Chapter 190

Hannah

I returned home that night feeling lighter than air, unable to hide the small smile playing on my lips.

The Luna Council meeting had gone better—so much better—than I could have hoped. For the first time in weeks, I felt like I had a new purpose, a new step in the right direction. The shackles binding me to this marriage and this house suddenly felt lighter, like I could slip out of them at any moment.

But my smile faded as soon as I walked into the dining room.

Noah was sitting at the head of the table with a fork in hand and an expectant look on his face. The sight of him brought me crashing back to reality, reminding me of the cage I was still trapped in—for now, at least.

“Welcome home,” he said, gesturing to the seat across from him. “I made dinner. Join me?”

I hesitated, torn between my desire to retreat to my room and the tantalizing smell wafting from the plates on the table. The aroma of herbs and roasted vegetables filled the air, making my stomach growl despite my reservations.

Begrudgingly, I sat down, the chair scraping softly against the hardwood floor. “What’s all this about?” I asked, poking suspiciously at the potatoes.

Noah had prepared a meal that looked not only delicious but also perfectly balanced. I recognized the exact proportions of vitamins and protein that the doctor had recommended for my pregnancy.

It was surprising—Noah had never cooked for me before, at least not on his own without me asking or cooking alongside him.

“I thought we could have a nice dinner together to celebrate your first meeting,” Noah said as he popped a piece of meat into his mouth. “How was the Luna Council meeting?”

I shrugged, not wanting to tell him too much. So I coolly replied, “It was fine.”

“Just fine? Have you been invited to the council?”

“Something like that,” I said, stabbing various things onto my fork. I took a tentative bite and couldn’t help but let out a small sound of appreciation. It was genuinely good—the chicken was tender and perfectly seasoned, the vegetables crisp and flavorful.

“This is... surprisingly delicious,” I admitted, then caught myself. I shouldn’t be complimenting him, because I knew that there was more to this than he was letting on. “Why did you cook for me? You never cook for me.”

Noah shrugged. “What, I’m not allowed to simply want to make a good meal for my wife?”

My face paled at that word—wife—and I found myself picking at my food, my appetite suddenly diminished.

Wife. The word used to bring me such joy, but it only felt hollow now, a reminder of the chains that bound me here.

And to think that once, years ago, when our parents had announced the arranged marriage that they had been planning between us, I had been… elated. Over the moon. Head over heels.

“So you are going back?” Noah asked, oblivious to my strife.

I eyed him suspiciously for a moment but finally nodded. “Yes. Although I’m not sure if it’s official whether I’m on the council or not.”

“Well, either way…” He raised his glass, and those green eyes met mine. “Congratulations, Hannah. You deserve it.”

I swallowed hard as I picked up my sparkling juice with trembling hands and sipped it. Damn those green eyes—damn those kind words, damn this delicious meal.

What was he playing at? Was he just trying to butter me up? Because if I wasn’t careful, it would work; especially when he looked at me like that.

We ate in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds the soft clink of cutlery against plates. The tension in the air was palpable by now, like a rubber band stretched to its limit. Or maybe that was just me, because Noah ate heartily while I picked nervously at my potatoes.

Finally, Noah cleared his throat. “Hannah, there’s something I wanted to discuss with you.”

There it is. I braced myself, waiting for whatever bomb he was about to drop.

“What is it?”

“You said that you don’t intend to stay with me, even though I told you I wouldn’t sign the divorce papers,” he said, his voice carefully neutral. “Did you mean that? Is there truly no way we can work on our marriage… Not even for our child’s sake?”

Bastard, I thought to myself. He was just using our child to soften me. Well, it wouldn’t work.

I set down my fork, the metal clattering against the plate, and met his gaze squarely. “Yes, I meant it,” I said coldly. “I have no intention of staying married to you, Noah. You locked me in my bedroom and have made me feel unloved for years. Not to mention the fact that you can’t even remember our past, almost like it never happened.”

Noah’s jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek. “Hannah, I’ve apologized profusely for locking you in, and I am genuinely sorry for that. I was wrong, and I’m trying to make amends for that and for everything else. Can’t you see that?”

I shook my head, feeling a sudden surge of anger that I had to shove down. “Apologies don’t erase what you did. You can tell me that you won’t let it happen again all you want, but I’m going to present my divorce materials to the Alpha council. Whether you like it or not.”

“Hannah, please,” Noah said, his voice strained. He reached across the table as if to take my hand, but I pulled away. “I’m trying here. Can’t you see that? The cooking, the time we’re spending together—I want to make this work. For our child.”

I pushed my chair back, the legs scraping loudly against the floor. “Stop trying to use our child as leverage,” I growled, then sighed, shaking my head.

“Look, Noah, I’m… glad you want to be better for our child. But I’m not just a broodmare who’s carrying your heir; I’m your wife, and I’m still an entire person with or without the child. And it’s obvious that you only are pretending to care now because I’m about to give you the heir you’ve always wanted. That’s why I can’t stay.”

“I won’t allow a divorce,” he said, a little too calmly for my comfort. “I won’t let you go, Hannah. I’ll prove to you that I do care about you—”

“If you try to force me to stay,” I cut him off, my voice lowering to a hiss, “then I’ll run away without a divorce. My family in Silvermoon will protect me. They’ll go to war if necessary, but I will not stay with you.”

Noah leaned back in his chair, studying me. If I didn’t know better, I would say that his shoulders slumped with disappointment.

“So there is not a single part of you that will be willing to work on our marriage?” he asked softly. “Not even after I’ve shown how serious I am about getting better?”

“No. I won’t be a prisoner in my own home. I’ll take war over being stuck with you.”

To my surprise, Noah remained calm despite my words being designed to hurt him. He took a sip of water before speaking, his voice even.

“Your family cannot afford war, Hannah. I know your father’s businesses are in trouble. How can you expect your family to start a war if your father is losing money?” He paused, tilting his head back slightly. “And how can you be sure that they’d be so willing to let you end a marriage with someone who could get them out of that financial hole?”

I froze, shock suddenly taking over my anger. My father’s businesses… The room suddenly felt too small, too hot. Who was he to speak about my father’s financial situation? And more importantly, was he really trying to blackmail me into staying?

“My father’s businesses are fine,” I hissed, grabbing my glass of water. Without thinking, I overturned it, dumping its contents over his head. “How dare you threaten me with things you know nothing about?”

Noah sputtered, water dripping down his face and onto his shirt. He looked shocked, as if he hadn’t expected this reaction—not from his obedient little Luna. His prisoner.

“I don’t care what you think you know about my family,” I growled, slamming my glass back down on the table. “I will not be manipulated or threatened into staying in this sham of a marriage.”

Noah opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off, my voice rising with each word. “Save it. I don’t want to hear another word from you. You claim you want to work on our marriage, on yourself, but you’re still the same controlling, manipulative man you’ve always been.”

With that, I turned on my heel and stormed out of the dining room.