Page 140 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

"Is that what happened tonight?" She crossed her arms. "I became my father's daughter?"

"No." Lucian reached out, tucking a strand of damp hair behind her ear. "You became your own person. One who protects what's hers."

The touch lingered, his fingertips grazing her cheek. Serenity didn't pull away.

"Those men would have taken everything from me," she said quietly. "My freedom. My dignity. My choice."

"And now they never will."

She walked to the small bar cart in the corner, pouring two fingers of whiskey into crystal tumblers. "When I was getting my MBA, we had this ethics class. All these case studies about corporate responsibility and moral dilemmas." She handed him a glass, their fingers brushing. "What a fucking joke."

Lucian accepted the drink. "The world they prepare you for in those ivory towers isn't the real one."

"No, it's not." She took a sip, letting the liquor burn down her throat. "The real world is what we saw tonight. What we did tonight."

"Does that frighten you?" His question wasn't condescending—it was genuine curiosity.

Serenity considered it, swirling the amber liquid in her glass. "What frightens me is how natural it felt. How right." She set her glass down. "I've spent my whole life trying to be something I'm not—fitting into boxes other people made for me. The good Omega. The perfect student. The professional consultant."

"And now?"

"Now I know who I am." Her voice grew stronger. "I'm the heir to the Vale Empire. I'm part of this pack. And I'm done pretending to be anything less than what I am."

Lucian moved closer, his presence filling her space like a physical force. "And what are you, Serenity Vale?"

"I'm the woman who will stand beside you, Ronan, and Darius—not behind you." She met his gaze unflinchingly. "I'm an Omega who understands that power isn't about designation, it's about will. And I'm someone who won't hesitate to protect what's mine."

His eyes darkened. "Even if that means blood on your hands?"

"Especially then." She reclaimed her whiskey, raising it in a toast. "To new understandings."

He clinked his glass against hers. "To the queen you were always meant to be."

The moonlight cast shadows across his face, highlighting the sharp planes and hidden depths. In that moment, Serenity knew she'd crossed a threshold she could never return from—and had no desire to.

"You know," she said softly, "a week ago, I would have run screaming from what happened tonight."

"And now?"

She smiled, a predator's smile that matched his own. "Now I'm just wondering when we get to do it again."

Lucian laughed, the sound rich and genuine. "I've created a monster."

"No," she corrected him. "You just helped me find the one that was always there."

As they stood together in the moonlight, Serenity felt something settle within her—a recognition of her place in this dark, cynical world they inhabited. Not as a victim or a pawn, but as an equal. A partner. Perhaps something more.

The hunt would be over in two days, and then decisions would need to be made. But tonight had changed everything. Tonight had shown them both exactly who she was and what she was capable of.

And in this world of shadows and secrets, that was the most valuable currency of all.

26

THE PERFECT MOMENT TO STRIKE

~SERENITY~

"Sign it."

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