Chapter 151\u00a0<\/p>\n
I really had been selfish, hadn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always think you owe everyone an apology,\u201d he contined sily. \u201cBut you don\u2019t. Nolan he\u2019s not someone you can reason with when he feels comered. You did what you had to.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned toward him, unsettled by how easily he spoke Nolan\u2019s name, \u201cYou don\u2019t know what really happened.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He met my eyes. \u201cI know more than you think.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something in his tone sent a chill through me. \u201cWhat\u2019s that supposed to mean?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew that Nolan was in the dark about the boys. There\u2019s no way someone as arrogant as him wouldn\u2019t be bragging about twin sons, especially after it took years for you guys to conceive.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My face flushed with embarrassment at the comment. Having the public scrutinize and gossip about such an intimate part of our lives was one of the things I hated the most about being married ton alpha.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Nolan\u2026 did he take it out on you?\u201d I asked softly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Kieran replied coolly, \u201cNot really. Though it honestly surprised me that he didn\u2019t. You know how violent he can be \u201c\u00a0<\/p>\n
I frowned at that and turned to face him fully. \u201cHe\u2019s never been vident with me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s surprising,\u201d he said, his eyes going a little wide. \u201cNever?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. What makes you think he would be?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked away, sighing as if debating with himself, \u201cWhen we were young, I spent a lot of time around Silver Fang\u2019s packhouse. Training, negotiations, that sort of thing. Nolan and didn\u2019t get along even then. He was\u2026 volatile. His father pushed him too hard, and he learned to hide it behind discipline, but sometimes it slipped through. You could see it in the way he\u2019d snap at the smallest mistake,\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t respond. I didn\u2019t want to believe him\u2013but part of me alrely did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen him lose control,\u201d Kieran said quietly, \u201cOnce, during a training session. He nearly broke a boy\u2019s arm for speaking out of turn.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I clenched my hands together. \u201cThat was a long time ago.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He nodded. \u201cIt was. But that kind of anger doesn\u2019t just disappear, only learns to hide better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed, suddenly too aware of the silence in the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stepped closer, careful, his voice dropping to something gentle \u201cI\u2019m not saying this to frighten you. I just don\u2019t want you to question yourself for protecting your sons. You did what any mother would do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The words sank in slowly, curling around the guilt in my chest like smoke. For a moment, I almost let myself believe him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t trying to hurt him,\u201d I said quietly. \u201cI just-\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWanted peace.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou deserve it,\u201d he murmured. \u201cAnd if anyone tries to take it from you again, I\u2019ll make sure they regret it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I froze. There was no menace in his tone, but something about the way he said it\u2013so sure, so steady\u2013felt like a promise I didn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
want.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I could answer, a soft cry came from the bedroom. August.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I moved to check on him, but Kieran\u2019s hand brushed my arm. \u201cLet nie.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 151\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was already halfway to the door before I found my voice. \u201cIt\u2019s fe, I\u2019ve got it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stopped, hand hovering near the doorframe, then stepped back with a small, apologetic smile. \u201cOld habits. I forget not everyone needs rescuing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gave him a look that probably said more than I meant it to. \u201cThats one thing we agree on.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the time I soothed August back to sleep, the tension in my chest had sharpened into something unsteady. When I returned to the living room, Kieran was standing near the window, looking out at the distant line of the forest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve made a nice home here,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cMoonstone suits you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m trying,\u201d I murmured.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned, his gaze soft but searching. \u201cDon\u2019t let anyone make you feel like you have to explain your choices, Ellie. Least of all him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t say Nolan\u2019s name this time, but he didn\u2019t have to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After he left, the apartment felt heavier. The lilies sat on the counter, their white petals open wide, filling the air with a sweet, heady scent. I stared at them for a long time before finally moving them to the windowsill, where the breeze could reach.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That night, when the goddess came to me again, her voice was clearer than before.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You cannot hide peace in the shadow of fear, my child.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I woke with tears on my face and the echo of thunder fading in the distance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
P\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 151 Chapter 151\u00a0 I really had been selfish, hadn\u2019t\u00a0 +25 Bonus\u00a0 \u201cYou always think […]<\/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-23720","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\/23720","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=23720"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23720\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23720"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23720"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23720"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}