Chapter 60: Rowena’s Claws
"You are," Marek said, trying to pull away. But she held her ground.
"You can’t keep defending her," Rowena pressed on. "She’s not better than me, Marek. She’s not better than anyone. You think she’s pure, but she’s just confused. And you’re suffering for it."
"Enough," he said sharply.
But Rowena didn’t stop. "She’s never going to love you the way you love her. You know that, don’t you?"
"Stop it," he said again.
"You’re wasting your heart on someone who doesn’t deserve it."
He slammed his palm on the desk. "I said stop!"
Rowena flinched slightly, but then her expression softened again. "You’re angry," she said calmly. "I get it. You’ve been holding it in for too long." She took a step closer, her eyes on his. "You don’t have to keep pretending, Marek."
"Pretending that what?"
"That you’re fine. That you are not hurt." She said.
Before he could react, Rowena’s hand moved again, this time to his face. Her touch was light, her thumb brushing over the side of his jaw where Aveloria’s slap had left a faint mark. "She hit you?"
He said nothing.
Rowena’s lips parted slightly. "You see? She doesn’t deserve you. Aveloria is not meant for you."
Marek’s pulse quickened. He should’ve stopped her. He should’ve walked away. But he didn’t.
Rowena leaned in closer. "You deserve someone who chooses you," she whispered.
He took a slow breath, his body tense. "Rowena, stop."
But she didn’t. Her voice dropped even lower. "You can tell yourself it means nothing, but you and I both know she’s breaking you."
Her words felt like poison, gentle but lethal. And then, before he could say another word, she kissed him.
It wasn’t deep at first, just soft enough to catch him off guard. But then her hand slid up the back of his neck, and his body betrayed him. His thoughts blurred.
For a few seconds, he didn’t move. Then his hands found her shoulders, ready to push her away, but instead of doing so, he hesitated. He felt something stirring inside him, something that wasn’t love but frustration and exhaustion mixed. He pulled her in completely, deepening the kiss.
Then the door opened. The sound was sharp and sudden.
Both of them froze. Standing there in the doorway was Evander. His eyes widened, his face went pale, and for a second, he didn’t move.
Marek immediately stepped back, shoving Rowena away as if burned. But it was too late. Evander’s expression said everything.
"Evander—" Marek started.
Evander didn’t answer. He turned around and walked away, fast.
"Wait!" Marek ran after him, leaving Rowena standing there, silent but with a small, satisfied smile forming on her lips.
Marek caught up with Evander outside, grabbing his arm. "It’s not what you think!"
Evander spun around, eyes blazing. "Get your hands off me."
"Listen to me," Marek said quickly. "She kissed me. It wasn’t—"
"I don’t care who started it," Evander snapped. His voice was harsh, shaking with anger. "Stay away from my sisters."
"She’s the one who—"
"I said, stay away from her!" Evander shouted, grabbing Marek by the shirt and pulling him closer. "You think I didn’t see enough? You think I don’t know what kind of man you’ve become?"
Marek’s jaw clenched. "You don’t understand—"
"I understand more than you think," Evander cut him off. "You’re angry at Aveloria, so you take it out on the first woman who gives you attention? You think that’s a strength?"
"It wasn’t like that!" Marek barked.
Evander’s grip tightened. "You’re pathetic, Marek. You talk about loyalty, about being patient, but you don’t even know what control means. You’re just proving her right for staying away from you."
That hit harder than Marek expected. He felt something twist inside him, a mix of shame and anger tangled together.
Evander let go, pushing him back. "I’m warning you," he said. "If you hurt her or Aveloria, I’ll make sure you regret it."
Then he turned and walked away, not looking back.
Marek stood there, breathing hard. His chest hurt. His hands trembled.
He wanted to go after him, to explain, to fix it somehow, but what would he say? That Rowena had manipulated him? That he’d been too weak to stop her? That he’d kissed her back, even if just for a moment?
He couldn’t. There were no excuses that would make it sound better. He clenched his fists and turned toward the house again. Rowena was still standing by the doorway, arms crossed, face unreadable.
"What have you done, Rowena?" he demanded, voice low but full of venom.
Rowena tilted her head. "You kissed me too, Marek."
"You set me up."
She gave a slight shrug. "No, I didn’t set you up. You just needed someone to show you that Aveloria isn’t the only woman in this world."
He stared at her, breathing hard. "You’re sick."
Rowena smiled faintly. "Maybe. But I’m honest. And I’m not the one who lost control today. That was you."
He didn’t answer. He just stared at her, anger boiling under his skin.
Rowena moved past him, close enough for him to smell the scent of wine and perfume. "You’ll realize I was right eventually," she whispered before leaving.
When she was gone, Marek slammed his fist into the wall beside him. Pain shot up his arm, but it didn’t help.
He stood there for a long time, breathing hard, the echo of Evander’s voice still ringing in his head. "You’re proving her right for staying away from you."
Marek didn’t know what he hated more: Rowena for what she’d done, or himself for letting it happen. Either way, the damage was done. And he knew it wasn’t going away anytime soon.
Evander had barely been able to do anything. His mind wouldn’t stop replaying the image of Marek and Rowena in that study, her pressed against him, their lips locked, and Marek’s shocked face when he realized he’d been caught.
He hadn’t gone home right away. He’d walked around the palace grounds for hours, thinking about what to do. Part of him also wanted to confront Rowena directly, but he knew that wouldn’t end well. She’d only twist things, make herself look innocent, and turn the story around.
By night, he had made a decision. The twins, Seraphina and Serene, needed to know. If anyone would see the danger in what Marek and Rowena did, it was them.
