Alle Kapitel von Contract marriage: I am the daughter of my husband's enemy: Kapitel 81 – Kapitel 90

Elara’s POV, We take him back anyway. Mostly because I refuse to move from beside him until they agree.Varen complains the entire walk.“You’re adopting a bloody corpse!”“He’s not dead,” Milo says.“And Elara needs a friend,” Luxe shrugs, and Varen mutters under his breath. They’re behind me while I drag the boy.“Um, a little help?”“Oh…oh, right.”The stranger remains unconscious the entire time while the four, scratch that, three of us (Varen wasn’t going to touch “rich boy”) drag him through hidden tunnels beneath the mountain. Water drips from the ceiling in slow echoes while lantern lights flicker against old stone walls.The pirates’ underground city slowly comes alive around us.Music, laughter, and smoke. My familiar home. People were yelling over card games and drinks. It still bothers me that I was the only child, but Varen, Luxe, and Milo didn’t let anyone play with me. I remember Milo cutting a pirate’s hand for touching me inappropriately. He’d displayed it for three

Elara’s POV, Later that evening, we escape to the river. Actually, I do, because the tavern became unbearable, and he follows me, saying he’s tired of all the attention. The underground river glows softly blue beneath hanging lanterns while water rushes through stone paths beside the cliffs.It’s peaceful here, and only a handful of people come here in the evening. The boy throws a rock into the river beside me.“Do you really think we can be Adam and Eve?”I snort. “If we were the last two people on earth…”“You’d still want to make out with me. Got it.”“What?” My cheeks are burning. “What makes you say that?”“Oh, come on.” He sucks in his bottom lip. “I see the way you look at me.”He stops and looks at me. I really try to keep eye contact, but I can’t. God, it’s so embarrassing.“Look at you, so small and cute.”“Shut the hell up,” I grumble while he laughs behind me because I continue walking. I try not to care, but it hurts that he probably just sees me as a younger sister to

Elara’s POV, I’m definitely in love with him. This is catastrophic.“You’re staring again,” he says softly.“I’m thinking.”“That’s concerning.”I punch his arm lightly, then touch the necklace again carefully.“When’s your birthday?”“Two months from now.”Immediately, my brain starts planning things. Dangerous things and possibly illegal things.I laugh when I have the craziest idea to take him to the hidden waterfall. Luxe would skin me alive if he found out. He looks at me like I’ve gone crazy, but I can’t stop smiling. Then I stop. Because he’s still looking at me… his eyes glaze over, and I’m looking at him.And suddenly the air feels strange. Nobody moves until I do. Very stupidly.I lean forward first and kiss him. It’s terrible.Absolutely terrible.We bump noses immediately.I panic, he panics. I yelp, moving back and covering my mouth. We both accidentally inhale at the same time.Then burst into horrified laughter.“Oh my God,” I whisper.“That was awful.”“Oh, my God.

Elara’s POV, “Can you leave me alone tonight?”The words hit harder than they should. I stare at him, not knowing what to do because this impossible, beautiful idiot has never spoken to me like that before.“What happened?”“Nothing.”“That’s clearly a lie.”He suddenly stands so violently that the chair crashes backward.“I said leave me alone!”The shout shocks both of us. Silence fills the cottage immediately afterward, and my chest burns painfully.He looks angry, not just angry like he’s terrified of something.“What is your problem?” I snap back.“Nothing.”“You’re acting insane!”“And you’re acting like you can fix everything!”The words cut deep.Because maybe I really do act like that, and maybe I held onto him too tightly from the very beginning.I stare at him for another long second before my own anger explodes.“Fine!” He flinches slightly. “Be miserable alone then!”Then I storm out of the room before he can see my eyes burning.Outside, rain pours heavily through the c

Lucien’s POV, Three days ago~~Mireya calls first.I almost don’t answer.I’m in Prague finalizing a weapons acquisition when my phone starts vibrating nonstop against the table. Dante looks annoyed already, and honestly, so am I.“Elara came here,” Mireya says immediately, the second I pick up. No greeting. No warning. “She was asking for you.”Something sharp twists unpleasantly in my chest.“What happened?”“She looked…” Mireya pauses. “Not okay.”That irritation returns immediately because, of course, she isn’t okay. We haven’t spoken properly in days, and I left like a coward after basically confessing I’m in love with her.Still.“She’s with you?”“No. She left.”I straighten slowly. “Left?”“She yelled at me first,” Mireya mutters defensively. “Then Nikolai told her you traveled.”Silence.Something about that doesn’t sit right with me.“Elara doesn’t yell at people,” I say quietly, then look at Dante, who shrugs. “Does she?”Mireya snorts. “She’s your wife, you tell me.”Fair