WAR ARMOR FOR A GODDESS

A hush swept across the room like a change in wind direction.

Even the soft rustle of fabric as Ling Li walked seemed choreographed.

Ren gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. "Mom looks unreal…"

Chatty blinked as if trying to focus.

Pharsa, "That is not just a wedding gown. That is war armor for a goddess."

Lily let out a high-pitched squeal that made Leeroy hop backward and bark once — just once — before sitting obediently with her tail wagging, mesmerized like everyone else.

Four Eyes, the groom — stood frozen halfway between tension and awe. He had seen Ling Li command in a bloodstained lab coat, her sleeves rolled up and a blade in her hand. He had seen her walk into boardrooms and have men twice her age scrambling to adjust their collars. But nothing, nothing, could have prepared him for this. He stood staring at his bride in awe.

It wasn't just that she was beautiful. It was that she looked completely at peace — and still entirely untouchable.