Chapter 141

Chapter 141
Ellie POV
Kieran didn’t release me from his embrace. For a long moment, we just stood there, the air between us heavy with unspoken thoughts. I could see the calculations flickering behind his eyes, the way he was processing the weight of what I’d said, what it meant.
Finally, he spoke, his voice softer than I expected. “You’ve been carrying this alone for a long time.”
1 swallowed hard and nodded. There were a few people that knew, but I couldn’t tell him that. Not yet. “It’s safer that way.”
He studied me for a moment before saying, “You don’t have to do it alone anymore, Ellie. You shouldn’t.”
I almost laughed at that-shouldn’t. But there was no humor in me left to give.
“You don’t understand,” I said quietly. “I can’t risk anyone else getting hurt. The moment people find out, the boys will become targets in Felicity’s game.”
He took a step closer. “Then let me protect you. Let me protect them.”
My heart gave an uneasy flutter. “You already promised not to tell anyone. That’s enough.”
“It’s not,” he said firmly. “You need more than secrecy, Ellie, you need stability, power, security. I can give you that.” 1
There was something about the way he said it, low, assured, almost coaxing, that made me look up. I looked into his eyes, searching for any hint of deception. I saw
none.
He went on, his tone steady but not unkind. “If you agree to the marriage, I can make sure no one touches you or your sons. No one challenges you. Whatever this chaos is, whatever’s coming, you’ll be protected under my name. I’ll make certain of it.”
Marriage.
The word hit like a physical blow.
I stared at him, searching and found only sincerity and something else, buried deep in his eyes. Ambition, maybe. Or desire. Or both.
“Kieran I started, my voice barely above a whisper. “You don’t even know me.”
“I know enough,” he said quietly. “Enough to see that you’re stronger than anyone gives you credit for. Enough to know that I don’t want you broken by this.”
For a moment, I let myself imagine it, being safe, the boys safe, the constant dread that hung over me finally quieting. It was tempting. Too tempting.
But something in me hesitated. “It’s not love,” I said.
He didn’t flinch. “It doesn’t have to be. It just has to work.”
I turned away, pressing my hands to my temples. I had to make a choice but I didn’t know how. The dream of the
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boys turning away from me and going to Nolan flashed through my mind and it made my heart drop.
Kieran’s voice was gentler when he spoke again. “Ellie… you’ve been living in fear for too long. Let me take some of it from you. Just say yes.”
I closed my eyes. Maybe it was weakness. Maybe it was exhaustion. Or maybe it was the crushing reality that f was out of options.
When I finally turned back to him, I nodded once. “All right,” I whispered. “I’ll do it.”
His relief was palpable. He stepped forward, taking my hand briefly in his. His grip was warm, grounding, “You won’t regret this,” he promised.
But even as he said it, something deep inside me whispered that I might.
Nolan POV
I knew something was wrong the moment she asked to speak with me privately.
Ellie’s voice had that calm, deliberate tone she only used when she was bracing herself for something unpleasant. She sat across from me in my office, hands folded tightly in her lap, and for the first time in months, she couldn’t quite meet my eyes. “What is it?” I asked carefully.
She took a breath, steadying herself. “I need to tell you about something I’ve agreed to.”
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