บททั้งหมดของ The King Who Waited: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 10

Chapter One: The Messages She Was Never Meant to SeeThe first message should have been nothing.Just a name lighting up on Darian’s phone while he was upstairs getting dressed.Celeste.For a moment, I only stared at it from across the kitchen island, my fingers wrapped around a cooling mug of tea. The house was quiet except for the rain tapping against the windows and the low hum of the heater. Darian had left his phone facedown, but when it vibrated again, the screen flashed bright enough for me to read the preview.Celeste: I still can’t believe you’re picking me up yourself.My stomach tightened.I told myself not to touch it.I told myself trust meant looking away.But trust had already started dying days ago, maybe weeks, in every unfinished sentence and every distracted smile Darian gave to a phone he suddenly guarded like a secret.The phone vibrated again.Celeste: I missed you, Darian. More than I should have.Something inside me went very still.I picked it up.His passcod

I woke to the sound of waves.For a few disoriented seconds, I didn't recognize it.Then memory returned.The storm.The drive.Silas.Home.I sat up slowly in the backseat of the vehicle.A blanket had somehow appeared around my shoulders.I already knew who had placed it there.Across from me, Silas sat with a book open in his lap. The morning sun filtered through the tinted windows, casting silver light across his dark hair.For someone who ruled an entire kingdom, he looked remarkably peaceful.As though spending twelve hours driving through a storm had been completely normal.As though rescuing heartbroken women from terrible life choices was part of his weekly schedule.The thought nearly made me laugh.Silas looked up.The moment he noticed I was awake, he closed the book."Morning."His voice carried the same calm warmth I remembered.I rubbed sleep from my eyes."How long was I asleep?""About five hours."My eyes widened."Five?"A faint smile appeared."You seemed tired."T

The next morning, I couldn't sleep.For the first time in months, there were no nightmares waiting for me.No dreams of betrayal.No aching mate bond pulling at my chest.Just silence.Peaceful silence.It felt strange.I found myself wandering through Ashthorne Keep long before sunrise, wrapped in a thick cardigan and carrying a cup of tea.The castle was quiet.Most of the staff were still asleep.Only a few guards patrolled the corridors.As I moved through the familiar halls, memories followed me like ghosts.I had spent half my childhood here.Every corner carried a story.Every staircase held a memory.Eventually, my feet carried me toward the eastern wing.The private library.My favorite place in the entire castle.The moment I opened the doors, the scent of old parchment and leather greeted me.Home.A genuine smile tugged at my lips.Nothing had changed.Towering bookshelves stretched toward the ceiling.Sunlight filtered through stained-glass windows.Comfortable chairs sat

A week after my return, the invitation arrived.I should have refused.That would have been the sensible thing to do.The safe thing.Instead, I found myself standing in front of a mirror while Lyra adjusted the sleeves of an elegant midnight-blue gown."You look beautiful."I rolled my eyes."You have to say that.""I absolutely do not."Lyra stepped back."Mother and I spent two hours choosing this dress."That explained everything.The Queen of Valtheris and her daughter together were a force more terrifying than any army.Resistance had been impossible.I glanced at my reflection.The woman staring back looked different.Healthier.Stronger.Not healed.Not yet.But no longer broken.The realization surprised me.Because for days, Ashthorne Keep had been slowly stitching pieces of me back together.One conversation.One laugh.One act of kindness at a time.A knock sounded at the door.Lyra grinned immediately."That'll be him."My pulse betrayed me.Traitor.Before I could respon

The ride back to Ashthorne Keep was quiet.Not uncomfortable.Just thoughtful.The events of the evening lingered heavily in my mind.Darian's face.The pain in his eyes.The desperation bleeding through the mate bond.And the terrifying realization that it no longer affected me the way it once had.Moonlight spilled through the carriage windows, painting silver patterns across the dark interior.Across from me, Silas sat with one arm resting against the door.Relaxed.Patient.Giving me space.As always.I stared out at the passing forests.Trying to sort through emotions I barely understood.Eventually, Silas broke the silence."Are you alright?"The question was simple.Gentle.Yet somehow it nearly unraveled me.Because everyone kept asking that.Not because they expected me to be okay.Because they genuinely cared.I swallowed."I think so."A small smile touched his lips."That's progress."A laugh escaped me.Maybe he was right.Three months ago I would have defended Darian.Ma