Chapter 183\u00a0<\/p>\n
He exhaled slowly, rolling up his sleeve. A pale scar ran along his forearm, faint but unmistakable. \u201cTraining exercise gone wrong,\u201d he said. \u201cHe lost control. I ended up with this and a few broken ribs. He didn\u2019t even apologize.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at the mark, my stomach twisting. I knew Nolan\u2019s temper; I\u2019d seen flashes of it myself, but something about Kieran\u2019s story didn\u2019t fit the man I knew.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The man who carried guilt like a second skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan\u2019s anger had always been cold, distant. When he disliked someone, he looked at them like they were nothing but a waste of his time. For him to physically lash out, there had to be some provocation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I had only ever seen Nolan get violent when he was protecting someone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, the image of Nolan hurting someone so badly made my chest ache.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d I said quietly. I wasn\u2019t sure why I said it, other than I felt like I had to say something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kieran gave me a small smile. \u201cDon\u2019t be. It was a long time ago. We both survived.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He reached out then, brushing a lock of hair from my face with a touch so light it barely registered. \u201cHe hurt you too,\u201d he murmured. \u201cYou don\u2019t owe him anything, Ellie.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My breath caught.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan had hurt me. But, not in the way Kieran was implying. His soft touch and the accusation in his words gave\u00a0<\/p>\n
me pause.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For just a moment, I let myself forget the weight of everything else the goddess\u2019s dreams, the guilt, the distance. I let myself stand there, still and uncertain, while Kieran\u2019s hand lingered against my cheek.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt frozen in place, not able to decide on a reaction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then he leaned in and kissed me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was gentle at first, careful, almost questioning. His lips were warm, his touch steady.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But there was nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No spark. No pulse of heat that set my blood humming, no invisible thread pulling me closer the way there had been with Nolan \u2013 that fierce, undeniable bond that had once felt like destiny.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt only stillness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The absence of something I hadn\u2019t realized I\u2019d been craving hit me like a punch in the gut.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Kieran pulled back, his thumb brushed my jaw. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be afraid of feeling again,\u201d he said softly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a step back. \u201cKieran\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes searched mine. \u201cYou don\u2019t want this?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t sound surprised, but for just a fraction of a second he looked irritated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI-\u201cI faltered, shaking my head. \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The truth tasted strange on my tongue. I wanted to want this. I wanted something easy, someone who didn\u2019t come\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 183\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
with shadows and scars. But all I could think about was Nolan\u2019s eyes the day I left. The quiet heartbreak there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kieran\u2019s expression softened, and he nodded once, stepping back. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I shouldn\u2019t have pushed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d I said quickly, though my heart was still racing with something I couldn\u2019t name. \u201cI just\u2026 I\u2019m still trying to figure things out.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He smiled, but it didn\u2019t quite reach his eyes. \u201cI understand.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The kettle whistled then, sharp and sudden, breaking the tension. I turned to shut it off, grateful for the distraction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I turned back again, Kieran had moved to the window, staring out at the pale stretch of sky.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou deserve to be happy,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cJust promise me you won\u2019t let him make you doubt that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hesitated, unsure how to respond.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI should go,\u201d he said before I could find the words. \u201cYou\u2019ve got your hands full.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c}\u00a0<\/p>\n
He gave me a faint smile and brushed his fingers against one of the twins\u2019 blankets on his way to the door. \u201cTell the boys their uncle Kieran says goodbye.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I managed a small nod. \u201cThank you for coming.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He paused at the door, glanced back once, and said, \u201cAlways, Ellie.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then he was gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The apartment felt heavier once the door clicked shut. The silence pressed in around me, filled with questions I didn\u2019t want to answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sank onto the couch, touching my lips with trembling fingers. The kiss hadn\u2019t been unpleasant But it hadn\u2019t felt right.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was no bond. No spark. No heartbeat echoing against my own.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just emptiness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And in that emptiness, a single truth settled, soft and undeniable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t just feel guilty about Nolan. I didn\u2019t just miss Nolan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I still loved him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2014\u00a0<\/p>\n
far from it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 183 Chapter 183\u00a0 He exhaled slowly, rolling up his sleeve. A pale scar ran […]<\/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-23752","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\/23752","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=23752"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23752\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}