Chapter 288

Chapter 288
Nolan POV
Kieran arrived without an announcement.
That alone told me everything.
Security alerted me only after he was already inside the outer perimeter of the packhouse, his scent sharp with panic and exhaustion, his posture rigid in a way that spoke of a man who had not slept-and likely had not stopped replaying the same moment in his head since it happened.
I had expected to hear from him in some form before the week was out. But it was the morning after the incident at the debate. This wasn’t a diplomatic visit, it wasn’t paying respects. This was something else.
When I entered the receiving room, he looked up like he’d been expecting a blow. He was twitchy, uneasy. His gaze locked on me.
For a split second, he looked exactly like August had earlier that night-wide-eyed, shaken, and uncertain. He looked young to me, despite being the same age as me.
That wasn’t all that I noticed about his appearance. He was pale, his hands clenched tight at his sides to stop himself from fidgeting. Kieran, once so polished and self-assured, looked like he’d seen a ghost.
Or worse.
“You’re here quickly,” I said flatly.
He swallowed. “I didn’t have a choice.”
His words were strained and laced with deeper meaning. I narrowed my eyes as I took in his appearance more carefully, looking for a clue to decipher his meaning.
He looked thinner somehow, as if the weight of whatever he carried had already begun to hollow him out. His
gaze
flicked briefly to the guards at the door, then back to me.
It was like he was expecting someone to jump out at him at any moment. There were only a handful of people who could reduce someone like Kieran to this level of anxiety. I had a feeling I knew who was responsible.
“I need to talk to you alone.”
I studied him for a long moment, then nodded once. “Give us the room.”
The guards hesitated only briefly before withdrawing. The door shut behind them with a muted click.
Silence fell.
Kieran broke first. He lurched forward as if he meant to grab my arm, then thought better of it. His eyes were fixed on mine with desperation, almost pleading as he moved toward me.
“It was Felicity,” he said hoarsely. “All of it.”
My jaw tightened, but I said nothing. I had expected this. The timing, the escalation, the particular cruelty of the attack-it all fit too neatly.
+25 Bonus
But how the hell did he know?
“She’s been in Pine Ridge,” he continued, voice rushed now, like if he stopped speaking the courage would evaporate. “I hid her there. I gave her money. Protection. I didn’t ask questions.”
My hands curled slowly into fists at my sides.
“She told me she wanted leverage,” he said. “Said she wanted to sabotage your reconciliation. Embarrass you. Break the bond publicly.” His voice cracked. “I thought she was just bitter. Vengeful. I didn’t think-”
“You didn’t think she’d hurt Ellie,” I finished coldly.
He flinched. “No. I swear to you, Nolan, I would never have allowed that. I didn’t know what she was capable of! I said she wanted to break you two up, that if she drove Ellie away, you’d take her back. I thought that was all it would be.”
“How could you possibly trust her after what she did?!” I demanded, a low growl rumbling through my words. “After she had Ellie poisoned!”
Kieran froze. He stared.
His voice was a cracked whisper.
“What?”
“The rogue who attacked Ellie while she was pregnant was hired by Felicity,” I said tensely.
“I didn’t know about the poisoning attempt. I didn’t know she was responsible,” Kieran said, his voice rising in pitch. The look of horror that settled over his features couldn’t be faked.
“Nolan, I swear on my life, I didn’t know.”
The words landed heavily.
He was telling the truth. I knew that.
I had kept that information locked down deliberately, contained within Silver Fang. Even politically, it had been too dangerous to release. Now I understood exactly how blind that choice had left him.
And not just him. Felicity may have found other allies. I’d given her the room to lie and manipulate her way into favor and sympathy. My affection for her was coming back to ruin me once again.
“You funded her,” I said. “You sheltered her. You gave her access to your resources.’
“}
“Yes,” he said miserably. “And I see now what that makes me.”
I didn’t correct him.