"I… I'm not—"
"Evelyn!!"
My mother's voice slices through the air, sharp enough to draw blood. I flinch and force a smile as her gaze pins me from across the table—cold, knowing, as if she's already heard the words I never dared to finish.
"Can we speak in private, darling?" she says sweetly, though the tone leaves no room for refusal.
She's already standing.
I nod, my stomach twisting, and follow her into the kitchen. The door barely clicks shut before she turns on me.
"What do you think you're doing?" she hisses. "I will *not* let you destroy everything I've sacrificed. Do you have any idea how long it took to arrange this meeting?" Her eyes blaze. "He feels the bond, Evelyn. He's convinced you're his mate."
"But my bracelet…" I murmur, fingers curling instinctively around my wrist. "It isn't glowing."
She scoffs. "That ridiculous legend your grandmother invented? Enough. Stop clinging to fairy tales—you're not a child anymore." She steps closer, lowering her voice. "You will go back in there. You will smile. You will pretend you're in love with him. You're marrying Kale next week, just as we agreed."
"I don't feel the bond," I whisper. "I mean… I feel *something*. He's kind. He's interesting. But what if—"
"What if?" she snaps. "Grow up. This is our last chance to save this family. Kale is a good man, and that is all that matters. You will behave. Understood?"
A heavy sigh escapes me. I roll my eyes, surrendering.
"Alright."
When we return to the table, I straighten my spine and school my expression into something passable. Something believable.
"Where were we?" I ask.
Kale's smile is gentle—too gentle. "I was asking if you feel the bond as strongly as I do," he says softly. "I've never experienced anything like this before. I can't wait to spend more time with you… to truly get to know you, Evelyn."
I glance at my mother. She's watching. Waiting.
Clearing my throat, I force the lie past my lips. "Yes… of course I do."
Relief flickers across Kale's face. His fingers brush mine, sending a faint warmth up my arm, and he cups my cheek with surprising tenderness.
"I'm glad," he murmurs.
"We have an estate in Ireland," his mother, Layla, says brightly. "Perhaps Evelyn could visit—stay with Kale for a while. It would give them time together before the wedding."
My mother nods far too quickly. "That sounds perfect."
Kale's gaze never leaves mine. "Perfect to me, too."
Lunch drifts by in a blur. Cake arrives. Politics, lineage, and old alliances are discussed—our mothers carrying the conversation while Kale and I trade shy smiles and quiet laughter across the table.
When it finally ends, Kale suggests a walk. Privacy, at last.
"Your mother is… intense," he says carefully.
I laugh despite myself. "You have no idea."
He chuckles, then hesitates. "She's probably been through a lot. After what happened with your father…"
The words crack something open inside me.
"He had a gambling problem," I admit. "We knew—but my mother thought she could control it. He hid the worst of it." I swallow. "One morning we woke up and everything was gone. Our fortune. Our lands. Our name."
Kale listens quietly as I continue.
"We sold what little we had left. People stopped inviting us places. We became whispers instead of guests." I let out a shaky breath. "My mother used to light up every room. Now… she's just trying to survive the ashes."
His hand settles at my back, warm and steady. "If it's too painful, we can stop."
"No," I say softly. "It's okay. I've carried this alone for so long. Saying it out loud feels… lighter."
"I'm here, Eve."
"My parents fought constantly. Then one day, he disappeared. Took the last of our savings and vanished."
"I'm so sorry," Kale whispers. He tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "I'm sure he thought of you."
"Sometimes I wonder."
"Well," he says firmly, "even if he didn't—I will. I'll take care of you."
The words wrap around my heart like a spell—warm, comforting. Maybe my mother was right. Maybe the bracelet didn't need to glow. Maybe this quiet warmth was the bond everyone spoke of.
"You have a beautiful smile," Kale says, his gaze lingering on my lips. "Don't hide it."
I giggle as he steps closer. His hands frame my face, gentle but sure. My breath stutters when he leans in, our lips a whisper apart.
I close my eyes, bracing myself for the kiss—
—and somewhere beneath my sleeve, the bracelet begins to heat.