All Chapters of Moon Reaper’s Substitute Bride: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

~CASSIAN~The doors burst open. King Kairos stormed in, joined by his wife and their daughter Seraphina. As soon as their eyes locked onto me, their anger intensified, burning behind their gaze. Why were they angry? Honestly, I should have been the one furious after the manipulative game they had played. The only reason I didn't lose my temper was because I was grateful to Aurora. She was truly the bride I preferred, the genuine choice. They did me a favor by offering me her instead of their real daughter, whose true nature I despised. Kairos's complexion burned a vivid red with rage, veins visibly throbbed at his temples, and his fists clenched tightly. Elowen's lips thinned into a sharp, venomous line, her eyes narrowing with icy disdain. Seraphina. . .What was even that look on her face? Pale and unreadable, it seemed frozen in a mask of indifference, and I could not tell, nor did I care to understand it either. "What is the meaning of this summons?" Kairos growled, his voice th

~SERAPHINA~Mother's hand trembled on my arm as we retreated into their chamber. Father walked stiffly ahead, his face pale and drawn. The moment the door clicked shut, they turned to me, eyes filled with the kind of guilt I had long learned to manipulate."Seraphina, my darling," Mother whispered, pulling me into a tight embrace. "We are so sorry. We tried everything to shield you from this fate. We never wanted you bound to that evil reaper. But the council. . .their wrath would have destroyed us all. This is the only way for our family to survive. We need to think about the Kingdom."Father nodded heavily, placing a hand on my shoulder. "We failed you, daughter. The deception with Aurora was meant to spare you this marriage. Now it has backfired, and you must pay the price. Forgive us. We will do what we can to ease your path. We never wanted it to come to this. I do not know how to council found out the truth but I would make sure to find the person who sold us out and make the

~AURORA~The moment Cassian's stallion arrived, my heart lost control, beating wildly. I didn't think—I simply moved. I ran down the grand staircase, and burst into the sunlit courtyard. Dust still danced around the horse as Cassian swung down from the saddle.I had been waiting for him, every nerve alive with anxiety. The council meeting had dragged on far too long, and the whispers among the servants had done nothing to ease the knot in my stomach. Why was he risking so much for me? I needed answers. I needed him.But the words stopped on my tongue the instant his boots hit the ground.He looked wrecked. Shoulders rigid with tension, jaw locked so tight the muscle jumped. Deep lines of exhaustion and something far heavier were carved between his brows. The sight stole the breath from my lungs."C-Cassian?" I whispered, stepping closer even as my pulse pounded in my ears. My voice came out softer than I intended.His head snapped up. For one slow heartbeat, raw panic flickered acr

~AURORA~Suitcases. So many of them. What on earth was happening?My heart pounded, a wild, desperate rhythm. I needed him. Cassian. Needed his strong arms around me, his rough voice explaining that this was all just some type of nightmare that I would soon wake up from.The council meeting, the danger he'd been facing for my sake, the way he'd looked wrecked upon his return, it all pointed to something bad. And now Seraphina? Here?A sharp knock echoed through the room, cutting through my thoughts. I froze mid-step, breath catching in my throat. Cassian. It had to be him. Coming to explain, why he'd pushed me away earlier and why that woman had arrived with enough luggage to stay for months. I rushed to the door, nearly tripping over my dress in my haste. My fingers trembled on the handle.I flung the door open. "Cassian, I—"The words died instantly.Seraphina stood there in the doorway, tall and radiant, a triumphant smile curving her full lips. Her eyes—all sharp and cruel, gle

~CASSIAN~The sight of Aurora on the floor felt like a blade to the gut. Those wide, soft eyes were red and devastated. A raw, aching protectiveness grew inside me at the sight of her like that. She looked so small. So broken. My wife. The woman I had finally allowed myself to want without the chains of Varkas' blood holding me back.And now she knew. Somehow, she fucking knew that Seraphina was here to get married to me. She shouldn't know this. I specifically asked everyone to keep this from her. I wanted to be the first person to tell her the truth. So then, who had opened their fucking mouth? I stepped inside, closing the door, but my mind was losing its grip. How the hell had the truth reached her so fast? I had planned to tell her gently, to pull her into my arms and shield her from the worst of it. Instead, here she was, devastated on the floor because of me—because of this entire cursed situation. I never wanted this to happen. But Seraphina was only here so that I could b