Chapter 26

I set my coffee cup down on the counter when I hear the front door close and walk toward the sound coming from the hallway.

Raven looks up in surprise and freezes.

Her hair is wet, and she’s wearing the same clothes she had on yesterday.

She clearly spent the night somewhere else, and it sure as hell wasn’t here in my bed — where she was supposed to be.

“Where have you been?” I ask, my voice deceptively calm.

“Ares.”

She presses a hand to her chest.

“You’re up early.”

I stare her down, trying not to let her realize how angry I am.

“I asked you a question.”

She frowns and tries to walk past me, but I grab her wrist and pull her against me.

“Where. Were. You?” I snap.

She grits her teeth and glares at me.

“Do you really have any right to ask me that after going to dinner with my sister? Don’t be a hypocrite.”

I pull her even closer until her body is flush against mine.

“I do have that right, Raven.”

My voice hardens.

“I’m your husband.”

Her eyes flash, and she smiles humorlessly.

“You certainly don’t act like it,” she says venomously.

“You went to dinner with Hannah one day after marrying me.”

Her eyes narrow.

“Did you even come home last night, or did you just get in?”

Then she asks:

“Did you fuck her, Ares?”

My jaw clenches immediately as I spin us around and pin her against the wall.

“What did you just say?” I ask through gritted teeth.

“Did I fuck her?”

Raven looks up at me, anger blazing in her eyes… but there’s pain there too.

I inhale shakily and rest my forehead against hers.

“No,” I whisper.

“I didn’t fuck her, Raven.”

I close my eyes briefly.

“Of course I didn’t.”

My voice softens.

“I promised you fidelity, and I always keep my promises.”

I open my eyes and look directly at her.

“Do you really think that little of me?”

She slides her arms around my neck and inhales shakily.

Fuck.

She fits against me perfectly.

“I don’t know what to think, Ares,” she admits softly.

“I never thought we’d end up in this situation.”

She presses her lips together.

“But now that we’re here, I’m not willing to stand aside while you chase your happiness.”

I nod slowly and pull back just enough to look at her.

“I understand.”

I take a deep breath.

“You made sacrifices, and I can acknowledge that.”

I run a hand through my hair.

“Maybe it was wrong of me to go to dinner with Hannah.”

My voice weakens slightly.

“But I thought it would be best to get that conversation out of the way immediately.”

I hold her gaze.

“I didn’t go see her because I missed her or wanted to be alone with her, Rave.”

My jaw tightens.

“I went to see her so I could establish proper boundaries and end things between us.”

Her eyes widen.

“You did?”

I reach up and tuck a damp strand of hair behind her ear.

“Of course I did.”

I let out a small sigh.

“Maybe Hannah and I will find our way back to each other in a few years.”

I shrug slightly.

“Who knows?”

My voice firms again.

“But until then, she can’t be anything more than a friend to me.”

I hold her gaze.

“I won’t betray you.”

I inhale deeply.

“Hannah made her choice.”

My expression hardens.

“And now she has to live with it the same way we do.”

She stares at me like she can’t quite decide whether I’m lying to her or not.

But honestly, I don’t think there’s anything I can say to convince her.

Only time will prove whether I’m sincere.

“Where were you?” I ask again, calmer this time.

“At Sierra’s.”

Relief immediately floods through me.

Of course.

I should’ve known.

“Don’t stay away from home without telling me, and answer your phone when I call.”

She immediately frowns.

“It’s not just because we can’t spend too much time apart.”

I take a deep breath.

“I was worried, Rave.”

My voice softens.

“I know you didn’t want to get married, but you are now.”

I offer her a tired smile.

“And that comes with new responsibilities.”

I fold my arms.

“One of those responsibilities is keeping me informed about things like this.”

“Home,” she repeats, her face twisting with disgust.

“This isn’t my home.”

She looks around, exhausted.

“I’m not even sure it’s yours.”

Her voice weakens.

“It’s Hannah’s.”

I take a step back and slowly look around.

She’s right.

Nearly everything here was chosen by Hannah.

I let her do whatever she wanted, and because of that, I never truly loved my own house.

How did I never realize that before?

“Raven,” I say calmly.

“I meant what I said when we got married.”

I hold her gaze.

“This isn’t what either of us wanted.”

I inhale deeply.

“But we’re married now.”

My voice turns firm.

“And I’m going to do right by you.”

I pause before continuing.

“Starting with an official announcement next month.”

“What?”

Her eyes widen.

“I thought…”

“You thought we’d keep our marriage a secret?”

I let out a short laugh.

“We can’t.”

I fold my arms.

“Rumors about our wedding have already started spreading.”

I shrug.

“We’re much better off confirming the gossip.”

My jaw tightens.

“I refuse to sneak around with my own wife.”

I step closer.

“Besides, do you really think Grandma would let us get away with that?”

I shake my head.

“If we don’t break the news, she will.”

My voice softens.

“This way, at least we control the narrative.”

Raven nods slowly, thoughtful.

“What are you going to do in three years?”

She looks directly at me.

“How will you explain to the media that you divorced your wife to marry her sister?”

“I’ll tell them the truth.”

I shrug.

“I’ll prove that Hannah and I were together for years, but that you and I were forced to marry.”

She studies me silently, and I have no idea what she’s searching for.

“I’d rather keep it a secret, Ares.”

Her voice comes out quietly.

“I don’t want to be the abandoned wife.”

She looks away.

“I don’t want to be the villain in your story.”

I grit my teeth and step closer, placing my finger beneath her chin.

I tilt her face toward mine and smile humorlessly.

“I’m not going to be your dirty little secret, Mrs. Windsor.”

My voice hardens.

“You carry my name.”

I lean closer.

“And you’re going to wear it proudly.”

Raven blinks in confusion for a moment before realization dawns on her face.

She looks at me like she can see straight through me.

Straight through to the insecurity Hannah created in me by keeping our relationship hidden for so many years.

“I only suggested it because I thought it would be better for you, Ares.”

She inhales slowly.

“I won’t hide our marriage if you don’t want me to.”

Her gaze softens.

“I’m not her.”

I immediately let go of her and look away, annoyed at myself for losing my temper.

Why did I always have endless patience with Hannah… yet everything feels different with Raven?

“No,” I snap sharply.

“Don’t hide our marriage.”

I fold my arms.

“I’ll be making an official announcement on my social media in four weeks, and I strongly recommend you do the same.”

I let out a quiet sigh.

“Our PR team is already preparing our statements.”

She smiles and nods.

“Alright.”

Her eyes brighten slightly.

“Just tell me when.”

Then she smiles for real.

“I have a really beautiful photo from our wedding that I want to post.”

The relief I feel at her words is almost ridiculous.

Our marriage may not be real…

But at least it’s out in the open.

No sneaking around.

No excuses.

It’s what I always wanted with Hannah.

Raven walks past me, and I follow her into our dressing room.

I watch her pull a dress off the hanger.

It only took the staff one day to pack away all of Hannah’s belongings and replace them with Raven’s.

Even so, it’s impossible to erase every trace of her.

Everything here was designed by Hannah.

Even the interior of this dressing room.

I never thought I’d want any of that to change.

But I do.

Because for at least the next three years…

Raven will be my wife.

And she made it very clear that she refuses to live in Hannah’s shadow.

So I need to make sure she never has to.