The Almighty Dominance novel Chapter 336

Lyra had never allowed herself the luxury of dreaming about becoming governor—not when every step toward that ambition required the king's blessing.

“General Marcus,” she warned, her voice tight with urgency, "you’d better move quickly against the Chicago lords. If they even catch a hint that you're plotting against them, your head will roll before you know what hit you.”

Marcus threw back his head with a contemptuous laugh.

“You're damn right about one thing—gold rules everything around here. Alex is already being set loose; I’ve made sure of it. Let the games begin.”

“Good,” Lyra nodded sharply. “Now get moving.”

She pivoted swiftly, making her way toward Alex.

Behind her, Marcus barked orders, his voice like a whip cracking in the tense air.

“Get your asses in gear! The faster we strike, the easier this war becomes!”

Lyra had sized Marcus up long ago—a coward beneath all the bravado, obsessed with his wealth and self-preservation.

Yet, beneath that veneer lay something more dangerous: he was a cunning fox, armed to the teeth with clever tricks.

Strike down five Chicago lords, and none of them would stand a chance against his deceitful games.

Inside the military compound, Lyra found Alex standing silently in front of a massive iron cage, its door hanging wide open.

The prisoners, however, stood rooted in place, fear etched into their faces.

“Alex!” Lyra rushed to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “Are you alright?”

Alex exhaled softly, turning his eyes toward her. “Yeah, I'm fine.”

“What are you staring at?”

“Them,” Alex gestured bitterly toward the caged men, their hollow eyes filled with dread. “The cage is open. I told them to run, but none of them will budge.”

An elderly prisoner, his voice brittle with despair, spoke up.

“It’s not that we don’t crave freedom, son. But if we run while soldiers are occupied, we might escape for now—but later, they'll hunt us down like dogs and shoot us dead.”

Another prisoner chimed in, his voice shaking, “You don’t know the terror we've seen. They’ll rip off your arms, your legs… Look at him—”

He gestured toward a man slumped in agony, “he tried escaping, now he has no legs.”

Alex glanced at Lyra, pain in his eyes. “The cage wasn’t even locked. They've chained themselves with their fear.”

Lyra sighed deeply, compassion softening her voice.

“Their spirits are broken, Alex. Healing takes time. Let's get out of here.”

As they walked away, Alex’s eyes hardened, his expression turning deadly serious. “Where's Marcus?”

Lyra quickly explained Marcus’s plans.

“He's going after the Chicago lords because they're easier prey than tackling the Three States directly. He's dangerously clever.”

“Dangerous, yes,” Alex agreed darkly.

“I'll call Jasmine and Kelly, get them to stop the missiles. They only wanted to help me.”

He hesitated, glancing back at the broken men in the cage.

“Lyra, do you think our new king is failing? Is he too weak to control men like Marcus, letting generals abuse their power unchecked?”

Lyra stopped walking, meeting his eyes seriously.

“Alex, don’t blame the king yet. He's young and new to power. He overthrew a tyrant; since then, things have improved dramatically.”

“Yes, some governors resist him, plotting evil behind closed doors. Change takes patience.”

Alex studied her thoughtfully. “You know, Lyra, you'd make an excellent governor.”

“Oh come on,” Gilbert teased gently, yet his voice carried an edge of command.

“You wouldn’t reject a simple dinner invitation, would you?”

Sophia forced a smile, tasting bitter defeat. “Of course not.”

“Perfect! I’ll pick you up tonight. Can’t wait!” Gilbert sounded triumphant, almost jubilant, as Sophia quickly ended the call.

“Well?” Laura demanded impatiently, eyes glistening with anticipation. “What did he say?”

Sophia sighed, drained and defeated. “He wants to have dinner with me tonight.”

Laura clapped her hands excitedly, eyes sparkling with twisted satisfaction.

“Wonderful! Go home, dress yourself up nice, and don’t keep Mr. Guise waiting. I’ll tell General Marcus to release Alex as soon as you’ve had dinner.”

Laura leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

“And Sophia, you'd better seize this opportunity wisely. Gilbert is eager to marry you, and the Guises practically rule Paris state. You’d be a fool to let this chance slip away!”

Sophia shook her head slowly, meeting Laura’s cold stare with quiet defiance. “I don’t care about marrying into a wealthy family.”

Laura scoffed, incredulous and contemptuous.

“Then who exactly are you going to marry? Some worthless nobody like Alex? What is wrong with you, Sophia? With the Guises, you'd have everything you could ever want. Why choose misery in this pathetic place?”

Sophia glanced around the room, feeling the weight of Laura’s greedy eyes on her.

She said nothing, her silence speaking volumes.

Once, she too had hungered for power and wealth.

But now, standing at the brink, Sophia finally realized none of it truly mattered—not compared to freedom, love, and the chance at real happiness.