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

I’m not sure what to make of it. She and I… I’m not sure what the future holds for us, but I’m
starting to wonder what the next three years will be like. I thought she’d want to keep her distance,
that she’d push me toward Hannah, but the way she just touched me… it was intimate in a way I
didn’t expect.
“Ares!”
I look up when Hannah rushes toward me the moment I step into the private dining room she
arranged. She wraps her arms around my neck and rises to her tiptoes, her lips brushing against mine
for a split second before I manage to push her away. “Don’t,” I snap, wiping my lips with the back of
my hand.
Confusion flickers through her eyes. “Ares… please don’t be mad at me.”
I walk past her and take a seat, not bothering to pull out her chair for her like I usually would.
Hannah stares at me for a moment before joining me at the table.
“Ares…”
“Where were you?” I ask her. “On our wedding day, where were you?”
She looks away and wraps her arms around herself, her eyes filling with tears. “I genuinely didn’t
think they’d make Raven do this,” she says, her voice trembling. “I’d just landed my dream role, and I
was just trying to stall. I thought this would be the only way to do it. So long as you weren’t involved,
your grandmother wouldn’t punish you for my actions.”
I lean back in my seat and stare at her. I’ve loved her for so many years, but I’m starting to
wonder if that’s only because we forced this relationship. “You gambled, and you lost, Hannah.”
She smiles at me and tilts her face. “It was unexpected, but Raven won’t mind getting a divorce in
three years. This only slightly derailed our plans. Raven and you used to hang out every once in a
while, so there’s no reason we can’t do the same. No one needs to know.”
I cross my arms and smile humorlessly. “Are you asking me to cheat on my wife with you? You
want to be my mistress, Han?”
Her eyes flash with anger. “She isn’t really your wife,” she snaps. “Besides, it’s not like Raven
will mind. Or are you planning to remain celibate for three years?”
My thoughts involuntarily turn back to the dream I had last night. No, there’s no way I’m staying
celibate. “Hannah. You’ve always known that marriage is sacred in the Windsor family, and I’m no
exception. I won’t cheat on my wife, regardless of who she is. I’ll treat her with the respect she
deserves. You chose to walk away from us, and Raven and I were left to deal with the consequences.”
“I messed up, Ares. I know I did… but this… you and I have been together for as long as I can
remember. I don’t understand. Are you seriously telling me you want to be with my sister in that
way?”
I run a hand through my hair. “No,” I tell her. “I’m telling you that you can’t have your cake and
eat it, too. You made your choice, so you’ll live with the consequences. Maybe, you and I can be
together in three years, or maybe we’ll realize that our relationship was over long before you walked
away. I honestly don’t know, Han. What I do know is that I’m done humoring you.”
“Ares, what does that even mean?”
“It means that we’re over. The moment I married Raven, you became my sister-in-law, whether
you like it or not.”
She stares at me, wide-eyed. “Ares, I know you’re mad, but don’t do this.”
I shake my head. “I didn’t do this, Hannah. You did.”
She reaches for my hand and entwines our fingers. “Ares, I don’t want to lose you. Please, give
me a chance to make this right. Please, honey. This… can’t you see how insane this all is? I can’t lose