The-Wrong-Bride-Ares--Raven’s-story-(Maura,-Catharina)_bibis

come?” She hesitates for a moment. “You’ll be part of our child’s life too. I want you to feel included.
The four of us are going to be a family, after all.”
I look up at her, my heart bleeding. “Sounds great,” I force myself to say.
“It’s odd, isn’t it? The way all the pieces fell back into place. It’s almost as if destiny is
intervening, showing us all that Ares and I are meant to be together. The only puzzle piece that’s out of
place is you.” Her eyes widen, and then she smiles. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. That came out
all wrong.”
She looks away and pops a strawberry into her mouth, chewing slowly. “I wonder how he’ll feel
once our child starts asking why Mommy and Daddy can’t live together. There are so many questions
going through my mind, you know? What will it be like when we need to attend parent-teacher
meetings? Will all three of us go? And what about the immediate future? Are you both going to be
there when I go into labor? Are you going to wake up in the middle of the night and help with nightly
feeds?”
She runs a hand through her hair. “I know that I haven’t been myself recently, but this pregnancy
makes me see everything through fresh eyes. Nothing matters more than the wellbeing of my child,
Raven.” She pauses. “You wouldn’t understand.” She looks up apologetically. “I guess you never
will. Ares always said he only wanted one child, after all.”
I stare at her, weary, right down to my battered soul. “Hannah,” I say, my voice soft. “I don’t have
any answers for you, but then again, it isn’t answers you want from me, is it? Why don’t we stop
playing games? I hear you, Han. You think I’m obstructing the happy family you would’ve had if I
hadn’t married Ares, and maybe I am. But even if I walk away now, you can’t go back to what you
used to have. Can’t you see that he loves me?”
She smiles and drops the act, viciousness entering her eyes. “I can see that he’s infatuated. It’ll
pass. The love he thinks he feels for you won’t surpass the love he’ll direct toward his child. Ares is
a man of honor, and he’s going to do whatever it takes to give his child the life it deserves. What do
you think that’ll mean for you?”
I shake my head. “How is this even supposed to work? Are you going to admit to the whole world
that you slept with your sister’s husband? Are you truly willing to risk your reputation?”
She grins at me. “Why wouldn’t I? After all, I’ve got years’ worth of evidence proving that it’s me
he dated. If I spin a tale about how we were ruthlessly torn apart because of the Windsor family’s
rules, the media will paint a picture of two star-crossed lovers.”
My heart starts to pound at the mere thought of it. “This is going to turn into a huge scandal,
Hannah. How is that supposed to benefit any of us?”
She shrugs. “I know, but I won’t let my child grow up as a dirty secret. He or she will be a
Windsor, after all. I won’t let Ares hide our baby. If not for you, we’d be able to raise our son or
daughter together.” She looks away. “If you leave quietly and allow us a chance to revive our
relationship, I’ll keep my silence too. I’ll retire, and soon enough, no one is going to care that I had a
child, let alone who the father might be. My baby will be able to grow up with both parents, in a
loving home. Ares has enough connections to ensure your career won’t be impacted. We’ll keep the
rumors to a minimum.”
Grandma’s words are still resounding through my mind. Hannah won’t let him leave her
clutches, and the new bonds between them can’t be broken.
“No,” I tell her. “I’m not going anywhere, and the sooner you accept that, the sooner we can figure
out how to handle the PR surrounding your pregnancy. Hannah, no matter what you do, you won’t be
able to sway Ares. There’s a lot I’m uncertain about, but the love between us isn’t one of those things.