Chapter 8

Her reasoning was garbage, but she was right about one thing.

Even if it wasn't her, it would have been someone else.

Within a day, furious tribe members had her account shut down.

But I'd already saved everything.

The Shadow-Walker I'd hired was efficient.

He sent back memory crystals filled with footage of their trysts.

Every night they were on "patrol," they'd book adjacent rooms and only use one.

And Kane, to avoid any suspicion, would call me on our mental link right on schedule.

He was a natural-born actor.

If I hadn't seen that forum, I would have walked blindly into that ceremony.

But maybe it wouldn't have gone so smoothly anyway.

After all, Lyra had another "surprise" in store for me…

I sat in my stone house until dawn, my eyes stinging.

That's when I realized the stress had left me with a burning fever.

Kane returned with a feast for breakfast, but I was too weak to even move.

He went pale, his face a mask of guilt.

"This is all my fault. I kept you out in the snow too long the other day."

He gently wiped sweat from my forehead, fed me bitter herbs…

Then he went to the kitchen, skillfully making a nourishing broth.

My parents watched, praising him as the perfect partner.

My heart just ached with bitterness.

He looked utterly exhausted, but his face lit up instantly.

The designer had delivered the ceremony invitations, embossed in gold thread.

"Elara, you have to get better soon."

He pulled out a recording crystal.

"You'll look so beautiful in your gown. I'm going to capture the whole thing…"

I didn't say a word.

I just closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep.