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For a moment, she hesitated. Despite the tension that had been simmering between them for so long, this was the first time she had seen Axel like this—completely exposed, both physically and emotionally. His shirtless form stood as a symbol of the man behind the titles, the responsibilities, and the empire he governed. Here, in this moment, he wasn't the emperor, nor was she the empress; they were simply two people caught in the throes of passion, surrendering to a force they could no longer resist.
