“Arianna,” he said, his voice thick with lust. “Listen to me.”
Her lips pressed together tightly. “I’ve heard enough already,” she replied coldly.
“Ye have nae heard anythin', but ye will hear this,” he said.
With a swift movement, he kissed her, pressing her into the wall. His kiss was demanding, strong.
He heard a whimper escape her, and for a brief moment, she kissed him back. But then she pushed him away and ducked under his arm, stepping away.
Ian reached out and caught her arm before she could get away. His grip was firm but not harsh. He guided her a few steps into a nearby alcove where the corridor widened beside a narrow window.
“Why are ye bein' this way?” he asked.
“I think ye ken why,” she sneered. “Or must I write it out in the form of a contract?”
He groaned. “I didnae ken of the clause until recently,” he said firmly.
Arianna stared at him. “And I am meant to believe that?” she asked.
The disbelief in her voice stung.
“It’s the truth,” Ian insisted.
Her eyes flashed with wounded anger.
“Is that why ye were so patient?” she demanded. “Why ye didnae care if the marriage was consummated?”
Ian blinked in confusion. “What?”
Her voice sharpened as the words spilled out. “Because the contract would reward ye either way?”
The accusation struck him like a physical blow. For a moment, Ian could only stare at her. “You think that’s why I married ye?” he said quietly.
Her silence answered him. The realization settled painfully in his chest. Arianna truly believed every moment between them had been calculated. The walks through the forest, the quiet conversations by the fire, the careful restraint he had shown her, all of it meant nothing in her mind now.
Ian ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Arianna, ye daenae understand…”
“Then explain it,” she said sharply.
He opened his mouth. And stopped. Certain truths could not be spoken so easily. If he revealed the full nature of the council’s concerns and the fragile politics behind the contract, he risked exposing weaknesses within the clan itself.
That hesitation cost him. Arianna saw it immediately. Her expression hardened further.
“Aye,” she said bitterly. “That’s what I thought.”
Ian felt anger rise in his chest. “Do ye truly think so little of me?” he asked.
The words came out harsher than he intended. Her gaze did not waver. But she said nothing. The silence between them stretched painfully long. In that moment, Ian realized something that unsettled him deeply. Her distrust wounded him far more than any insult from an enemy clan ever could. He would have faced a hundred blades without hesitation. Yet standing before her now, he felt strangely defenseless.
“I’ve heard enough,” she said quietly. Arianna finally pulled her arm from his grasp. Then she turned and walked away.
Ian stood frozen as her footsteps faded down the corridor. For several seconds, he considered following her, forcing the conversation to continue. But something in her rigid posturetold him it would only make matters worse. So, he remained where he was. Alone in the silent corridor.
And for the first time since this entire ordeal began, Ian realized just how easily everything between them might fall apart. He dragged a hand across his face and exhaled sharply, trying to steady the anger and frustration churning in his chest. Her words still echoed in his mind like a wound that refused to close.
“Because the contract would reward ye either way.”
The accusation burned deeper the more he thought on it. Ian turned abruptly and strode down the corridor. If he stayed inside the castle walls much longer, he feared his temper might break loose entirely, and he would become a tyrant like his father. He needed air, space, and something other than bitter thoughts to occupy his mind.
