Chapter 151: The Night She Chose Herself

Jax saw Adelina confused.

She had taken the kiss as she wanted it. She was ready to dive in more. Her desire was clear. She had fixed her hair into that ponytail. Ready for what comes next.

But then she stopped.

Jax could see it in her face. The guilt flooding in. Drowning everything else.

She pulled back from him. Laid down on the bed. Eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"How fast the night changes."

Her voice was distant. Heavy.

"A few weeks ago, we were strangers."

She turned her head toward him. A slight scold in her eyes.

"You remember how you treated me? Right after saving me?"

She didn’t wait for an answer. Turned back to the ceiling.

"And here I was. Gifted with everything. A loving and caring husband. A lovely daughter. A cute son."

Her voice grew quieter.

"I was gifted with luxury. The love of my people. Everything a woman could ask for."

A bitter pause.

"And yet here I am. With more greed."

Her hands gripped the sheets beside her.

"My husband’s body isn’t even cold yet. And here I was. Planning to do a wicked act."

She closed her eyes.

"I don’t know how I became this person. This evil. Sinful woman."

Her voice cracked.

"How will I show my face to the world? To my people? To my children?"

She swallowed hard.

"After choosing my love over any shame."

A tear started forming in her eye. Unable to roll down because of the angle she was lying.

"Whenever I think about my love. My desires. It’s always this. This feeling. This guilt."

She paused.

"But whenever I see your face or even think about it I feel like..."

Silence.

"Like none of it matters. Like the world can burn and I wouldn’t care. As long as you’re beside me."

Her breath shuddered.

"And that scares me, Jax. It scares me how much power you have over me. Without even trying."

The tear finally escaped. Rolling sideways into her hair.

"What kind of mother will my children see? A woman who chose her desires over dignity. What kind of queen will my citizens remember? The one who couldn’t even mourn properly before falling into another man’s arms."

She laughed bitterly.

"The songs they’ll sing about me. The stories they’ll tell. The great Queen Adelina. Who spread her legs before her husband’s ashes scattered."

More tears came.

"I’ll become a joke. A lesson mothers teach their daughters. A warning of what not to become."

Jax stayed silent through all of it.

Watching her break. Piece by piece.

Then he moved.

He laid down beside her. Same position. Both staring at the ceiling.

"You done?"

She turned to look at him. Confused by the bluntness.

"Adelina, I’m not good with words. Never was. So I’ll just say what I think."

He kept his eyes on the ceiling.

"So you’re scared of your citizens? Your children?"

A pause.

"Well, for the people? Fuck them all."

She flinched at his words.

"Their views don’t matter. Whatever good you do, they will still find flaws. Whatever you become, they will still hate. Still be jealous for what you are. That’s the rule of the world."

His voice stayed calm.

"But there will be many who will support you. See you as an idol. A queen who didn’t give a shit about the world and chose her love over anything else. A role model for many. A warrior of a mother who brought hope to people who still believe there’s a barrier in love."

He turned to look at her.

"As for your children."

His voice softened.

"Your son. That kid is sharp. He’s young but he understands more than you think. I saw it in his eyes when you smiled. When you were being you. After he had seen you suffer, he was happy just seeing you happy."

He reached for her hand.

"He’ll accept whoever makes you smile like that. Because that’s all he wants. His mother. Alive and happy."

Adelina’s lip trembled.

"And Seris?"

Jax sighed.

"She’ll be difficult. I won’t lie."

He squeezed her hand.

"But she’ll understand. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But eventually."

He wiped the remaining tears from her cheek.

"I’ll make sure of it. I’ll earn her trust. Her respect. However long it takes."

Adelina stared at him. Unable to look away.

"And the guilt you feel right now? That heaviness in your chest?"

He moved closer.

"It’s not because you’re doing something wrong. It’s because you’ve spent your whole life putting everyone else first. Your kingdom. Your husband. Your children. Your people."

His hand cupped her face.

"And now, for the first time, you want something for yourself. And you don’t know how to accept that it’s okay."

Her eyes were wide. Vulnerable.

"It’s okay, Adelina."

His thumb traced her cheekbone.

"It’s okay to want. It’s okay to need. It’s okay to choose yourself for once."

His forehead touched hers.

"You’re not evil. You’re not sinful. You’re not a bad mother or a bad queen."

His breath mixed with hers.

"You’re just a woman who found something worth living for. And there’s no shame in that."

Silence.

The tears had stopped. The guilt that had been drowning her moments ago felt lighter now. Not gone. But bearable.

She had spent so long searching for answers. For permission. For someone to tell her it was okay.

And here he was. Giving her exactly that.

Not with pretty words. Not with empty promises. Just simple truth.

She looked into his eyes.

"Jax."

"Hmm?"

"What do you want from me? Right now. In this moment."

He looked at her. Really looked.

"What do you want, Adelina? That’s the only question that matters."

She didn’t hesitate.

"You. I want you."

He smiled. Soft. Real.

"I was yours the moment my heart first beat for you."

Something broke free inside her.

The last chain. The final wall.

She leaned into him. Her lips finding his. Gentle at first. Then deeper.

His hand moved behind her head. Supporting her. Holding her close.

When they separated, her eyes were different.

No guilt. No fear.

Just her. Just him.

Adelina’s hand trembled as it brushed the fabric of his trousers, her touch was hesitant.

Her eyes, wide and vulnerable, locked onto his—a silent embarrassed plea for permission to go further, to see him completely.

Jax sighed, a soft sound in the quiet room. "After all that," he murmured, his voice was a low rumble. "After everything I just said, after baring my soul... and you’re still asking?"

He reached down, his fingers gently covering hers. "Adelina, I am all yours. Soul, body, every broken and selfish piece. You have everything."

A teasing glint entered his eyes. "Besides, we’ve done this before."

Her face lit up with happiness at his words, then immediately scrunched into a pout. "We are starting from scratch now," she insisted, her fingers finally moving with purpose, pushing his trousers down. "Forget that."

As the last barrier—his underwear was pulled away, his cock sprang free. A full nine inches, thick and heavy, swaying with the release of pressure of that elastic.

Adelina’s breath hitched.

Her eyes, wide with awe and delight, drank in the sight.

Both of her hands came up, gently holding him, her touch reverent. "I... I couldn’t say it before," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "But you’re really huge."

Jax chuckled. "And here I thought we weren’t bringing up past experiences."

She didn’t answer.

Her tongue darted out, a shy, experimental lick across his beasty cock’s eye. Then another, more confident.

A wave of pure, unadulterated joy seemed to radiate from her.

In that moment, with him in her hands and his taste on her lips, she was the happiest woman alive.