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
A stunned silence fell over us. Olivia’s eyes widened in horror as she realized what had happened. “Oh my god!” she gasped, frantically reaching for the wig now lying on the ground. By this point, people were watching through the open doorway. Soft laughter rippled through the crowd, whispers sp
Elara Throughout the rest of the evening, Alaric stayed close to me and the children, his presence a silent shield against any further incidents. He maintained a calm, stoic demeanor, but it was clear he was deep in thought about everything that had transpired at the banquet. And I couldn’t blam
They yawned and stretched, rubbing their eyes. Alaric opened the door for us, and I helped them out of the car. “Time for bed, girls,” I said, taking their hands. “Can we stay up a little longer?” Zoe pleaded. “Not tonight,” I replied with a gentle smile. “You’ve both had a very long day.” A
Elara Finally getting a grip, I shoved Alaric away, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. “What are you doing?” I hissed. “Get out!” Alaric hesitated for a moment, his eyes searching mine. Then, without another word, he turned on his heel and left the bathroom, closing the door abruptly behind h
He glanced at her, then at Ella. “Ella, didn’t you say you’ve always wanted to go to the botanical garden?” Ella blushed, looking down at her feet. “I do like the garden, but...” She peeked up through her lashes. “I want to go to the fair too.” Alaric’s gaze shifted between the girls and me. Fin
But I forced myself to stay still. To not react. It wasn’t Sarah’s fault that her death had been faked and she’d been held captive for years. And it wasn’t Alaric’s fault that his emotions were running high. The wife he’d thought was dead had suddenly returned out of nowhere. Maybe I won’t get my
Elara The sound of all the shocked murmurs and the sight of the stunned faces quickly faded behind the heavy door as it closed behind us, leaving just the three of us in the quiet, private room. I sank down nervously onto the edge of the nearby bench, still too stunned to speak or even begin to
My heart tugged a little. I brushed my fingers over the necklace Alaric had given me the night before—a simple pendant, but the meaning behind it far outweighed the sparkle of the diamonds inlaid along its edges. “Maybe,” I whispered, the thought of Alaric standing at the altar enough to send a fl
Elara Somehow, a few months of bliss passed after that fateful night that Alaric proposed. Eventually we began to encroach upon the original six month span of our arrangement, but we barely even noticed. In fact, our arrangement had quickly become a thing of the past. We weren’t constrained by
Elara The door slammed harder than I meant it to, but I didn’t care. Let them hear it echo down the damn hall, for all I cared. Fated mate? Either Asher had lost his mind, or he really thought he could manipulate me into believing him.. I stormed down the corridor, my hands curled into fists a
“I can handle him,” I replied, my jaw tightening. Elara didn’t even flinch. “He’ll talk to me.” I let out a slow breath, running my hand over my face. This was the last thing I wanted—to have them in the same room, breathing the same air. But if Asher was the key to unraveling the rest of this, th
Alaric The cold metal of the watch glinted under the harsh lights of the interrogation room. I held it between my fingers, thumb brushing over the engraved initials for what felt like the millionth time that morning. A.S.D. Asher Samuel Donovan. The watchmaker had confirmed the watch’s owner wit
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