Lyra's POVI hastily swam out of the way before he could hit me. It wasn't that he was large; I just freaked out.I swam to the edge of the pool, and there was a hand waiting for me. I looked up and saw that it was Asher's, as expected. He was the only one out of the pool; Philip was still there trying to swim out. But Asher was standing there already, offering help to me.I took his hand, and with his help, I made my way out of the pool."Thank you," I said to him while trying to squeeze some water from my wet clothes."Don't worry about it," he said."We should leave," Philip said from the other side, and I hastily went to join him.I wasn't running away from Asher; I was only running away from how awkward the interaction between us was. I wasn't used to having him as a friend. I was used to obsessing over him, to acting like a deranged fool, to wanting him to make him mine and never just seeing him as a person. It was going to be hard given that this wasn't my default, but I was go
Asher's POVThat hug wasn't what I wanted. However, I had swindled away my right to want anything from her, lost my ability to make demands of her. She was with Philip now, and she looked happy.He was better than me in so many ways. He was strong, skilled, a good leader, and even a good person. He was all the things I could never be. As I drove out through the back, I couldn't shake the thought off my mind. But no matter how reluctant my head was about letting it go, I knew I needed to think about other things. For example, I needed to think about why Devlin and Kaden were working together and what sort of understanding or deal was existing between the two of them.I wanted to know what was going on, but it wasn't like I could just demand that she told me the truth. The only thing she wanted was Philip, but he rejected her advancements, and somehow she found her way to Kaden.Kaden was a cruel, disturbed man. From what Steven had told me, it seemed like he had suddenly developed a so
Lyra's POV"What do you mean by that?" I asked him, "Why do I have to tell them you're the father?"Philip groaned in frustration. He pinched the bridge of his nose before shaking his head, "Do you trust me, Lyra?"I frowned and raised an eyebrow, "I used to, but you just said something I don't think I can trust. What's going on?""Nothing is going on," he held my shoulders. His eyes darted around as if anxious that we would be getting some company, "Lyra, please, I need you to trust me again. I'll tell you all you need to know, but right now, we have to leave. We don't know if they'll be on our tail any moment from now."I wanted to push him away and refute the idea of leaving with him, but I was wise enough to know that staying would get me killed without a second thought.I did trust him, and something like this wasn't going to ruin the trust when I knew that he was the perfect husband and the perfect father for my baby. There was no way I was going to let go of this rare gem."Oka
Lyra's POV"There's nothing to confess," he said.I didn't refute his words nor did I have it in me to hold it against him. All I wanted to do was reach the destination he had set out for me. All I wanted to do was have this journey come to an end.I was yet to find out what he was hiding from me. Yet to find out what it was that was going on with him. I couldn't even guess what it could be because Philip was inherently a very mysterious man. I didn't know what he was holding in his heart nor could I guess it.I was only sure of one thing as I watched the waves of the sea move to the bright moon that was shining on it.This issue he was keeping from me was something that I cannot guess on my own.I didn't argue with him; instead, I turned to ask him, "so are there any cabins on this ship?" I asked.His expression metamorphosed. From being one of uncertainty and curiosity to that of excitement and pleasure. He surely had prepared something for me.He took my wrist and led me away.I ha
Lyra's POVMy heart was beating dangerously fast; the need to run away was provoked within me. I needed to get away from here as soon as I could. Being in such a place was a lot traumatizing, and I honestly didn't want to deal with any more trauma.However, as I turned to meet the man I had come here with, he seemed unmoving like a hill, stoic, cold, and utterly ferocious. His two hands were tucked into his pockets, and the wind ruffled his hair continuously. His sunglasses gave him the look of undeniable respect, and I knew at once that he was not scared, seeing the army that was waiting for us.His courage or lack of fear made me wonder if it was sane that I was terrified when he surely wasn't.I wondered if this could be a joke, a prank? Some sort of messed-up tradition.The men at the dock were about twenty, but whether or not he was skilled and adept in what he did, he surely couldn't win against all of them. And these ones seemed more skilled than the ones that Devlin had brough
Lyra's POV"I'll show you to your room," Marilyn said, and I nodded my head.I followed right behind her as she climbed up the staircase and then walked to a door in the hallway. There was nobody around, and the place seemed poorly illuminated.I looked around, and there weren't any other persons who used that hallway. The walls seemed to have been cleaned in a hurry; the lights on the hallway kept flickering and then gave out in surrender.I wasn't pleased. I wondered if Marilyn was doing this on purpose; I wondered what was going on here. There seemed to be another force at play here, one that wasn't Philip's and neither was it mine.There was something notable from what I could see, and it was that Marilyn was suspicious, and so was the room she was leading me to.I walked to the door where she had stopped and then opened the door. I was met with a small bedroom; a small bed sat in the middle of the room, and I didn't have time to finish the scrutiny with my eyes when my nose felt
Lyra's POV"I couldn't believe what I had just heard; I looked at him, unable to fathom the reality of the confession he just made. I shook my head. It seemed like my head was filled with air because I couldn't believe that my brain had stopped working for a moment. What other reason could there be that I couldn't understand the simple words he had just said to me?I was fighting against my rationality to not understand and not believe it either."What did you just say?"He nodded his head and walked past me, "I am impotent, Lyra," he said, and his hands found his waist, "I cannot bear children. And I am a ruler. I am a ruler who cannot bear children. At first, I thought the problem was with the wo…""Look at me when you address me."He instantly turned around and met my eyes. I was sure he obeyed before he gave it a second thought because the second his eyes met mine, they fell."I'm sorry," he muttered."What do you mean that you're impotent?"He raised an eyebrow at me, "I am impot
Lyra's POV.I could not stay still in the same room with him anymore. At first, I had been looking to stay in the same room with him, even getting angry at Marilyn for not doing it. But now, I desperately wanted to thank her.She did a good job.It was as if she knew right from the start that staying in the same room with him was not a good idea.Under his scrutiny, I walked out.I knew Philip to be a respectful man, and he didn't chase me because he respected my decision. But having been told this news, I wondered the real reason why he didn't run after me.If he claimed to love me, would he not try to get me to see from his point of view? Would he not battle to be understood?There was only one answer to that question: he doesn't love me, and that's why he isn't affected by anything. That's why it doesn't bother him because he doesn't actually care about me.I walked back to the room Marilyn had showed me. I didn't have it in me to fight anymore. I walked to the curtains and pulled