The city below glowed innocent and unaware for now. Isabella stood behind me silently, afraid but unyielding. I could feel her eyes on my back, and her trust hung by a thread.
Roman broke the silence. "If we don't act first, they'll force our hand."
I looked out into the night. My jaw set and my muscles coiled.
"Then we start before they do," I mutter.
Roman nodded and left, the door slamming behind him. And for a moment, it's just me and her, standing in the shadow of war.
The room was alive with tension. Roman's on the phone, his voice sharp and low, firing orders in Russian. Papers were scattered across the desk, and maps and plans were half-formed. I stand over them, piecing together the next move.
Isabella hasn't said a word. She's standing by the desk with her arms crossed. Her eyes were fixed on me. She's not afraid, just watching and measuring.
Then, she moved closer, quiet but certain. "You once asked me to pick a side in this war," she says.
I turned slowly, meeting her gaze. "And?"
"I've made my choice."
I studied her face and that calm mask, but caught the tremor in her hands. "What side, Isabella?"
Her voice is now steady. "I'll stand by you. Not because I trust you... But because I want to see this through, all of it."
For a second, I forgot to breathe. The room, the war, and the noise all faded, and there was just her.
I took a step closer. "You know what that means, don't you?"
She nodded. "That I can't turn back."
My chest tightened. "Then you're mine, Isabella. All the way in."
She lifted her chin, bravely, even while trembling. "All the way in."
Roman finally hung up, glancing between us with a half-grim smile. "God help anyone who crosses you two."
I smirked faintly. "They'll need more than God."
He muttered something under his breath and disappeared down the hall, leaving us alone again.
I reached for her hand, slowly and deliberately. Her fingers twitched and then curled into mine. The contact was real, not safe and gentle.
"This war ends with us," I whispered, and my voice was low against her skin. "Together."
She looked toward the window, and the city lights flickered over her face. "They're already coming, aren't they?"
I pulled her close until her forehead rested against my chest. "Let them."
Her voice broke in a whisper. "You'll burn for me, won't you?"
I leaned down, and my breath brushed her temple.
"Let them come," I murmured. "I'll burn the world before I lose you."
Chapter Twenty-One
Isabella’s POV
I was shaken.
