Semua Bab TEMPORARY MATES, PERMANENT CRAVINGS : Bab 71 - Bab 80

Cameron The specialist kept explaining the new protocol. Nadia sat beside me, and Evangeline was on the exam table in a gown that hung off her frame, arms crossed tight like she was bracing herself.“Immunotherapy has shown good results in cases like yours,” the specialist said. “We’d start low, watch how you respond, and adjust. The side effects are manageable—”“No.”“Eva—” I started.“I said no.”The specialist looked at me, then Nadia, then back at Evangeline. “I know you’ve tried many options over the years, but this is different. The data is solid. If you’d just listen—”“I don’t want to hear about data,” she snapped. “Every doctor says the same thing, and nothing ever works.”“That doesn’t mean you stop trying,” Nadia said.“I’m not stopping. I’m being realistic.”“You’re being stubborn,” I said, before I could stop myself.Nadia shot me a look.I dragged a hand down my face and tried to calm myself. We’d been here three days. Three days of Evangeline refusing tests, arguing t

Lisa Evangeline showed up a few minutes later.“Mrs Hartwell, it’s so good to see you. How are you feeling?”My mother stood there for a second, still adjusting to her vision, then accepted the hug.“Much better, thank you. And thank you for letting me stay here. It’s very generous.”“Oh, please. You’re family.”She talked with my mother for a while and played the perfect hostess. She laughed, asked about recovery, and made sure everyone saw how warm she could be. She was being sweet to my mother, but I knew she was doing it to get under my skin. A reminder that she could be kind when she felt like it.Later, when we were alone, my mother lowered her voice.“There’s something off about that girl.”I forced a small smile. “She’s trying to be nice.”“No. It’s more than that.” She touched my arm. “It feels false. Like she’s acting instead of being real. Be careful around her, Lisa. I don’t trust her.”I wanted to defend Evangeline and say she had every reason to hate me. I was the outsi

LisaMy mother was shaking so hard that the chair beneath her rattled, and the sound sent a jolt of panic straight through me. It was the same look she used to get when she sensed something bad before it happened. We weren’t supposed to be here in the first place, and I could feel that resentment sitting in the room with us."Mom, what's wrong?"Her face drained of color, and her breaths came short and uneven, like she couldn’t pull in enough air."Are you okay?"She looked at me, still shaking, and I squeezed her hand, rubbing my thumb over her knuckles. "I’m fine," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.I knew her too well for that. Her fingers were still locked around mine, and she hadn’t stopped shaking.I looked toward Cameron, who was watching us from across the room, then to the man beside him, a middle-aged stranger with salt-and-pepper hair whose eyes were fixed on my mother. A cold thought crept in. Maybe she knew him. Maybe this wasn’t the first time they’d seen each

Two hours after Cameron left, the surgeon finally came out. I was already on my feet before she reached us.Her surgical cap was gone, and red lines marked her forehead where it had pressed for hours. She was smiling.“The surgery was successful,” she said.My knees loosened, and I had to steady myself. James exhaled beside me and gave me a tight nod.“She’s stable,” the surgeon continued. “The eye is bandaged and will remain that way for a few days. We’ll monitor closely for infection and graft rejection. If recovery goes as expected, she could regain significant vision in that eye within a few months.”“Thank you.”James cleared his throat. “Thank you, doctor.”“She’s in recovery now,” the surgeon said. “You can see her soon.”We kept nodding even after she turned away.When I walked into her room, she looked annoyed.Her eye was covered with thick white bandaging. Tubes ran from her arm. Her hair was flattened against the pillow. A monitor beeped beside her bed.“You took long enou

Cameron The moment Lisa said she was pregnant, I thought I would feel relief. Instead, I stood there counting what this would change. She stood in front of my desk with the test gripped in both hands. The council seal sat on my desk beside unsigned reports. The map of Silver Creek hung behind her, pins marking territory disputes I still had to solve.Lisa did not smile. She waited for me to react.“You’re going to be a father,” she said.I nodded. I should have smiled. I should have thanked the Moon Goddess.All I could think about was the council.An heir meant stability. It meant the council would stop whispering about whether I was fit to lead without a child.The pregnancy would silence those who questioned my legitimacy.It should have felt straightforward. It did not.I walked to the window and pressed my palm against the glass. The territory stretched beyond the trees. It was all mine to protect, and all of it expected results.Behind me, she said quietly, “You don’t look hap