Page 31 of Bride By Coronation

Sean cries out, "They'll kill Zara and me! The twins will be orphans!"

Horror fills me. The thought of River and Willow growing up without parents pains me. I lost my father at an early age, and that sucked. Thankfully, I had my mom. I can't imagine what life would have been like with both my parents dead.

Sean's desperate tone fills the air. "I know it's a bad situation. And I've gone round and round with the Omni, but they won't change their mind."

"A bad situation? That's what you call making me marry a stranger so my niece and nephew don't end up parentless?"

He sighs. "Fiona, I know this isn't ideal?—"

"Ideal?" I shriek. "You're putting me in a horrible position. I swear to God, Sean, this better be a sick joke!"

The color drains from his face, and he slowly shakes his head.

My gut dives and then spins into chaos. I put my hand over it, swallowing down bile.

He puts his palm on my thigh. "I'm so sorry. Honestly. I would never have intentionally put you in this position."

I remove his hand, snarling, "Don't touch me, Sean."

Shame fills his expression.

Valentina offers, "If it makes it any easier, your seat is more powerful than your brother's."

I snap my head toward her, seething, "Get out."

She shakes her head. "I can't. We aren't done yet."

"I said to get out," I repeat sternly, pointing at the door.

"She's right. She can't go," Sean says.

I rise, pick up my mug, and slam it into the sink. It's harder than I wanted, and several pieces chip off the ceramic. I roar, "Dammit!"

"We need to go through the book," Valentina urges.

"I need to get to work," I declare.

"You're not going today. I already told Skylar you came down with the flu," Sean discloses.

Rage fills me. I explode, "You have no right to mess with my job!"

"The Underworld doesn't work on your timeline, Fiona. We work on theirs," he explains.

"I don't care about this Underworld!"

Valentina asks, "Then you're okay with Sean and Zara dying?"

I take deep breaths, my glare drifting between the two of them. I finally point at Sean. "How could you let something like this happen?"

A lifetime of regret crawls deep into his expression until my strong brother looks like a weak and helpless man. It's something I've never seen on him.

"Well? Answer me," I push, angrier than I ever remember being.

He closes his eyes and laments, "I didn't know. I'm so sorry to put you in this position."

My lungs tighten, only allowing shallow breaths of oxygen. I glare at Sean, and the more I study him, the more this situation sinks in until my bones turn cold.

Valentina picks up the binder and opens it. She taps her finger on the page. "Time is running out. You have to not only understand the Royal Doctrine but memorize it."

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