Chapter 141\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellie POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kieran didn\u2019t release me from his embrace. For a long moment, we just stood there, the air between us heavy with unspoken thoughts. I could see the calculations flickering behind his eyes, the way he was processing the weight of what I\u2019d said, what it meant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, he spoke, his voice softer than I expected. \u201cYou\u2019ve been carrying this alone for a long time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
1 swallowed hard and nodded. There were a few people that knew, but I couldn\u2019t tell him that. Not yet. \u201cIt\u2019s safer that way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He studied me for a moment before saying, \u201cYou don\u2019t have to do it alone anymore, Ellie. You shouldn\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I almost laughed at that-shouldn\u2019t. But there was no humor in me left to give.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t understand,\u201d I said quietly. \u201cI can\u2019t risk anyone else getting hurt. The moment people find out, the boys will become targets in Felicity\u2019s game.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He took a step closer. \u201cThen let me protect you. Let me protect them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart gave an uneasy flutter. \u201cYou already promised not to tell anyone. That\u2019s enough.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not,\u201d he said firmly. \u201cYou need more than secrecy, Ellie, you need stability, power, security. I can give you that.\u201d 1\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was something about the way he said it, low, assured, almost coaxing, that made me look up. I looked into his eyes, searching for any hint of deception. I saw none.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He went on, his tone steady but not unkind. \u201cIf you agree to the marriage, I can make sure no one touches you or your sons. No one challenges you. Whatever this chaos is, whatever\u2019s coming, you\u2019ll be protected under my name. I\u2019ll make certain of it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Marriage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The word hit like a physical blow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at him, searching and found only sincerity and something else, buried deep in his eyes. Ambition, maybe. Or desire. Or both.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKieran\u2026\u201d I started, my voice barely above a whisper. \u201cYou don\u2019t even know me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know enough,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cEnough to see that you\u2019re stronger than anyone gives you credit for. Enough to know that I don\u2019t want you broken by this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, I let myself imagine it, being safe, the boys safe, the constant dread that hung over me finally quieting. It was tempting. Too tempting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But something in me hesitated. \u201cIt\u2019s not love,\u201d I said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t flinch. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to be. It just has to work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned away, pressing my hands to my temples. I had to make a choice but I didn\u2019t know how. The dream of the\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
+75 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
boys turning away from me and going to Nolan flashed through my mind and it made my heart drop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kieran\u2019s voice was gentler when he spoke again. \u201cEllie\u2026 you\u2019ve been living in fear for too long. Let me take some of it from you. Just say yes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes. Maybe it was weakness. Maybe it was exhaustion. Or maybe it was the crushing reality that f was out of options.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I finally turned back to him, I nodded once. \u201cAll right,\u201d I whispered. \u201cI\u2019ll do it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His relief was palpable. He stepped forward, taking my hand briefly in his. His grip was warm, grounding, \u201cYou won\u2019t regret this,\u201d he promised.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But even as he said it, something deep inside me whispered that I might.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knew something was wrong the moment she asked to speak with me privately.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellie\u2019s voice had that calm, deliberate tone she only used when she was bracing herself for something unpleasant. She sat across from me in my office, hands folded tightly in her lap, and for the first time in months, she couldn\u2019t quite meet my eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d I asked carefully.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She took a breath, steadying herself. \u201cI need to tell you about something I\u2019ve agreed to.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
COIN BUNDLE: get more free bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
P\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 141 Chapter 141\u00a0 Ellie POV\u00a0 Kieran didn\u2019t release me from his embrace. For a […]<\/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-23710","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\/23710","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=23710"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23710\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}