?Chapter 1476:

    She met his gaze head-on. “Would we have livedpletely separate lives, passing each other without a nce? You with someone else. Me with someone else.”

    At her words, something dark flickered behind Nate’s eyes. His gaze narrowed, sharp and unreadable. “Then tell me, who else do you want to be with?”

    Nate curled an arm around Corrine’s waist, drawing her tightly into his embrace—there was affection in the gesture, but an unmistakable edge lingered beneath it, like a warning cloaked in tenderness.

    Their proximity blurred the lines between breath and thought, their exhales mingling in the narrow space that remained.

    Corrine rested her palms against his chest and tilted her chin upward, her gaze locking with his. “I haven’t given it much thought.” But really—who could predict the future with certainty?

    If foresight were a gift everyone possessed, the world wouldn’t be littered with so many irreversible regrets or shadowed by sorrows that refused to fade.

    The cold, hard glint in Nate’s eyes eased ever so slightly as he watched her without blinking.

    His grip around her waist loosened, fingers trailing downward to her lower back. “Still jealous?”

    “Not really.” Catching the moment his hold weakened, Corrine slipped from his arms with practiced grace. “Truthfully, Elva’s background and appearance do match yours. And for years, you’ve let the rumors of a marriage alliance between your family and hers run wild without saying a word. That silence was as good as an agreement.”

    It was no wonder Moses believed Nate had epted the idea of marrying Elva.

    To the outside world, Elva was destined to be Nate’s wife.

    ?????? ???????????????? ????????: ga l no v els .co m

    Corrine turned to him, calm and steady, her eyes quietly demanding a response.

    Under the soft drizzle, Nate held an umbre in one hand, Corrine’s hand in the other, as they walked side by side through the silvery mist. “Elva is, undeniably, a perfect match for a marriage alliance.” His words echoed with a cruel sort of precision—acknowledging Corrine’s logic, yet cutting just deep enough to unsettle her.

    They reached a quiet gazebo and took a seat. Corrine absentmindedly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

    Noticing the faint trace of displeasure on her face, Nate’s eyes softened, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “But I don’t need a perfect match to help me.”

    “Help you?” Her eyes flicked toward him, a spark of interest glimmering in their depths.

    Nate pulled her onto hisp. One hand tipped her chin upward while the other settled at her waist, and he brushed a feather-light, lingering kiss across her lips. “The Quinn family is unlike any other. They revere their women—always have. The family head has always been female. As the sessor, Elva seeks an equally powerful alliance. She once told me that if we married, she’d ensure I’d be the head of my own family.”

    .

    .

    .