Royally Bounded

Chapter 12

Hayden

"I cheated on your during wedding night?" A cold laugh left my lips. "Double check your facts before accusing me for something I would never do."

"Since when did you hear a criminal admitting their crimes once they're captured?" She asked sharply. "What makes you think I can even trust you?"

"Then why the fuck are you here? You're the one who chose to accept this marriage."

She instantly fell silent and couldn't even answer back. It was fucking ridiculous for her to throw her anger at me. What made it more stupid was how I went to take her away from Arnaldo when it wasn't even my damn business.

What the hell was even wrong with me?

"Because I did trust you..." She emphasized the tense. Her fingers tightened around the cloth of the towel, and her blue eyes stared dead at me. "Remember when I told you about what Ivor said? He also said that you rarely do anything impulsive. The fact that you came out to save me from Prince Arnaldo says a lot about your character."

"Don't give me that bullshit," I scoffed dryly. I heard this too many times from everyone around me. "I'm not a hero, Clara. For me, everything comes with a price."

"If you wanted to hurt me, I don't think you would have waited until now."

I kept my mouth shut, turning my head to one side to avoid her eyes. The blue irises kept luring me in as if her gazes could cast trap spells. She was so innocent, the purity that pissed me off whenever I saw her. I hated how I turned uncontrollable. We were only strangers, but she had to interrupt my life every damn time. It was fucking annoying.

"Head out for dinner," I remarked plainly and turned my way out of the door.

I headed out to the hallway and stopped at my steps. My eyes glared over at the white wall as I pressed my palms against the surface. My head dipped down, my eyes shutting tight. The frustration rose in my blood as her voice replayed in my mind.

"Because I did trust you."

"That fact that you came out to save me from Prince Arnaldo says a lot about your character."

"If you wanted to hurt me, I don't think you would have waited until now."

"Fuck!" I cussed, smacking my hand hard on the wall, allowing the pain to swallow the rage inside of me.

I never wanted to be pulled into this mess, and I hated what I brought upon myself. We had no choice to be bounded because I did a stupid decision while I was drunk. No, it was the impulsive drive that controlled me. I should have just stayed back and allowed her to suffer under Arnaldo.

I sat at the head of the table for dinner. My eyes lingered over at the spot to my right, a set of dining ware beside me. In the past, it had always been only me in this room. Ivor would come occasionally, but to have another permanent spot taken, it was strange as hell.

The footsteps sound echoed, and from the corner of my eyes, I saw Clara entering the dining room. She settled down in silence, wearing a black romper with floral prints on the fabric. The sleeves were off from her shoulders, displaying her deep collarbone.

Rueben and Violet placed the dishes in front of us and left quietly. The chefs cooked roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and some steamed vegetables. They drizzled the gravy sauce like some fucking artwork which was pointless after you eat everything down to your stomach.

"This is dinner?" Clara was the first to clear the silence. Her blue eyes widened with amazement as she looked down. "I can't finish this."

"No one is forcing you to finish," I muttered.