《Contractually Married my ex-mate's father》全部章節：第 81 章 - 第 90 章

Chapter Eighty TwoAriaPain woke me first,, and unfortunately for me, it wasn't gentle or gradual. It crashed into me like something physical, sharp and pulsing behind my eyes, radiating down the back of my skull in slow, brutal waves. I sucked in a breath and immediately regretted it, because even that hurt.“Don’t move too fast.” The voice was unfamiliar. In the chaos of my mind and the pain echoing all around me, the voice was calm and steady.My eyes snapped open, and I quickly realized how much of a big mistake that was.The world lurched, tilting violently before settling into something dim and uneven. Shadows stretched along rough walls, flickering with the low burn of firelight. The air was different here. It was cooler, damp, and carrying a faint metallic scent that made my stomach twist.I stilled, then I tried to move, but my wrists didn’t follow.A sharp pull stopped me short, the bite of something tight circling my skin. My arms were bound behind me, secured to something

Chapter Eighty FourAriaHunger came quietly..Not all at once, not dramatic, and not loud either. It crept in slow, like a dull ache curling low in my stomach, tightening little by little until it became something I couldn’t ignore, but I ignored it anyway.I sat where they had left me, my wrists still bound behind the rough post, shoulders stiff, and my head throbbing in a way that hadn’t fully faded since I woke up. The dim light hadn’t changed much, which meant time was slipping past me without permission.Good. Let it.If they thought I was going to sit here and cooperate, they had clearly dragged the wrong person out of those woods.Footsteps echoed before I saw anyone. I lifted my head just as one of them stepped into view, a shallow bowl in his hands. The smell hit me first. Whatever was in there was warm, savory, and real food, and my stomach twisted so sharply it almost made me nauseous.A fought a wave of second hand embarrassment as my stomach growled loudly. If he had hear

Chapter Eighty SixZaneThe forest changed the deeper we went. The air grew heavier, pressing against my lungs with every step, and the silence, it thickened. This time, it wasn't natural, like something had reached in and stripped the woods of everything that didn’t serve a purpose.Unlike before, there were no birds, no winds, and not even the faint rustle that interrupted my thoughts every now and then. It was just us now and whatever was waiting.I didn’t slow.Branches scraped against my arms as I pushed forward, eyes scanning everything now, not just the ground, not just the path, but the spaces between the trees, the shadows, and down to the places where something could be watching.Because something was. I could feel it.“They’re tightening the space.” Kieran’s voice came from behind me, quieter now, and a tad bit sharper. He wasn’t just observing anymore, he was calculating, but I didn’t respond.“They’re guiding us,” he added, stepping over a fallen branch without breaking s

Chapter Eighty EightAriaThey thought I’d learned my lesson, and that was their first mistake. I let them drag me.I let my body go slack again,my head slightly bowed, and my shoulders loose like the fight had drained out of me. My steps were uneven, just enough to sell it, and just enough to make them think hunger and exhaustion had finally started doing their job.It wasn’t entirely a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either.“Careful,” one of them muttered behind me, his grip tightening slightly on my arm. “She’s not as weak as she looks.”I almost smiled.Good. At least one of you is paying attention.We moved through the narrow passage again, the air thick and damp, our footsteps echoing softly off the walls. I counted them in my head. The turns, distance and everything that could lead me back to the exit.There were two guards, close enough to control me, but not close enough to stop me, if I moved fast, so I waited.I let them take one step, then another, and then, i moved. It happ

Chapter NinetyAriaBlood coated my hands.I didn’t remember when it started, just that it was there now, warm, slick, and wrong. It dripped from my fingers as I staggered back a step, my breath tearing out of me in uneven bursts.I thought I was alone, until Lena laughed.The sound didn’t belong in a place like this. It was too light, too amused, like she was watching something entertaining instead of standing in front of someone barely holding herself together.She circled me slowly,like she didn't have anywhere else to be. And worse? She didn't have a single mark on her.“You’re slowing down,” she said, her voice smooth, almost thoughtful. “Should I be worried?”I tightened my grip on the knife, even as my hand trembled.“Shut up,” I snapped, though it came out weaker than I wanted.She tilted her head, studying me like I was something fragile she hadn’t broken yet.“I thought you’d last longer,” she continued. “All that fire… all that fight and look where it got you.”I forced my