The Contracted Ever After (Cordelia and Ronan) novel Chapter 543

“What’s the big secret you can’t tell in front of the kid?” Ronan asked with a mischievous grin.

“There was this old man who came to see me at school today,” Cordelia began, biting her lip with a hint of anxiety. “He told me something... something I think you need to hear.”

Ronan perked up, all ears.

They nestled against the headboard, the dim light of the bedside lamp casting soft shadows around the room. Cordelia poured out the tale, her voice gradually thickening with emotion. She recounted the disturbing story the old man had shared about how her own mother was locked away in an attic and how Alana gave her away. Tears streamed down Cordelia’s face as the weight of her own past finally caught up with her.

By the time she finished, her voice was hoarse. The night had dwindled away, and she was exhausted. She buried her face in her knees, not daring to look at Ronan, embarrassed by her own vulnerability.

“Is it Thomas again?” Ronan’s insight took her by surprise.

“The old man... he wants me to go back to England with him,” she finally admitted, avoiding the fact that Tony was actually Eason's father.

Ronan, however, wasn’t shocked. He didn’t share her agitation.

Cordelia looked up, her eyes pleading.

“You’re not going to England,” he said firmly.

“Why not?” she murmured, retreating under the covers, gazing up at him. If she had known he’d be so controlling, she would have kept it to herself. His words were like a barrier she couldn’t cross.