Chapter 84

Lewis looked at me, his gaze soft in a way that made my chest ache. There were too many emotions hidden there, things he wasn’t ready to name.

“You’ll understand one day,” he said quietly.

His voice was warm, gentle even, but it wasn’t an answer. And somehow, that made the emptiness in my heart settle deeper.

Later that day, after hours of stiff conversation and thin smiles, the two families finally reached an agreement.

Camilla and Yenik would be bound together.

On the surface, it looked official. But beneath it, everything felt hollow.

The Hudsons agreed to handle the engagement gifts and cover the ceremony costs, yet they refused to seal the bond properly. No formal registration. No permanence. It was obvious they were leaving themselves a way out.

To them, this wasn’t a real union. It was damage control.

Once Camilla stopped being useful, they could cut her loose without hesitation.

The Morrigans had walked into this arrangement thinking it would lift their standing. Instead, they were met with open distrust. The insult was clear, and Vivian finally snapped.

“What is this supposed to mean?” she demanded. “A ceremony without a real bond? Are you treating my daughter like something disposable p>

Fiona Hudson sat across from her, calm and flawless. Her dress was perfectly fitted, her jewelry understated but expensive. Though she and Vivian were close in age, Fiona looked untouched by time. There was confidence in every small movement she made.

She stirred her coffee slowly, eyes cool.

“Do I really need to explain your daughter’s value?” she said smoothly. Her words were sharp, precise. “I thought we understood each other p>

She set the spoon down and continued, her smile polite but distant.”This arrangement wasn’t born from affection. It was necessity. With your family’s recent losses, we’re already showing goodwill by agreeing to this much. But a full bond ties names together, futures together. That’s not a risk we’re willing to take p>

Then she added lightly, “Of course, if Camilla manages to truly connect with Yenik… perhaps even give us a child or two, we might reconsider later p>

The room went tense.

Everyone in the Morrigans family stiffened.

Only a few people knew about Camilla’s condition. If the Hudsons found out now, everything would collapse. Silence was the price they had already paid for the money they’d accepted.

Camilla sat there quietly, hands folded, eyes lowered.

No one asked what she wanted.

She was being passed from one side to another, like property. Like a bargaining chip.

This time, there was no escape.

She had to go through with it.

The date was set for the fifteenth of next month. There was barely any time to prepare, but no one seemed to care. The details didn’t matter. Only appearances did.

As they were about to leave, Yenik finally broke his silence. He didn’t even try to hide his irritation.

“Find your own dress,” he said coldly. “Just make sure you don’t embarrass my family p>

Camilla didn’t respond.

She walked straight into the car without looking back, her face empty, distant.

Yenik slammed the car door shut and muttered angrily, “What are you so proud of p>

I watched everything from where I stood, arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe. It was almost fascinating. Like watching a crack slowly spread through glass.

Two people forced together. Both bitter. Both angry.

And Yenik… there was something unstable about him. His emotions leaked out in sharp, ugly bursts, like he was always on the edge of losing control.

Among the Hale brothers, he had always been the overlooked one. The one never chosen first. That resentment had been building for years, pressed down under obedience and silence.

But pressure like that doesn’t disappear.

It explodes.

And when it does, it usually hurts the people closest to it first.

Julian, unlike Yenik, had managed to keep his image steady especially now that he was with Sera. From the outside, they looked calm, almost harmonious. Sera carried herself with quiet grace. She spoke softly, never pushed for anything, and even suggested skipping a ceremony altogether. A simple registration, she said, was enough.

That alone earned her favor with the Hales.

She looked gentle. Reasonable. The kind of mate elders liked easy to manage, easy to accept.

They planned to seal their bond the very next morning.

Before that, Sera pulled me aside. Her eyes shone as she thanked me again and again, her hands clasped tightly like she was holding onto hope itself.

I didn’t believe a word of it.

Her politeness was flawless. Too flawless. Still, I smiled and played along.

“Sera,” I said lightly, “you’re walking into this fully aware, right? Julian doesn’t love you. Are you sure this is what you want p>

She didn’t even pause.

“Riley,” she said softly, “I finally get to stand beside the man I’ve loved for years. I won’t regret this p>

That was when it truly sank in.

A bond is like a wall. Those outside press their faces against it, desperate to get in. Those inside spend their days searching for cracks.

After she left, I started handling the details of her bond with Julian.

Now that Jeffrey had acknowledged me, these responsibilities fell to me. It felt unreal planning the union of the man I once belonged to. Life had a cruel sense of humor.

Julian wasn’t stupid. He knew he couldn’t match Lewis not in strength, not in presence, not even in health. So for now, he kept his head low and followed Lewis’s lead.

But I could see it in his eyes.

He was waiting.

Lewis had cornered him in front of everyone. A man like Julian wouldn’t forget that. He just knew this wasn’t the time to strike.

That afternoon, I sat in the tea room. Steam curled lazily from the cups, the air calm, almost peaceful.

Julian walked in.

“Aunt Riley,” he said, forcing politeness.

Lewis sat nearby with a book. He didn’t look up until Julian added, stiffly, “Uncle Lewis p>

I smiled. Warm. Proper.

“Julian,” I said, “you look tired. Sit. Rest a bit p>

My tone was gentle, but his shoulders tightened. He sat anyway.

I went straight to business. “Your father asked me to handle the arrangements. It won’t be grand, but the Hudsons value appearances. We can’t afford mistakes. That includes where you’ll live after the bond. Do you want to stay in the house you shared with Elena, or move somewhere new p>

Even saying it felt absurd.

Julian’s voice dropped. “A new place. That house… Elena designed it. I won’t let anyone else live there p>

I raised an eyebrow, a faint smile touching my lips.

“Oh?” I said. “Now you’re playing the devoted one? But weren’t you tangled up with Camilla in that same house on your bonding night? If that didn’t feel wrong to you then, why pretend now? Elena is gone. What difference does it make p>

Bang.

Julian slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet. His eyes were wide, sharp, burning.

“How do you know it was the new house?” he demanded.

The room went still.

And in that silence, I knew

I had hit something raw.