hapter 8 WHE Dawn seeped through the window , casting pale light across Stella's pure , flawless face . So different from the bloodstained woman who had dared to get rid of his child on her own . Perhaps it was better this way . They were divorced now . Julia had left of her own accord , saving him the trouble . " It's nothing , " Herbert said , crushing out his cigarette . " I'm going to shower . " He stepped into the bathroom and dialed his men . " The scum in the East District - leave none alive . Keep it clean . Dump the bodies at the docks , let the sharks have them . " Soon after , Stella moved into the villa , the official new lady in name . Herbert had expensive gowns and jewelry custom - made for her , even arranged the most leisurely , respectable post for her inside the casino . But the weariness inside him only grew heavier . 4226 Each time he returned from the blood - soaked chaos outside to Stella's untouched gaze , it felt as though he was split in two . Half of him remained the merciless king of San Francisco's underworld . The other half wore the mask of the successful , polished businessman she wanted to believe in . And then , Julia came to his mind . Only with her had he ever been his true self . She hadn't flinched from the darkness , but met it head - on . She had given him strategy , cleared the field without hesitation , and stood beside him through every brutal climb . An embossed invitation lay on Herbert's desk . The San Diego Casino Summit , inviting the " King of San Francisco and his wife " to attend . Once , he wouldn't have glanced twice . " With Julia by his side , every tournament had been nothing more than another stage to display their dominance , another way to add glory and power to their empire . But now he couldn't remember the last time he had truly sat at a table . A Years spent swallowing territories and dealing in shadows had dulled his skills . The few times he played cards with Stella , it was nothing more than humoring a child . Herbert had fallen into the habit of sneaking back to the casino's top floor at night . Surrounded by relics of the past , he could almost see Julia's sharp , commanding figure again . Yes , he had saved her from the cartel , given her shelter . But afterward , she had won him decisive victories , crushed rivals , and soaked her hands in blood without complaint . What they had was never charity , never mere protection . It was a partnership built on blood and fire , the mutual reliance , shoulder to shoulder in the dark Without julia , there would be no Herbert today . So why had he turned his back on her ? Was it because her hands were stained , no longer " clean " ? Or because , in rare moments , she revealed dependence , showed temper , and that had wearted him ? Then why did he now find Stella's dependence and fragility so easy to accept , and why did he even cherish it ? Chapter B Dreame - Read Romance Stories Where Hecnealized his feelings , he had lost her forever ! Novels reading at night 44 FREE Installed Open 72.73 % Checker B Something twisted in his chest , sharp and relentless , filling him with pain . He shot to his feet . No. He had to find Julia . The minister could not exist without his queen . And Herbert could not exist without her . 1 Dreame - Read Romance Stories When he realized his feelings , he had lost her forever ! 44 * FREE Installed Open 72.73 %