During the ride, Zoe stared out the window with wide-eyed wonder, her face full of excitement and curiosity. “Look, Mommy! That building is so tall!”“Yes, it is,” I replied, smiling at her enthusiasm.Ella sat quietly beside her, hands folded in her lap. I turned to look at her. “Are you excited to
ElaraThe two of us returned to the house in silence. The car was eerily quiet without Zoe’s constant chatter, and I wasn’t looking forward to spending an entire day in Alaric’s house without the sound of her voice.As we stepped into the grand foyer, Alaric turned to me.“Tomorrow is the children’s
Elara We immediately returned to the school, where we found Zoe and Ella sitting in the principal’s office. Both girls were sniffling, tears and snot running down their faces. Their hair and uniforms were both disheveled, signs of a physical altercation having taken place. The principal explaine
Elara I gasped, nearly tumbling off the edge of the bed, but Alaric’s swift reflexes saved me. He caught my wrist and pulled me back up with ease. My heart was still racing from the close call, and I found myself staring into his eyes once again. I didn’t know what to say, what to do. I just lai
We all turned to see a man in a neat suit approaching, a nametag attached to his lapel. Beside him stood Alaric, his eyes icy and unyielding. The clerk’s face paled. “Manager! I was just—” Alaric fixed her with a cold stare. “This employee publicly insulted my family,” he stated flatly. “Handle
Elara I entered the grand ballroom, holding Zoe and Ellaʼs hands as we walked together. The opulence of the venue took my breath away—the chandeliers glittered like constellations against the high ceilings, and the marble floors gleamed under the soft glow of ambient lighting. This was the most
Before I could reply, Zoeʼs eyes flashed with anger. “My mommy has a great figure! You just like skeletons!” she blurted out. I couldnʼt help but smile slightly at her fierce defense. Gently patting her head, I looked back at Asher, lifting my chin defiantly. “Fine. Letʼs dance. Then we’ll see who
Elara My heart instantly tensed as Asher’s last statement made all the surrounding eyes turn to us. All around me, the whispers of the skeptical crowd seemed to close in, like vultures swarming a dying rabbit. I could feel my palms growing clammy, my face becoming hot. I needed to escape. Withou
Elara Alaric’s hand was warm around mine, his thumb brushing once against my knuckles before he started toward the stairs. He didn’t answer right away, but the hesitation I saw briefly flicker in his eyes was gone just as quickly as it came. Whatever had been holding him back just moments ago se
His gaze snapped up, sharp as a dagger. “He’s not who you think he is, Elara.” “And maybe he’s not who you think he is either.” Alaric exhaled sharply, as if trying to keep his patience in check. “You don’t know him like I do, Elara. You didn’t grow up with him. You didn’t see what he was capabl
Elara “Smile, Mommy! Smile, Daddy! Please!” My breath caught at the sound of those words, all the heat in my chest suddenly cooling like a flame snuffed out. Smile. Our little ritual. The one thing that had always, always, cheered me up when things couldn’t possibly seem to get worse. Some
“How… How much do you remember?” I found myself asking, bracing myself for the response. He merely shrugged and stood, tossing the sandwich in the nearby trash can. “I just told you not to worry about it.” But I did worry. I worried about a lot of things when it came to him—the way he shut me ou
Elara Alaric’s arm tightened instinctively around my waist, his hand pressing firm against the small of my back. I stared up at him, my breath caught somewhere between my lungs and throat. I couldn’t tell if the thudding pulse in my ears was his or mine, the bond flaring unexpectedly between us af
It wasn’t long, however, before they decided to take matters into their own hands. “Family game night!” Zoe announced one evening, practically dragging Alaric from his study and into the living room. Ella followed close behind, grinning up at him expectantly. “You promised, Daddy.” For a brief
Elara When I returned home that night, Alaric wasn’t in bed. Not that I expected him to be; when I pulled into the driveway, I could see his light on inside his study, indicating that he was likely up late working. Knowing him and the nature of this most recent problem, he’d spend all night in his
But in my fear, I had hurt Elara badly. Even if it wasn’t a curse, I was becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy and harming the people I cared for. I squeezed my eyes shut, swallowing the lump in my throat, and instinctively reached out toward the bond just to see if she was there. Of course, I felt
Alaric I’d been pacing relentlessly in my office for what felt like hours now, my mind whirling. But surprisingly, despite everything—despite the attempted arranged marriage to Emily, my mother’s false promises, the Harrington pulling out of several business ventures—my mind was elsewhere tonight.