Semua Bab Contractually Married my ex-mate's father: Bab 101 - Bab 110

Chapter One Hundred and TwoAria“Say it again.” The room didn’t just go quiet, it froze.I felt it in the air, in the way every movement stalled mid breath, and in the way the candle flames seemed to steady instead of flicker. No one spoke, no one shifted.The man who’d said it, the one bold enough to let those words fall so casually from his mouth, suddenly looked a lot less certain. I wasn't a mind reader, but I could bet my life he wanted to be anywhere but this table.“Alpha…” he started, but the title came out thinner than before. He sounded careful now, like if he dared to breathe wrong, Zane would have his head, and maybe, just maybe,he was right.Zane didn’t move, he didn’t even blink.“Say it again,” he repeated, quieter this time and that was worse.The man hesitated, just for a second, but it was enough. His gaze flicked briefly around the table like he was looking for support, for someone to step in, to defuse it, but no one did, because no one was stupid enough to.“I di

Chapter One Hundred and FourAriaI hadn't been a fan of prolonged silence and this one wasn't an exception. It stretched more than I would like and with each passing second, I felt it pressing against me on all sides.Zane didn’t move right away, and somehow, that was worse than if he had. His presence filled the corridor without effort, pressing into the space like something deliberate, something calculated.Then, finally….“Clear the hall.” His voice wasn’t loud, it didn’t need to be, because the command cut clean through the air, and the guards nearby didn’t hesitate. Boots shifted, movement followed and within seconds, the corridor emptied, footsteps fading until there was nothing left but the three of us.Me, Zane and Adeline. My pulse ticked once, sharp and steady, but I didn’t look away from him.“Leave,” Zane added, his tone just as even as before. A part of me had no idea he wasn't referring to me,until his eyes flickered to the other woman in our midst.Adeline didn’t move

Chapter One Hundred and SixZane“Step away.” I repeated the words again, even though I doubted it did too much. I didn’t raise my voice,I didn’t need to, because the words landed clean and cold, cutting straight through whatever had been building in that room. Kieran froze where he stood, his hand still hovering too close to the restraints for my liking.For a second, no one moved, then slowly, deliberately, I stepped forward, placing myself between them.Kieran’s gaze snapped to me, something sharp flickering there. There was a little bit of guilt, but what shone out more was resistance.Of course.“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice tight. “What did you just do?”I didn’t look at him immediately. My attention stayed on the chains, on the space between him and her, on the fact that he’d gotten this close, too close. If I had stayed outside for even a minute, then I didn't even want to think about what would have happened.“Stepping in,” I said finally, my tone even. “And stopp

Chapter One Hundred and EightAriaThe entire garden went silent immediately. Not quiet, but silent, like the kind that hit all at once, heavy and stunned, swallowing every sound around it.My breath caught somewhere in my throat as Zane kissed me, one hand firm against my waist, the other brushing lightly against my jaw like this was natural, intentional, planned,like he hadn’t just detonated the entire garden.Heat rushed through me instantly, sharp and overwhelming, not soft, not pleasant, but confusing and hot and infuriating all at once.Because this wasn’t just a kiss,it was a statement. A public one at that too, and somehow that made it worse. My fingers curled tightly against his chest for one brief second before I shoved at him hard enough to force space between us.“What the hell was that?” I snapped immediately and the silence somehow deepened.Behind me, I heard one of the noblewomen suck in a quiet breath, while another looked seconds away from fainting.Good. Let them.Z

Chapter One Hundred and TenAriaThe kiss wasn't a reconciliation; it was a collision. My fingers were buried so deep in the fine silk of his shirt that I heard the threads groan. I wasn't just kissing him, I was trying to devour the arrogance right out of his mouth.The anger from the garden, the humiliation of Adeline’s smirks, and the sheer, exhausting weight of our contract all poured into the way I moved against him, and worse? He wasn't even complaining. He seemed to want it more than anything else in the world.Zane let out a guttural, dark sound, a growl that vibrated through my teeth, and he didn't just take the lead, he hijacked the room.In one fluid, violent motion, his hands dived under my thighs and he hoisted me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist instinctively, my heels digging into the small of his back.He didn't carry me to the bed. Instead, he slammed me back against the heavy oak door we’d just walked through. The wood rattled in its frame, the vibration rattli