
She looked at him.
Her eyes were dark.
"Yes."
---
He kissed her.
Hard. Deep. The kind of kiss that left no room for doubt.
She kissed him back the same way.
"I would never leave you," she said against his mouth.
"I know."
"I would never choose another man."
"I know."
"I would never break our family."
"I know."
"Then why did you answer like that?"
He pulled back.
Looked at her.
"Because you asked."
---
That night, Christabel couldn't sleep.
She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about his words.
I would cut him into pieces. Cook him. Feed him to you.
Damien was awake beside her.
"What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking about what you said."
"Are you afraid?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"I'm thinking about what I would do. If you left me. If you chose another woman."
"What would you do?"
She turned to face him.
"I would burn the world down."
---
He pulled her into his arms.
"That's why we belong together."
"Because we're both monsters?"
"Because we're both willing to destroy everything for each other."
"That's not healthy."
"It's us."
---
The next morning, Christabel went to the garden.
The rose was still blooming.
She knelt beside it.
Touched its petals.
"He said he would cut a man into pieces for me. Cook him. Feed him to me."
The rose swayed.
"I should be terrified."
She was quiet for a moment.
"I'm not."
---
Damien appeared in the doorway.
"She's awake," he said.
"Lena?"
"Yes."
"I'll be right there."
He walked to her.
Took her hand.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm better than okay."
"What changed?"
She looked at him.
"I realized that I'm just as crazy as you are."
---
Lena was in the nursery.
Awake. Alert.
Christabel lifted her from the crib.
Held her against her chest.
"Good morning, little one," she said.
Lena cooed.
"Your father said something terrifying last night. Something about cutting a man into pieces."
Lena stared at her.
"I should be scared. But I'm not. Because I know he would never hurt me. Only the people who try to take me away."
---
Damien was in the doorway.
"She's awake," he said.
"She's hungry."
"I'll make a bottle."
"She wants to nurse."
He walked to her.
Sat on the floor beside the rocking chair.
"I meant what I said."
"I know."
"Every word."
"I know."
"You're not afraid?"
She looked at him.
"I'm afraid of losing you. Not of you."
---
Lena finished nursing.
Fell asleep against Christabel's chest.
"She's out," Christabel said.
"She's perfect."
"She's ours."
Damien stood.
Took Lena from her arms.
Laid her in the crib.
Then he walked back to Christabel.
Took her hand.
"Come with me."
"Where?"
"The study."
---
He showed her the files.
Not the old ones. The new ones.
The ones labeled Contingency.
"What is this?"
"Plans. For every possible threat. Every possible enemy. Every possible scenario."
" including me?"
He was quiet for a moment.
"Especially you."
---
She opened the file.
Her name was on the first page.
Christabel Moreau.
Threat Level: Extreme.
Contingency Plan: If she leaves, destroy everything she loves. Then destroy her.
"You planned for this?"
"I planned for everything."
"Even us?"
"Especially us."
---
She closed the file.
Set it on the desk.
"I'm not going to leave."
"I know."
"Then why do you still have this?"
"Because I'm afraid."
"Of what?"
"Of becoming the man I used to be."
---
She walked to him.
Took his face in her hands.
"You're not that man anymore."
"He's still inside me."
"Then let me help you keep him there."
"How?"
"By staying. By loving you. By never giving you a reason to become him."