Chapter 61

~CASSIAN~I was losing my fucking mind.Standing at the head of the hall, surrounded by my people, I had to force the words out like they were poison on my tongue. Every word tasted like betrayal. I could feel Aurora's presence like a brand against my skin, her small frame somewhere near the back, trying so hard to stay invisible while every eye in the room waited for her to have a reaction. My woman. My wife. The woman I had finally let myself want without the weight of old hatred chaining me. And here I was, forced to announce another woman as my future bride while she watched.I couldn't tell her the truth. Couldn't pull her aside and growl that this was all a temporary farce, that the council's watchers were circling like vultures, ready to punish her the second I showed her any favor. They were everywhere in fine robes who smiled too politely, servants who lingered a second too long. Every second of every fucking day they watched me. I couldn't visit her chambers as often a

Chapter 62

~AURORA~The gathering dragged on like a nightmare I couldn't wake from. Cassian remained at the center of it all, surrounded by Moon Reapers and nobles who pressed him with questions and cautious congratulations. I stayed near the edge of the hall, trying to become invisible, but my body felt dull. Every forced smile I managed strained my face. My head throbbed from holding it high, from pretending the whispers didn't cut me to the bone.Seraphina had been circling like a predator all evening, but when Cassian was pulled into a deep discussion with a group of high-ranking warriors, she finally broke away. Her gown moved against the floor as she approached me, that triumphant smile sharpening into something cruel. I never thought this day would come. I thought I had finally gotten away from the Varkas people. Now, I had no choice but to see Seraphina every day. And as long as she was here, I would surely be seeing more of my stepmother. My stomach twisted. I wanted to retreat, to

Chapter 63

~AURORA~I couldn't stay in that hall a moment longer. The weight of Seraphina's taunts, the pitying and judgmental stares, the reminder of her claims about Cassian, it all pressed down on my chest until I felt like I was suffocating. Tears still blurred my vision as I slipped through a side door, the cool night air hitting my flushed cheeks. I walked deeper into the gardens, arms wrapped tightly around myself. Pain radiated through every breath. How much more could I endure? The announcement, the public humiliation, and now the possibility that Cassian had truly turned to her. . .it was too much. I kept walking, desperate for distance, for a place where I could let the sobs break free without an audience. Especially since I didn't want Seraphina to taunt me anymore. It reminded me of old times and I hated every second of it. My heart felt raw, bleeding from wounds I thought had gotten over long ago—because of my husband. Rounding a corner near a fountain, I collided straight in

All Chapters of Moon Reaper’s Substitute Bride: Chapter 61 - Chapter 63

Chapter 61

Chapter 62

Chapter 63