***************
CHAPTER 378
~Valerie's POV~
"It's not a favour. It's just understanding from my perspective and not the world's view."
His jaw worked for a moment. Then he let out a humourless laugh. "You think he's doing this for justice? He's doing this for power, Valerie. They all are. The moment you take down a throne, someone else fights to sit on it."
I stayed silent.
He turned his head slightly, looking at me. "You always do this," he said softly. "You care too much."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"When it gets you hurt," he said. "Yes."
The silence that followed was heavy, the kind that carried more than words could.
Finally, I said, "Maybe caring is what keeps me from becoming what I'm supposed to hate."
His expression flickered, something unreadable passing through it, before he looked away again.
Inside, the faint sound of laughter drifted from Dominic's suite.
