Page 87 of Captive Bride

I’m afraid of her punishing me forever because of what’s about to go down.

“Tell me, Tristan. What were you guys talking about? What’s gonna happen the day after tomorrow?”

I sigh deeply, not wanting to break her heart.

In the end, I tell her.

“He challenged me to a duel, Isobel. You know I can’t back down from that. Besides, in killing him, I’m gonna buy your freedom.”

She looks at me like I just betrayed her.

There’s hate in her eyes. Hatred for me like I’ve never seen before.

She doesn’t say a word, but turns around and runs to her room.

I wish I can say I didn’t care. I wish I could say none of this means anything to me, that I’m a hardened criminal, and I’m used to this sort of thing.

But with Isobel in the picture, all of that has changed.

Her fucking cousin did this. He’s the one that won’t back down.

And I know that if I don’t kill him, he’ll kill me first. Which one does Isobel want?

And how can I make her choose between her true love and her own family?

Fuck this war.

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