You did not cover it.
When Roman lifted your veil, his gaze went to that faint line beneath your eye. He touched it with one careful finger, then kissed it before kissing your mouth.
The guests went silent.
Then Elena began to clap.
Soon everyone followed.
Years later, people would still tell the story wrong.
They would say Roman Cross burned an empire down because a waitress took a slap meant for his mother. They would say he ruined the Sterlings and Hartwells for revenge. They would say he married you because he mistook gratitude for love.
But you knew the truth.
You did not save Roman Cross’s mother to become a queen.
You did not bleed in that ballroom to earn a fortune.
You simply refused to let cruelty win while everyone else watched.
And Roman?
Roman did not make you powerful.
He only made sure the world finally saw that you had been powerful all along.
