Chapter 44ShannonI stayed by the window for a long time, watching the two of them walk through the garden like a perfect couple in a romantic movie. Lisa was laughing, her hand still wrapped around Evanâs arm. He didnât pull away. He never did. I could see her tilt her head towards him, whispering something that made her smile wider. He said nothing, just nodded slightly as they walked past the rose trees.My heart hurt so badly I pressed my palm against my chest, as if that could stop the pain from spilling out.Then, out of nowhere, the door creaked open behind me.I turned quickly.It was one of Evanâs guardsâthe tall one with a scar across his chin. He didnât even look at me properly. He just threw something at me.It landed at my feet with a dull sound.I took a quick look at the floor, and my mind spinned when I saw an apron lying there.âGet dinner prepared before sunset,â he ordered, his voice sharp and cold.I blinked. âDinner?âHe narrowed his eyes. âYou heard me. The Wol
Chapter 43ShannonEvan was still standing there when the door opened again.At first, I thought it was another guard or maybe Owen coming back to say sorry. But the moment I saw who it was, my heart froze.It was Lisa.She was tall, beautiful, and dressed in a long silver gown that sparkled under the soft light. Her golden hair was tied neatly, and her lips were painted bright red like fresh blood. Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked in, her chin high, her eyes sharp.But what shocked me most wasnât how she looked â it was what she did next.Without even saying a word, she walked straight to Evan and kissed him.Right there⊠in front of me.The sound of her lips pressing against his filled the quiet room. My chest tightened so hard it hurt. My breath caught in my throat.It was like the world around me stopped moving.Evan didnât push her away. He didnât even look surprised. He just stood there, letting her do it.I wanted to look away, but I couldnât. It was like my eyes we
Chapter 42Shannon The air in the manor always felt heavy. Not like before when I was a slaveâback then, fear filled my chest like a locked cage. Now, it was different. I wasnât beaten. I wasnât ordered around by angry guards. But even in all this quietness, I still wasnât free.Evan said I could only leave when I gave birth to his child.That was the deal.That was my fate now.I had been here long enough to know every corner of this big house. The tall windows, the shiny floors that always seemed too clean to step on. I knew the guards by name. Nothing here was new to me anymore.And yet, every time I saw Evan, my heart still jumped â not because I loved him, but because I didnât know what he would do next.Sometimes he was silent and calm. Other times, he looked at me like I was nothing more than a cage holding something precious â his heir.Owen had stopped talking to me much. He stayed far away since that day Evan almost tore him apart. When we crossed paths in the hall, he gave
Chapter 41ShannonThe morning came too slowly.I didnât sleep much. My eyes were swollen, my throat dry, and my body heavy like I had been crying for days. The room still felt cold, even though the sun had started to shine through the curtains. I could see little streaks of light dancing on the floor, but they didnât make me feel warm.The moment I opened my eyes, I remembered everything â the noise from last night, the laughter, the womanâs voice, and Evanâs deep tone mixing with hers. I remembered how my heart broke while I sat alone in this locked room, begging for the pain to stop.I pressed my face into the pillow. It still smelled like him. I hated that. I wanted to forget his scent, forget his touch, forget everything about him. But no matter how hard I tried, the smell stayed there, clinging to my skin, to my heart.I slowly sat up, wrapping the blanket around my shoulders. My head hurt, and my hands were shaking. I didnât even want to move, but I knew I had to. I couldnât st
Chapter 40ShannonThe night felt endless.The cold wind brushed against my face as Evan dragged me through the woods, his grip so tight it almost cut off my skin. I didnât fight anymore â I was too weak now. Tears ran down my cheeks, but he didnât even look back.âOwen!â I cried once, but my voice was swallowed by the dark. I knew he couldnât come. He was hurt, maybe even worse than hurt. My heart squeezed painfully at the thought.Evan didnât say a word all the way back. His jaw was clenched, his steps fast, his body stiff with anger. His silence was scarier than his shouting. I could feel his rage rolling off him like heat from a fire.When we reached his palace, he didnât slow down. He yanked the heavy doors open and pulled me inside. His guards bowed their heads quickly, pretending not to see what was happening. No one dared to stop him. No one ever did.He dragged me up the stairs, his fingers still digging into my wrist. âEvan, please,â I whispered, my voice trembling. âYouâre
Chapter 39OwenâSheâs not with me,â I said quickly. âShe wanted to come back to the palace, so I brought her back.âBut Evan didnât believe me. He grabbed my shirt and yanked me out of the car with one swift move. I stumbled, nearly falling to the ground.âYou expect me to believe that?â he growled. âAfter you helped her escape?ââI didnât help her escape!â I yelled back, trying to steady myself. âI was trying to protect her!âHe shoved me hard, and I hit the side of the car. Pain shot through my shoulder, but I didnât move.âProtect her?â Evanâs voice was sharp, mocking. âFrom what? From me?âI clenched my fists. âYou donât understand, Evan. She was scared. She didnât even want to stay here anymore!ââLiar!â he roared, his voice echoing into the night. âYou took her! You hid her!âBefore I could speak again, his fist landed on my jaw. The impact sent me crashing to the ground. My vision blurred for a second, stars flashing before my eyes.âEvan, stop!â I coughed, blood dripping from