Chapter 19

The music was still loud and throbbing through the floorboards. Laughter and shouts are floating up, mingling with the clinking of glasses. Liza is doing a good job, making sure no one knows what just happened. Yet in the chaos, I feel cocooned in a strange calm, still wrapped in Nathaniel's arms. I have stopped crying; the tears are now dry on my cheeks, but my heart is still racing as the fear is part of me.

Nathaniel's grip is tight around me, and his breath is warm against my ear. He has not stopped trying to promise to keep me safe. His murmurs are soft and soothing. “I will keep every promise I make, not just to keep you safe but also when I asked you to marry me. Everything I said, Megra, I mean it. I will do everything in my power; nothing else happens. I want you to be happy. You deserve it.”

I pull back slightly to look at him, searching his eyes for any hint of insincerity. All I see is determination—a resolve that sends shivers down my spine. This is not part of our deal a