Royally Bounded

Chapter 38

Clara

Dinner was being prepared while we sat down at the table in the same spots. After I told Josephine the truth, it felt somewhat better than before, but I could still feel the growing ache in my chest whenever I saw Hayden. I seated beside him quietly and kept my eyes on him. He didn't look back at me, only rolling his sleeves to his elbows.

"I have an announcement to make," Hayden spoke out of silence.

I could feel the chills running down my spine from his cold voice. Everyone looked at him, and he stood straight, staring at his parents.

"I want Maisie to be my second wife," he declared.

I felt like he stabbed a knife straight through my chest, twisting it until I went numb. Tears started to flood my eyes again, and everything around me blurred out. My ears were ringing. My mouth went dry. I wanted to make sure that it was not an illusion. I needed someone to snap me awake from the nightmare.

"What?" My mother-in-law asked, surprised as I was. Everyone stared at Hayden with the same reaction. I was in my seat, completely numbed by the pain. "What's with the decision?"

"Hayden had already spoken to me about it, Emma," my father-in-law revealed. My heart dropped at how he could approve of this. "The news is getting out of hand, and I received a call from King Marco about offering to help us. The only part was that he wants Maisie in the family. Since Hayden is the King of Nascadia, and if he married Maisie, Nascadia will have their full support. Arnaldo and Maurice won't risk the alliance for revenge. If Maisie does have a heir for Hayden, it will do justice to both countries. It's the best decision."

Tears swelled in my eyes, and I didn't believe a word that my father-in-law was saying. Hayden was smart with plans, and I would never doubt his intelligence to save the country. He would never accept what King Marco was proposing. It was only a plan to take Nascadia.

He would never do this to me.

"It's also a way to keep Nascadia safe," my father-in-law added. "When Hayden turns into his son-in-law, the public will keep a close eye on our relationship. When Marco hurts us, his reputation will follow. We won't have any risks. Maisie have also agreed to it. Her wish is that she only wants to be with Hayden."

The entire room went silent, and I could feel it crawling onto my skin. Hayden was willing to accept another woman who clearly had bad intensions. He rather chose to hurt me, stabbing the knife deeper into my wound, and he had no issues with it.

My mother-in-law nodded, seemingly comprehensive about the situation. "If this is how it needs to be, then it's for the best. I will start preparing for the event then."

"How could you just do that to me?" I whispered, barely audible. I turned my head to look at him straight dead in the eyes. His cold gaze had no source of emotion. "Why do you have to hurt me like this? Is this a payback to me?" I stood on the ground as I bit back my tears.

"Payback?" My mother-in-law questioned and glanced back and forth at us. "What's Clara talking about, Hayden?"

"You said enough, Clara," Hayden spat.

"I'm not going to stand here and let you do this to me," I cried, the tears escaping from my eyes. "I have never doubted you. I know that no matter what happens, you will always figure out a plan to fix everything. It'll never have to come down to marrying Maisie. The only reason why you choose to marry her is because you want to hurt me."

He told me that he trusted me, and I understood that he was upset I lied to him, but he betrayed me more than I had ever done. He took my trust and destroyed it the same way George once did to Aunt Lottie. He was no different.