DYLAN\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The ride back to the city was painfully silent. The kind that pressed against my chest until I could barely breathe. The hum of the engine was the only sound filling the air, and even that seemed muted beneath the heavy tension between us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles pale, the faint flex of muscle along his forearm catching my eye. His face was unreadable. The same face I\u2019d seen when he was dealing with his men or making cold, calculated decisions. But now, that expression was directed at the empty stretch of road ahead\u2026 and I hated that it wasn\u2019t on me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I bit my lip, glancing out the window to distract myself. The city skyline was slowly coming into view, but instead of comfort, it brought an ache in my chest. It meant that whatever ragile bubble we had in that safe house\u2013the closeness, the warmth, the illusion of peace\u2013was gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hadn\u2019t said a word since we left. Not one.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And though I knew exactly why, I still wished he would just yell, curse, or even glare at me\u2013anything but this quiet distance that felt colder than winter air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stole another look at him. His jaw was still tight, his profile sharp and tense. Even without words, his silence screamed louder than any anger could.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed hard. He\u2019s mad\u2026 I know he is. But still, I needed to hear it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you mad at me?\u201d I finally asked, my voice softer than I intended.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes didn\u2019t leave the road. He let out a long exhale, slow and steady, before speaking in that deep, controlled tone that always sent a strange mix of comfort and fear through me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMad?\u201d he repeated. \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart sank.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He paused, his grip on the wheel loosening slightly before he added, \u201cAt you? Never.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The words should have eased me, but instead, they made my chest tighten. I swallowed hard, the words pressing against my throat, begging to come out. The silence was unbearable now, thick and heavy. My fingers fidgeted with the hem of my dress, and I caught myself glancing at him again\u2013his jaw was still clenched, the muscles twitching every few seconds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHunter\u2026\u201d I started softly, almost afraid to break the quiet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t respond, his gaze still locked on the road. I could see the reflection of passing streetlights flickering in his eyes, cold and distant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t mean to upset you,\u201d I said, my voice barely above a whisper. \u201cIt\u2019s just\u2026 everything\u2019s happening too fast. I\u2019m still trying to catch up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nothing. No flicker of emotion. Not even a glance in my direction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
risked your\u00a0<\/p>\n
life\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a deep breath and forced myself to continue. \u201cYou\u2019ve been nothing but kind to me. You protected me, for me\u2026 and I know I should be grateful. I am grateful. But marriage\u2026\u201d My voice wavered as I looked down at my hands. \u201cMarriage feels like a cage right now. And I just got out of one.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t say a word, but I noticed the way his knuckles turned white against the steering wheel, his grip tightening with every passing second.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease, just say something\u2026\u201d I murmured, my voice small, trembling with frustration and worry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
DEC 20\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 40\u00a0<\/p>\n
71%8\u00a0<\/p>\n
13 vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the only response I got was silence thick, heavy, and dealering it stretched on and on until the weight of it presser against my chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, I exhaled shakily, a sigh of surrender slipping past my life. I leaned back against the seat, letting my body sink into the leather, drained and defeated. The hum of the engine filled the space between us, but it couldn\u2019t drown out the ache in my chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The rest of the drive felt endless. I watched through the window my stomach tightening with each turn we took. I thought we were heading back to his house. Maybe I could hide in my room, give him space to cool off, and finally breathe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But my heart dropped when the car slowed to a stop\u2013not in front of his gate, but in front of a tall, white building with glass doors and an official\u2013looking scal glinting above the entrance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I frowned. \u201cHunter\u2026 why are we here?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t answer. He simply unbuckled his seatbelt, stepped out, and came around to open my door. His expression was unreadable, too calm\u2013and that scared me more than his anger ever could.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHunter,\u201d I tried again, my voice hesitant as I stepped out, \u201cI\u2019m asking you, why are we here?\u201d I repeated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t look at me. Instead, he took my hand and led me toward the courthouse doors. My feet stumbled to keep up with his long strides. \u201cHunter, talk to me!\u201d I demanded, tugging against his hold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stopped only when we reached the counter inside. The clerk behind the glass window looked up from her computer, offering a polite smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, sir. How can I help you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart pounded in my chest as Hunter looked her straight in the eye and said, calm and confident, \u201cWe\u2019re here to register our marriage.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I froze. My breath caught in my throat, and for a second, I thought I must\u2019ve misheard him. \u201cWh\u2013What did you just say?\u201d I stammered, looking up at him with wide eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The clerk blinked in surprise, glancing between us. But Hunter didn\u2019t flinch, didn\u2019t even waver. His arm tightened around my waist possessively, keeping me close.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI said,\u201d he repeated, his voice steady and low, \u201cwe\u2019re here to make it official.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt my world tilt. My mind raced, my pulse thundered in my ears. \u201cHunter, you can\u2019t just-!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned his head slightly, his lips brushing my ear as he whispered, \u201cWatch me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I jerked out of his hold, my pulse hammering in panic. \u201cHunter, stop this!\u201d I hissed under my breath, my voice trembling. \u201cYou can\u2019t just drag me into a courthouse and decide we\u2019re getting married! This isn\u2019t how things work!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned to me slowly, his expression maddeningly calm, but I could see the fire flickering in his eyes\u2013stubborn, unyielding, dangerous. \u201cIt\u2019s exactly how things work when I\u2019ve made up my mind,\u201d he replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gaped at him, completely thrown. \u201cAre you even listening to yourself? You can\u2019t force someone into marriage!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s jaw tightened. He lowered his head slightly, leaning close enough that I could feel the warmth of his breath against my cheek. \u201cI\u2019m not forcing you, Dylan. I\u2019m just\u2026 doing what I should\u2019ve done a long time ago.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart thudded painfully in my chest. \u201cYou\u2019re out of your mind,\u201d I whispered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He smirked faintly, that dangerous curve of his lips that both infuriated and disarmed me. \u201cMaybe. But I\u2019d rather lose my sanity than lose you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
71%\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 40\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a shaky step back, shaking my head. \u201cYou can\u2019t do this. I\u2019m not ready for this, Hunter. You don\u2019t just walk in and- Before I could finish, he turned toward the clerk again and slid s identification across the counter. \u201cPrepare the papers,\u201d he said firmly. \u201cShe\u2019ll sign them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t!\u201d I shouted, grabbing his arm, my voice catching with frustration and disbelief. \u201cYou can\u2019t force me to marry you!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He smirked, the kind of smirk that screamed triumph. \u201cOf course, I can\u00a0<\/p>\n
little dove.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My throat went dry, words tangled somewhere between disbelief and fury. \u201cThis marriage will be null and void, Hunter. Nobody in their right mind will believe this is even legal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He took a slow step forward, and I instinctively took one back. His shadow over me as he tilted his head, his lips curving into something dark, almost dangerous. \u201cAnd who\u2019s brave enough to oppose me?\u201d he said, his voice low, rich, and rough around the edges.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked rapidly, my stomach twisting. Can he really do this? Can he just walk into a courthouse, snap his fingers, and make something like this real? What happened <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Alchemist of Broken Dreams by Sienna Rose Blackwell 40 DYLAN\u00a0 \u00a0 The ride back to the city was painfully […]<\/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":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-alphas-golden-cage-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24391","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=24391"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24391\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}