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13

As I finished speaking, I turned to face Rosie, our eyes meeting as I slipped the ring onto her finger. The instant seemed to stretch on endlessly.

Then, with everyone watching—Kendra included—I drew close and kissed Rosie, cementing my lifelong commitment to her.

Kendra remained motionless, her jaw slack, her world shattering around her. Her body shook as her injuries reopened from the strain, and she fell to the floor, lying in a pool of her own blood.

Even after Rosie and I exchanged our vows, Kendra's resentment showed no signs of diminishing.

She tore through the Jewett family, causing uproar and mayhem before departing from the corporation, intent on creating her own empire.

She proclaimed with burning resolve that someday, she would conquer Rosie and claim me as her own.

However, her abilities were as superficial as her aspirations. Without the Jewett family's backing or connections, she soon realized she was fighting an uphill battle.