Page 63 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
“This marriage,” he said, his voice quieter now, “would be in name only.”
Lily paused, realizing that she had indeed not understood his point till this moment.
“What do you mean?” She blinked.
“I mean,” he said, “whatever happened between us, it ends there. There will be no continuation. No repetition. Not unless an heir is required. And even then, it will be handled with decorum.”
She felt as if the wind was knocked out of her.
“Handled? Happened?” She blinked again. “You mean… intercourse, Your Grace?”
His jaw clenched. “This arrangement is for stability. To prevent you from marrying Bailey. Nothing else.”
“Nothing else?” she echoed in a low tone.
“Yes,” he said, locking eyes with her. “Because,” he continued, the words coming fast and brittle for the first time, “I would rather tie my future to yours than watch you be bound to a man like Bailey. Because I cannot—will not—stand by while Nathan gambles away what little you have left. And because this is the only way I know how to protect you without…” He faltered. “Without making more mistakes.”
The room suddenly became smaller. Denser. Lily tried to breathe, but the air was too thick with things left unsaid.
“You could’ve told me this days ago,” she whispered.
“I needed time.”
“You neededdistance,” she corrected. “And now you come back not as a man, but as a duke with terms and conditions,” she almost sneered.
It sounded more like him.
Magnus didn’t flinch, however. “I come back offering you a choice.”
She looked down, then back at him. “A cold bed. A cold title. And a colder man.”
He was almost unrecognizable.
For a heartbeat, he said nothing. Then, quietly, “Yes.”
With a dry chuckle, Lily turned away. She crossed the room, pausing by the hearth where the fire had long since burned down to ashes. She rubbed her arms, though there was no chill in the air.
Then, her voice came, softer now. “And you feel nothing?”
His silence was answer enough.
“I should say no,” he then said.
She closed her eyes. “You’re free to,” she said bitterly. “Because even a cold marriage with you is better than the life Nathan would readily sell me into.”
She turned back, meeting his gaze with something akin to defiance, maybe even resignation.
“I accept.”
The words came faster than she had expected, but Magnus didn’t react. No flicker of relief, no gratitude, except for a solemn nod.
“You can take some time to think about?—”
“What’s the point?” she cut in with a shrug. “We can carry on like nothing ever happened. And I will get the manor back. Sounds like a sweet deal for me.”
“What about Nathan?” He tilted his head.
“You didn’t think about that before making your proposal, Your Grace?” she questioned. “Anyway, don’t worry. I will deal with it.”
