Page 99 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
Mr. Bailey was about to argue when Magnus shot him a look that quelled any form of disobedience. Then, he nodded in agreement.
Lily’s heart pounded as she watched them move away and disappear around the corner, leaving her alone to pick up the shattered pieces of her trust.
Nathan’s betrayal hurt more than any wound she’d sustained. Yet it made her so determined to find him.
She clenched her jaw, whispering to herself, “I won’t be a pawn. Not anymore.”
Lily paced the drawing room like a woman on the verge of something—madness, perhaps. But she really hoped not.
Her slippers whispered across the polished floorboards, her skirts swishing with her movements. The grandfather clock inthe corner ticked like a mocking metronome, reminding her that Magnus and Mr. Bailey were still shut in the damned study.
She had wrung her hands so many times that they felt bruised. She couldn’t stop picturing her brother. Nathan—missing for weeks. A brother she had tried to believe in against all odds. And yet, he’d sold her like cattle. Like a bet at the card table.
Her chest ached with grief, disbelief, and shame. She’d expected more debt. She’d expected cowardice. But she hadn’t been ready for his betrayal.
She turned again, gripping the edge of a small writing desk to steady herself.
What were they talking about in there? Had Magnus made another deal? Had he paid Mr. Bailey to drop his pursuit?
The thought made her stomach twist.
Just as she turned to head to the study, the door opened, interrupting her intrusive thoughts.
Mr. Bailey stepped out. He looked… changed. Not in that arrogant, rude way she was used to. This time, he seemed almost sheepish as he adjusted his coat, his eyes darting to her before quickly looking away.
He didn’t speak. He didn’t even bow. He simply walked past her with a hasty nod and vanished down the hall.
Lily blinked after him, stunned. “Mr. Bailey?”
For the first time ever, he did not attempt to shower her with poetry or compliments. There was no answer, just the faint echo of his retreating booted steps.
Her heart lurched. Something was wrong; she could sense it. And that pushed her to storm into the study like a whirlwind.
Magnus was ready, standing by the fireplace now, one hand braced on the mantelpiece, the other clenching a glass of amber liquid.
“What did you say to him?” Lily asked, her voice sharper than she had intended.
He didn’t look at her at first. “Nothing you need concern yourself with.”
Lily couldn’t believe he would dare say that to her after what had happened.
Her spine stiffened, before she spoke again. “Oh, I think I need to concern myself, Your Grace.”
He lifted his head before turning around to face her. “Do not call me that when you’re angry.”
“I’m not angry,” she lied. “I’m confused. And you’re being infuriatingly cagey. What did you discuss?”
“I handled it,” he simply said, before turning his gaze back to the fire.
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’ll get.”
Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “Did you pay him off? Did you rebuy me like I’m a damn thoroughbred on auction?”
His eyebrow rose at her words. “Don’t be absurd.”
“Then what was that look on his face, Magnus? He didn’t even glance at me. As if something had changed. As if I’d… stopped being part of this.”
