The Contracted Ever After (Cordelia and Ronan) novel Chapter 528

The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow on Cordelia as she stirred awake. The first thing she noticed was the heat emanating from the chest beneath her head. He was usually an early riser; she wondered why he was still in bed.

"Why aren't you up yet?" Cordelia asked, rolling over to face him. She glanced at her phone on the nightstand. It was past ten.

"There's no rush to get up when you're not clocking in at Birchwood," he replied after a moment, then added softly, "Cordelia."

"Mm?"

"Be with me, for real?"

His last words made Cordelia's eyes snap open. "Aren't I already with you?"

By now, Cordelia had come to terms with her place in the world. She had realized that, no matter how much she learned, she could never outshine Ronan. It seemed best to stay by his side contentedly. The incident with Jordan, along with Ronan's sharp insights and strategic thinking, had solidified this belief in her.

"I mean beyond a marriage of convenience. Really be together. Talk to me, consult with me about things."

Cordelia's thoughts drifted to the past, to her shortcomings, and to Alana, which inevitably stirred up some internal conflict. But having come this far, she decided to throw caution to the wind. She nodded solemnly and affirmed, "Yeah."

Ronan seemed skeptical. "Really?" he asked.

"Of course, it's real," Cordelia assured him. "I've thought it over. With your smarts, I have no safer place than by your side. You have a keen eye, and always find the best solutions."

Ronan chuckled. "Not always. I've been mistaken before."

"When have you ever been mistaken?" Cordelia inquired with genuine naivety, the covers slipping and revealing her fair shoulder.

"You!" Ronan declared.

A shadow of disappointment crossed Cordelia's face as her tone lost its enthusiasm. "If you were mistaken, why ask me to stick around? Isn't that contradictory?" she challenged.

"Let's call it a calculated risk," Ronan said with a hint of resignation.

Cordelia closed her eyes, no longer wishing to engage in conversation. "Janice has some gripes with me. Could you talk to her?"

"It's nothing serious."

With that, Ronan rolled on top of Cordelia, planting a heavy kiss that was paradoxically tender.