Love In The Shadows | Fred Weasley x OC

Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Out of Time

Adhara had barely stepped foot in Malfoy Manor before she realized something was wrong.

The air inside was heavier than usual, thick with unspoken tension. The house-elves, who normally scurried about in quiet efficiency, barely dared to look at her. Narcissa greeted her at the entrance, her touch soft but firm as she guided her into the drawing room. Lucius was already seated, his expression unreadable, hands steepled over his cane.

Adhara sat stiffly across from him, her muscles coiled with unease.

"You've been avoiding us," Lucius said, his voice even but edged with expectation.

She kept her posture rigid. "I've been busy."

Lucius exhaled sharply. "Busy. Is that what you call running off to England, and throwing yourself into work?"

Her jaw tightened. "I don't see how that concerns you."

"It concerns me," Lucius said coolly, "because you have wasted enough time already."

A sinking feeling settled in her stomach. She knew where this was going.

"I have given you freedom, Adhara," Lucius continued. "More than most daughters of our family would ever be allowed. But that freedom has limits."

Adhara's fingers curled into fists. "Limits," she repeated, bitterness creeping into her tone.

"Your father means," Narcissa interjected gently, "that it is time for you to fulfill your duty."

The words hit like a curse to the chest.

Adhara inhaled sharply. "Duty?"

"You are out of time," Lucius said, his voice final.

Her breath caught.

"I have arranged a match."

For a moment, everything seemed to slow.

Lucius delivered the words so easily, as if they meant nothing. As if he hadn't just shattered the last remnants of control she had over her life.

She forced herself to breathe. "Who?"

Before he could answer, the doors opened.

And the answer walked in.

Maximilien Laurent.

Adhara's stomach twisted.

Max.

Her colleague from Bordeaux.

Her friend.

His tall frame was just as she remembered—sharp-lined robes in deep green, dark hair neatly combed back, an effortless air of refinement. His striking green eyes met hers, revealing nothing.

Adhara's mouth went dry. "You?"

A ghost of a smirk tugged at his lips. "I'm as surprised as you are."

"Sit," Lucius instructed.

Max inclined his head and took a seat beside her. He moved with the practiced elegance of someone who had been raised with the weight of tradition pressing down on his shoulders.

Lucius turned his gaze to both of them. "You have both wasted enough time. Maximilien is of noble blood, a Slytherin, and comes from a family that values tradition. This is an ideal match."

Adhara barely heard him. Her thoughts were racing too fast to process.

"You knew about this?" she asked Max, her voice quieter now.