Chapter 571:

He was so close, close enough to feel his heartbeat echoing in her wrist, anchoring her to the moment.

She managed a breath, steadying herself as she looked up. “I know. But, Kellan… I don’t want to belong to anyone.”

Kellan coiled his fingers tighter on hers.

“You belong to no one but yourself. And me… Ms. Clarke, I am yours, always.”

Allison’s heart thundered, each beat echoing in her ears. She was certain Kellan could hear it too, the way his gaze held hers — dark, fathomless, and utterly inescapable. His eyes were like a whirlpool, drawing her in, and the closer she got, the harder it was to resist.

Allison wasn’t made of stone. Here, in this moment, the heart she’d once thought permanently frozen was beginning to thaw.

She had believed in love once, trusted it so fully that she’d gambled her future, her happiness, on marrying into the Stevens family. But she’d been wrong—so heartbreakingly wrong. She’d lost it all.

But with Kellan, things were different. They had faced life and death together, tried pulling away from one another only to find themselves irresistibly drawn back. The connection between them defied logic; it was simply there, undeniable.

“Ms. Clarke,” he murmured, his voice as steady as his gaze. “Sometimes… love is a gamble.”

Kellan knelt before her, his eyes never leaving hers, filled with an earnestness that left her breathless.

“No matter the past, the present, or whatever comes next, I promise — I’ll never let you lose.”

For a long time now, Kellan had given her everything he had to offer. Whether it was the serpent-shaped necklace, a 300-million-dollar black card, or the unspoken promise of his own life — he’d placed it all in her hands.

Allison met his gaze, her heart fluttering in rhythm with the twinkling lights outside. The city was aglow, and the moon cast an enchanting silver glow around them.

She leaned in, her fingers lifting his chin as she drew close.

“Alright,” she whispered, letting her lips brush against his in a featherlight kiss.

It was barely a touch, so light that it left no trace of heat, and yet it set something inside Kellan aflame.

His eyes lit with surprise, as though he hadn’t expected her to accept his offer. But there was no room for hesitation now; he met her gaze with a fiery intensity.

“I won’t let you go again,” he murmured, his voice low and rough, laced with an almost possessive tenderness. He cupped the back of her head, his palm firm and warm, leaving her no room to pull away.

His lips claimed hers in a kiss that was both fierce and consuming, filling the air around them with a pulsing electric tension. His touch shifted, his lips brushing along the delicate curve of her neck, his breath hot against her skin.

“You—”

She felt his mouth move lower, inch by inch, a steady, deliberate marking of territory. Through the glass window, she could see the soft glow of city lights, a faint blush blooming across her skin in their reflection. It felt like a brand—an undeniable mark that she was his.

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