Chapter 268\u00a0<\/p>\n
Third Person POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
The numbers were impossible to ignore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another poll dropped before noon, splashed across every major network and newsfeed in the kingdom. Nolan stood ten points ahead now-no longer a narrow lead, no longer something that could be dismissed as volatility or sympathy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A margin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The accompanying opinion piece was worse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It dissected his recent appearances with surgical precision, praising his restraint, his transparency, his visible devotion to his family. It framed his years of secrecy not as deception, but as protection. Love, recontextualized as leadership.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An alpha who will go to any lengths to keep his children safe, the columnist wrote, is an alpha who understands the true cost of power.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The article circulated faster than the poll itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kieran crushed the tablet in his hand against the desk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The crack echoed through his office, sharp and violent. Glass spiderwebbed beneath his palm, the screen flickering once before going dark. He barely noticed the sting in his skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is ridiculous,\u201d he snarled. \u201cIt\u2019s a performance. A carefully curated lie.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rowan stood near the window, hands clasped behind his back, watching the city below with an expression that bordered on grim satisfaction rather than surprise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPerception becomes reality,\u201d Rowan said coolly. \u201cAnd Nolan has finally learned how to weaponize it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kieran paced, agitation bleeding off him in waves. \u201cThat bastard hid his children for a year and now they\u2019re calling him virtuous for it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re calling him human,\u201d Rowan corrected. \u201cWhich is far more dangerous.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kieran stopped short, breath heaving. \u201cAt this rate, he could actually win.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The words tasted bitter. Impossible. Unacceptable,\u00a0<\/p>\n
This was not how things were supposed to unfold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He had spent years cultivating the image of inevitability-his bloodline, his polish, his alliances.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan had been a cautionary tale, a monster whispered about in council chambers and taverns alike.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now the monster had a family.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 268\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
And the kingdom was eating it up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt shouldn\u2019t matter,\u201d Kieran muttered. \u201cNone of this should matter. Popularity isn\u2019t legitimacy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it does,\u201d Rowan said. \u201cEspecially now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kieran turned on him. \u201cYou said the tide would turn.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it still can,\u201d Rowan replied evenly. \u201cBut not if you continue reacting instead of acting.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kieran dragged a hand through his hair, frustration edging into something sharper. Panic, perhaps-but beneath it, something darker.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because this wasn\u2019t just about the crown anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every image replaying across the screens-Nolan in the park, Ellie at his side, the children laughing openly- felt like a personal affront.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like theft.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ellie should have been his.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The thought struck with unsettling force.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At first, she\u2019d been an opportunity. A symbol. A goddess-touched mate whose presence would legitimize his rule and anchor him to divine favor. A strategic advantage too valuable to ignore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Somewhere along the way, that calculation had warped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, when he saw her smile at Nolan, felt the warmth in those images radiating outward, it ignited something raw and possessive in his chest. A need that had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with control.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had chosen Nolan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And that was the one thing Kieran could not forgive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to remind the people who he really is,\u201d Kieran said, voice low. \u201cNot the father. Not the martyr. The alpha who ruled through fear.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rowan\u2019s gaze sharpened. \u201cCareful.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t let him take everything,\u201d Kieran snapped. \u201cThe crown. The loyalty. Her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rowan turned fully now, studying him. \u201cYou\u2019re letting this become personal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt always was,\u201d Kieran said coldly, \u201cYou just didn\u2019t see it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The door to the office opened without warning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Felicity stood there, framed by the hall light, her expression tight with barely restrained fury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Neither of them spoke immediately.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She stepped inside and shut the door behind her with deliberate care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 268\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been watching the coverage,\u201d she said, her voice deceptively calm. \u201cThe park. The polls. The commentary.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kieran scoffed. \u201cThen you know how bad it is.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I know exactly how bad it is,\u201d Felicity replied. \u201cThey\u2019re parading that family like proof of redemption.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her lips curled. \u201cAs if Nolan has lost his edge and become some soft, gentle thing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her words dripped with disgust. Felicity had always loved Nolan and his cold edge was part of the reason. Seeing him now treated like he was some soft, paternal martyr enraged her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was Ellie\u2019s fault. Once again, she was manipulating Nolan with her pathetic act. Pretending she was some helpless little thing that he had to bend for and baby.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rowan stiffened almost imperceptibly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kieran eyed her warily. \u201cWhy are you here?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Felicity smiled thinly. \u201cTo help.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That gave him pause.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou?\u201d he asked. \u201cHelp how?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBy doing what you\u2019ve been too cautious to do,\u201d she said smoothly. \u201cBy breaking the illusion.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u65e5\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 268 Chapter 268\u00a0 Third Person POV\u00a0 The numbers were impossible to ignore.\u00a0 Another poll […]<\/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-23837","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\/23837","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=23837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23837\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}