The Almighty Dominance

What in blazes?" The entire Kane entourage sucked in their breath as one, shock rippling through the hall.

Vetala had drilled it into them on the ride over- no snarling, no threats, not a single cursed gesture toward the Lancasters, because those smug devils held Bella Kane's only antidote.

Not a soul among them dared flash even a hint of hostility at a Lancaster.

Yet, braced to meet Lancaster arrogance head on, they instead found the proud clan already on their knees-a twist no prophecy had whispered.

"Kid, you've clearly got your wires crossed," Vetala muttered, his brows knitting in raw confusion.

He'd pictured every nightmare under the sun, but this scene had never once marched through his calculations.

"Ignore their circus," Alex rasped, too rattled to elaborate.

"Get Bella Kane in front of Sophia-now."

Alerted by Bella's summons, Sophia had propped herself upright in her hospital bed-her wounds mended enough for her to sit or stand without trouble.

Meanwhile Vetala spared the Lancasters not a single glance.noveldrama

He shoved the bed's backrest upright, steadying Bella as she screamed through the agony.

Bella locked eyes with Sophia. "I can neither stand nor kneel-so they will kneel in my stead."

Instantly every Kane bodyguard dropped, foreheads almost scraping Sophia's shoes.

"I apologize for the harm I wrought upon you," Bella declared, her voice frosty, her regal aura unbroken despite the pain.

Sophia reeled, her mind skidding beyond belief.

"What the-?!" Jack, Florence, and the rest gaped as Kane representatives bowed before Sophia.

Eyes widened to saucers; disbelief hung thick in the air.

Who could have imagined the almighty Kanes bending a knee to them-ever?

Had these titans ever shown humility?

Had the world flipped?

Were they delirious with fever?

"What in God's name is this? Weren't the Kanes here for blood? Why are they groveling?"

"Are the Kanes playing some twisted reverse-psych game on us?"

"Stinks to high heaven-bet this is just another layer of their scheme!"

The longer the Lancasters watched the kneeling Kanes, the less triumphant and the more terrified they felt.

A few Lancaster knees buckled outright; the spectacle simply overloaded their

nerves.

A titan kneeling to them-such madness wouldn't dare appear even in their wildest dreams.

"I am Vetala, representative of the Kane family. We humbly ask for your forgiveness, Ms. Lancaster," Vetala said solemnly.

"The Kanes wronged you last night. We're here so the young lady can apologize face-to-face, Bella cannot kneel or speak clearly, so I lend her my voice."

With that, Vetala sank to the floor, sincerity etched into every bowel inch.

Our deepest apologies, Ms. Lancaster!" the Kane delegates thundered, dropping as one, reputation be damned.

The twist left the Lancasters thunderstruck this was no illusion, the Kanes were genuinely begging forgiveness. But one blistering question remained-why?

"W-why are you doing this? What's happening, Mr. Vetala?" Sophia stammered, springing from the bed despite her jitters. They'd come for vengeance-so why were they bowing before her

"The Kanes aren't blind to fault," Vetala murmured, head still bowed. "We own our sins and pray for your pardon, Ms. Lancaster.

"Mr. Vetala, please-this must be a misunderstanding!" Florence babbled, plastering on a shaky smile. “We're relieved just to let the matter die; we've no wish to accuse the Kane family of anything."

"She's right-stand up, Mr. Vetala!" the other Lancasters echoed, still reeling.

To the Lancasters, the Kanes' willingness to drop the feud was blessing enough; they'd never dream of forcing an apology from such giants.

"Until you accept our apology, we'll stay on our knees until the stars burn out, Ms. Lancaster," Vetala vowed, stubborn as bedrock.

He has no choice-if he doesn't, Bella won't get the antidote.

"Please, Mr. Vetala, rise-let's pretend this never happened," Sophia blurted, words tumbling in disarray.

Bella had been the aggressor, yet she bore wounds far graver than Sophia's.

Sophia would mend in days, but Bella might not crawl out of that bed for half a month at least.

That irony-Bella, heir to the notoriously bull-headed Kanes, coming to apologize- had stolen Sophia's tongue.

"Thank you for your grace, Ms. Lancaster!" Vetala beamed, bowing deeply, then waved the Kane party to their feet.

"Wonderful-a simple misunderstanding," Florence exhaled, relief flooding her voice.

She hadn't a clue what cosmic dice had rolled, but they had escaped this crisis unscathed.

"Totally-nothing boosts profits like a little peace and quiet!" Jack laughed, though a chill of dread crawled down his back.

Just as calm seemed restored, Alex drawled, "I heard Bella apologize-tell me, does that sound like true contrition to you?"

Alex's eyes drilled into Bella's.

His stare pierced through Bella's facade, ripping her straight back to that night-the

night he turned her world into a waking nightmare.

Her poise cracked like glass under pressure.

With her entire body howling in agony, Bella dragged herself off the bed.

Pain be damned-fear had drowned whatever pride she had left.

She clutched Sophia's hand and dropped to her knees.

"Please... please forgive me... please."

The plea jolted Sophia to the core.

This was the same woman who once crushed her like an ant beneath a boot.

Now that iron fisted tyrant knelt, shaking, begging for mercy as though her own ghosts had her by the throat

The instant Bella's knees hit the tile, the room detonated voices cracked, chairs scraped, panic ricocheted off the walls.

Kane delegates shot each other grim looks, worry gouging trenches across their brows.

The Lancasters stood petrified, as if lightning had welded their shoes to the floor.

Had that lunatic really forced Bella Kane to grovel?

The Kanes had just buried the hatchet- again. 3

thanks to Charles Kingston's quiet miracle-and now this idiot Alex was ripping it free

If Bella's fury reignited, Kingston's diplomacy would evaporate and they'd all be corpses by sunset.

Starting the brawl that wrecked Bella was reckless enough; making her beg after her clan surrendered was pure suicide.

His nerve bordered on suicidal brilliance.

"Alex! Did a mule kick your brains loose? If you can't spit out something sane,

shut the hell up!" Florence barked, terror sharpening every syllable.

"Miss Bella, please-stand up. Don't waste a breath on that clown

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