Chapter 263\u00a0<\/p>\n
My wolf stirred, uneasy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHas anything changed recently?\u201d I pressed. \u201cIn her routine. Her responsibilities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hesitated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s been working more closely with the elders,\u201d he admitted. \u201cEspecially on trade and logistics. Some of it overlaps with Pine Ridge.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
There it was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I kept my expression neutral, but my attention sharpened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd has she mentioned Rowan?\u201d I asked casually.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lance stiffened. \u201cWhy would she?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I chose my words carefully. \u201cBecause Rowan is pushing harder than usual. He\u2019s making moves that don\u2019t align with Kieran\u2019s public strategy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That got his attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think this has something to do with the election,\u201d Lance said slowly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think everything does, right now,\u201d I replied. \u201cEspecially for people close to us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stared at the floor, jaw tight. \u201cYou think someone\u2019s pressuring her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s possible,\u201d I said. \u201cAnd if that\u2019s the case, she may be trying to protect you by creating distance.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lance looked up sharply. \u201cFrom what?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom being used as leverage,\u201d I said flatly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silence fell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lance\u2019s hands curled into fists. \u201cShe wouldn\u2019t let that happen.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEllie once thought the same thing,\u201d I said quietly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He flinched, but didn\u2019t argue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not saying Isla is betraying you,\u201d I continued. \u201cI\u2019m saying she may be caught in something bigger than either of you. She cares about you and it\u2019s obvious that you care about her. But your relationship is new. She\u2019s probably afraid you\u2019ll judge her for being uncertain.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He exhaled slowly, \u201cSo what am I supposed to do? Back off and let her spiral?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I said immediately, \u201cYou don\u2019t abandon her. But you don\u2019t corner her either.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He grimaced. \u201cThat\u2019s not helpful.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pushed off the desk and moved closer, lowering my voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 263\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou make it clear that you\u2019re steady,\u201d I said. \u201cThat you\u2019re not going anywhere. And you give her space to decide whether she trusts you enough to let you in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lance scoffed. \u201cYou make it sound so easy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt isn\u2019t,\u201d I replied. \u201cBut forcing answers will only make her retreat further.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was quiet for a long moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Ellie ever pull away like this?\u201d he asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t hesitate. \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what did you do?\u201d he asked, eyes sharp now. \u201cWhat was your mistake?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I held his gaze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI assumed her distance meant rejection,\u201d I said. \u201cAnd instead of asking why she was afraid, I focused on my own pride.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The admission sat heavy between us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lance swallowed. \u201cAnd that\u2019s how you lost her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d I said simply. \u201cFor a long time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He nodded slowly, absorbing that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to repeat that,\u201d he said quietly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen don\u2019t,\u201d I replied. \u201cBe present. Be patient. And be prepared for the possibility that what she\u2019s dealing with has nothing to do with you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He let out a breath he\u2019d clearly been holding. \u201cYou\u2019re really bad at comfort, you know that?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A corner of my mouth twitched. \u201cI\u2019m told.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He managed a faint smile, then straightened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d he said. \u201cFor being honest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnytime,\u201d I replied. \u201cJust\u2026 be careful. Both of you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He nodded once and turned toward the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHey,\u201d I added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He paused.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Rowan or anyone else approaches you about Isla,\u201d I said, \u201cyou come to me immediately.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes hardened. \u201cYou think it\u2019s already that bad.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it could become that bad very quickly,\u201d I answered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 263\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t argue. He left without another word.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the door closed, I sank back into my chair and rubbed at my shoulder, irritation flaring as pain lanced briefly through the joint.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The debate. Rowan\u2019s maneuvering. Isla\u2019s distance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fault lines.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pulled up the debate briefing again, scanning the list of participants, the proposed questions, the moderators selected for their supposed neutrality.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A stage like that didn\u2019t just test policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It tested control.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And for the first time since this campaign began, I wasn\u2019t sure whether stepping into the spotlight would protect my family-or paint a larger target on our backs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I glanced at the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellie would be with the boys now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The thought grounded me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Whatever this became-whatever the kingdom demanded of me-I couldn\u2019t afford to lose sight of why I was doing it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ten days.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ten days to prepare for a stage where every word would be dissected, every hesitation magnified.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ten days to make sure that when I stood under that light, I didn\u2019t fracture under its weight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because this wasn\u2019t just about winning anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was about holding everything together while the ground beneath us shifted.\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 263 Chapter 263\u00a0 My wolf stirred, uneasy.\u00a0 \u201cHas anything changed recently?\u201d I pressed. \u201cIn […]<\/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-23832","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\/23832","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=23832"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23832\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}