Royally Bounded

Chapter 67

Clara

Heavy steps were ahead of me, and I followed the rest of the family into the living room. Xander dashed into my arms, and I comforted him before I asked Charlotte to take care of him. I had Josephine beside me, holding her hand tightly as we sat down on the couch. Only Hayden was standing while we took a seat.

My father-in-law tossed a file on the coffee table. It smacked against the glass loudly and caused me to jump. I stared at the black file, assuming that it was the background check on Zykov that Hayden gave.

"You clearly forgot that I still exist in this family," my father-in-law said coldly. His gaze was becoming more strict at his eldest son. "Who do you think you are? Just because I passed down the throne to you, it gives you no rights to make any family decisions."

I froze at how my father-in-law raised his voice. It was the harshest side that I ever saw from him, and it was obvious that the personality Hayden had was inherited. His experience made him cold, but his father was a huge influence to how he acted.

"Our name has been carried down for hundreds of years now," my father-in-law continued on, his voice more stern. "You are clear that marriages are have always been arranged by parents and approved by the eldest in our family. It was always the rule regardless of your status. It's done for the benefit of the family and our country. Don't come at me with ridiculous nonsense. You think that you could have easily married Clara without your grandfather agreeing? Your mother and I were the ones who convinced him."

I sucked in a harsh breath, realizing that Hayden would had had the same destiny too. He was once the Prince of Nascadia, and he would had to be paired with a princess, not a upper class woman like me. I was more blinded from the truth than I expected.

Hayden was silent the entire time. I was starting to become more terrified at how unusual he was. He would fight back, but I guessed it right. His grandfather was a powerful influence than everyone can imagine.

I always thought that my mother-in-law despised me because of my class, but the truth was, I was never a match for Hayden. They were the royal family who wanted perfect matches. It had to be about benefits and stability. I was silly to think that I could change everything when my own husband had no control of his life too.

"I don't care what research you've done," my father-in-law pointed at the file. "It's a form of disrespect when you do stupid acts like this. I don't want to use the family punishment on you, Hayden."

Family punishment?

Hayden let out a dry scoff as he slowly raised his head, staring dead right at his father. I gulped and saw how his expression instantly changed to the exact same one when he despised being near me. My heart ached at how the flash of pain slipped by his eyes.

"I'm trying to save my sister from being with a fucking creep," Hayden stated. "You're using the punishment against your son for the bastard. You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"Hayden," my father-in-law pointed, his voice threatening. "I'm not being lenient on you anymore. I'm still your father. I have every rights to punish you."

My mother-in-law pulled my father-in-law on the arm, but he snapped his eyes at her, his gaze pinning her to dead silence. She didn't move an inch after attempting to help her son.

"Use the punishment then," Hayden challenged sharply. "I don't fucking care."

It was at that moment, my father-in-law had enough. He called one of the servants, and I saw him bringing out a huge wooden stick. It was thick, not easily broken down by anything. My heart dropped when I thought about what my father-in-law would do.