Chapter 16 : Betrayal

Lawrence's POV

Sitting on the throne, silence hung thick in the air, it seemed like a heavy blanket over the room. My lips remained sealed, the weight of unspoken words pressing down. Silence enveloped the entire vicinity.

The elders, before me, waited with bated breath for my response to the request they had made.

They wanted me to reunite with Bella, the mother of Frank, whose paternity had been irrefutably confirmed by a DNA test. They demanded I remarry her, to seal our union as true mates, thus enabling the rites for the birth of an heir to proceed.

The rite needed to be performed as the mouthpiece of the moon goddess has confirmed the calamity that awaits the failure of performing it.

Finally, breaking the suffocating silence, I declared, "I will not marry Bella." The words echoed through the chamber, each syllable a defiant note against the ancient expectations that bound us.

"Why must I bind myself to someone I do not love?" I continued, my voice firm and clear. The elders exc