Chapter 128\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was unfair of me after everything that I put her through. But I had always been a selfish man. I knew that about myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellie POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
Moonstone was quieter than I\u2019d expected. The boys had been buzzing with energy since the moment we arrived- Cassian dragging Lance into sparring matches at every opportunity, Lance dragging Cassian into taverns just as often-but today, the village square was peaceful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sat near the low stone wall outside the training yard, watching them both bicker as they cooled down from a match. Sweat glistened on Cassian\u2019s brow, Lance\u2019s grin wide and infuriating as ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had a blanket spread out on the grass and a variety of toys scattered around. My attention was mainly on the twins as they cooed and wobbled on their bellies, playing with the toys and reaching for each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing them again was a balm to my heart. I couldn\u2019t keep my hands off of them. I kept stroking their hair and their soft, chubby little cheeks. Leaving again was going to break me, but at least this time I was here for a few days and not just a few hours. I could rock them to sleep and hold them as much as I needed to make the guilt ease.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re too predictable,\u201d Lance said, dodging when Cassian swatted at him. \u201cAll power, no strategy. You\u2019d never last in the city.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease,\u201d Cassian shot back. \u201cIf I fought you seriously, you\u2019d be face-down in the dirt.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I laughed, shaking my head. \u201cYou two are hopeless.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lance plopped down beside me, stretching his legs out with a groan. \u201cYou\u2019re just jealous you don\u2019t get to beat up Cassian as often as I do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTempting,\u201d I said dryly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the smile faded as the weight of Kieran\u2019s words pressed against me again. I chewed my lip, debating whether to say it aloud. They deserved to know.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKieran made me an offer,\u201d I said finally, my voice softer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Both their heads snapped toward me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of offer?\u201d Cassian asked, suspicion already darkening his tone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a breath. \u201cA marriage. Political, he said. To strengthen my position, to give me protection.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lance let out a low whistle. \u201cThat\u2019s\u2026 bold of him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassian scowled. \u201cBold? It\u2019s manipulative. He\u2019s trying to tie himself to you before the news of the divorce goes public. You know that, right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d I twisted my hands together. \u201cI told him no, but he didn\u2019t exactly take it as a final answer. He kept pressing, making it sound like he was only worried about me. Like he was doing me a favor.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lance leaned back, arms crossed. \u201cThat\u2019s Kieran\u2019s whole game. He hides threats inside pretty words. You can\u2019t let him push you into anything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassian\u2019s voice was firmer, his eyes sharp. \u201cEllie, listen to me. If you agree to that, even as a joke, you\u2019ll be giving him leverage over you. He\u2019ll use it, and he won\u2019t let you go easily. Be careful.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 128\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their concern eased something tight in me, though it didn\u2019t erase the unease that clung after that lunch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to marry anyone,\u201d I said quietly. \u201cNot for politics. Not for security. Not ever again, unless it\u2019s because I choose it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGood,\u201d Cassian said, his tone leaving no room for argument.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lance\u2019s grin softened. \u201cThen we\u2019ll make sure you don\u2019t have to. You\u2019ve got us, remember? Who needs some pompous alpha when you\u2019ve got me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassian groaned. \u201cGods, spare us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I laughed, the sound easing some of the tension in my chest. For a moment, surrounded by my family, I almost believed everything would be simple.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Kieran\u2019s shadow lingered. And Nolan\u2019s eyes during that dance lingered too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I had no idea which one would end up pulling me closer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 128 Chapter 128\u00a0 It was unfair of me after everything that I put her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-unremembered-mate-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23697"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23697\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}