Chapter 199\u00a0<\/p>\n
My fingers stilled on the fabric. \u201cForward into what, exactly?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He frowned slightly. \u201cA future together. One where you don\u2019t have to look over your shoulder, or worry about old ghosts.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knew who he meant; he didn\u2019t have to say Nolan\u2019s name for me to hear it in every syllable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t seen him since that day in the park,\u201d I said quietly. \u201cWe haven\u2019t even discussed what it\u2019ll take to make the divorce happen.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know,\u201d Kieran said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s for the best. You deserve peace, not another round of heartbreak. Goddess knows Nolan Silver Fang is only good for causing people pain.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something inside me shifted at those words. A small, steady defiance I hadn\u2019t expected to find filled my chest. \u201c You\u2019re wrong. >>\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kieran\u2019s expression cooled. \u201cI know him. I\u2019ve seen what he does to people. I saw that state you were in because of him. Or have you forgotten when you came to be begging for help, escaping him?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My jaw tightened. \u201cHe\u2019s not the same man he was then.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople like Nolan don\u2019t change,\u201d Kieran said, the edge creeping into his tone despite his effort to keep it light. They adapt. They manipulate. You should know that better than anyone.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
>>\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned to face him fully now, my voice firm. \u201cHe\u2019s made mistakes, but he\u2019s trying. He loves the boys, Kieran. That\u2019s what matters the most. I know that this arranged marriage would be convenient for you, but-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A muscle ticked in his jaw. \u201cConvenient?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d I said, my voice trembling only slightly. \u201cBecause if you admit he\u2019s capable of being better, then you have to admit you were wrong about him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The silence that followed was sharp. Kieran\u2019s blue eyes darkened, his hands curling briefly into fists before he caught himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not wrong about Nolan Silver Fang. He\u2019s a cold, heartless, violent bastard.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kieran\u2019s words seemed to hang in the air between us, charged with the heat of his anger. I felt like I\u2019d been splashed with cold water.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was offended, angry. Hearing him talk about Nolan so sharply made my pulse race with the need to act in some way. The intensity of my reaction startled me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is not,\u201d I said shakily. \u201cHe is not a bastard.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kieran stared at me and for a moment I saw real, unguarded anger flash in his eyes. Then he took a slow, steady breath and ran his fingers through his hair.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c(\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t come here to argue,\u201d he said finally, his tone smooth again but colder. \u201cI came here because I care about you. Because I thought-\u201d He stopped, his composure cracking for a moment. \u201cI thought you wanted the same thing I did.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart twisted. \u201cI thought the same thing. I wanted safety,\u201d I said softly. \u201cAfter everything that happened, I wanted something calm.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can give you that. Nolan can\u2019t. Chaos follows him, Ellie. Everyone who gets close ends up hurt. Is that what you\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 106\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
want for the boys?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you dare!\u201d I snapped, stepping toward him aggressively. \u201cNolan would never let anything hurt our babies!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t be serious, Ellie, you\u2019re smarter than this!\u201d Kieran said, running his hand down his face in frustration. \u201cHe\u2019s a heartless bully! The only reason he cares about the boys at all is because having an heir will make him look good in the election!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not true! You don\u2019t know anything about his bond with them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBond?! He\u2019s met them once!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t matter! They\u2019re his, and he would do anything for them. Just spending time with them isn\u2019t enough. He loves them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stared at me, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes. \u201cNot enough,\u201d he repeated quietly. \u201cYou mean I\u2019m not enough.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not what I said.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s what you meant.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The words hung there, heavy and honest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2026 that wasn\u2019t fair of me. I didn\u2019t mean it the way it came out,\u201d I said more softly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what did you mean? What do you want, Ellie?\u201d Kieran stepped closer to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
30\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, call me when you make up your mind.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the door clicked shut, the silence that followed was vast. The bouquet still sat on the table, its colors too bright against the pale morning light.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sank into the nearest chair, pressing my hands to my face. I cried, but I wasn\u2019t sure if it was from guilt or anger.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t keep doing this. I had to make a choice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
COIN BUNDLE: get more free bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
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A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 199 Chapter 199\u00a0 My fingers stilled on the fabric. \u201cForward into what, exactly?\u201d\u00a0 He […]<\/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-23768","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\/23768","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=23768"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23768\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}