CHAPTER 282: NOTHING ELSE MATTERED

Meredith.

I noticed immediately how Mabel’s face shifted, her confidence loosening as her gaze flicked over them.

But the next second, she scoffed with a sneer curling at her lips. "It must be good to have people backing you up."

I straightened in my seat and met her stare evenly. "Of course," I replied, my tone calm but cutting. "But it’s too bad that it’s always the good people who are bullied by others that get to experience this premium treatment."

Mabel’s nostrils flared, her breath coming sharper. For a moment, I thought she might lash out. Instead, she spun on her heel and stalked away, her composure cracking just enough for me to savour it.

I exhaled quietly, relief washing over me like a cool wave. I hadn’t just defended myself; I had reminded her of every moment she and the others had tried to trample me. And I had done it without raising my voice.

Beside me, Xamira set her half-filled glass down with a satisfied sigh, completely oblivious to the storm that had just passed.

I brushed a hand over her hair and smiled faintly. "Come."

---

After what felt like half an hour had passed, Xamira’s eyelids fluttered heavily as I finished the last line of the storybook she had pressed into my hands.

Her fingers clutched the edge of the blanket, but her breathing had already begun to soften into a steady rhythm.

I smiled faintly, brushing a few strands of hair away from her forehead before tucking the blanket securely around her.

The nanny hovered quietly nearby, her presence unobtrusive but watchful.

"Good night, my lady," she whispered respectfully, bowing as I rose from the chair next to Xamira’s bed.

I returned a gentle nod and walked softly toward the door while being careful not to wake Xamira. The latch clicked lightly as I pulled it closed behind me.

But the moment I stepped into the hallway, my gaze fell on Kira and her hand resting by her side. It was clutching a folded plain white paper.

Before I could ask, Deidra spoke quickly, as though sensing my unspoken question. "My lady, Miss Fellowes asked us to pass this letter to you."

I frowned, surprise tightening my chest. ’A letter from Wanda?’ The thought unsettled me.

Wanda had never written a letter to me before now so my curiosity prickled, though it was laced with suspicion.

Kira raised her hand slightly, offering the letter to me. "Do you want to read it now, my lady?"

I shook my head, keeping my expression composed, though the truth was that I had no desire to deal with Wanda’s drama tonight.

"No. Leave it on the table in my bedroom," I instructed clearly.

Kira and Deidra bowed their heads in unison.

"I will be spending the night with my husband," I added, my voice soft but certain. "But tomorrow morning, wait in my bedroom as usual."

"Yes, my lady," they replied together, their tone obedient and firm.

They fell into step behind me as I made my way toward the third floor, allowing myself to breathe easier.

By the time we reached the third floor, the corridor was quieter, dimly lit with soft golden lights.

I dismissed Kira and Deidra with a nod, and they both bowed before retreating down the hallway.

My steps slowed as I approached Draven’s chambers. I raised my hand and knocked lightly, aware that he was waiting for me.

"Come in," he answered with a hint of eagerness in his tone.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside, immediately feeling the warmth of his bedroom.

Draven stood near the window, his coat already discarded, the light catching on the hard lines of his shoulders.

His gaze found me immediately, and for a moment, he simply stared at me. The silence stretched with unspoken words before the corners of his mouth softened just slightly.

"You’re late," he murmured, though his tone held no reproach, only a kind of expectant patience.

"You forgot that I had to put Xamira to bed," I said softly, closing the door behind me. My voice felt smaller than usual, but the heat creeping up my neck was impossible to hide.

He nodded once, then stepped away from the window, his presence filling the room as he moved toward me. Each step felt deliberate, and my pulse quickened despite myself.

By the time he stopped in front of me, I could feel the weight of his nearness and the quiet power in him, the way his eyes searched mine.

"So... you are staying tonight?" he asked lowly, though I could tell he already knew the answer.

"Yes," I whispered, my voice almost betraying the nervous warmth coiled in my chest. Why else would I come to his bedroom this night if he hadn’t asked me?

The faintest smile touched his lips before he reached for me.

His hand tightened around mine steadily before he guided me further inside, his eyes completely fixed on me.

He stopped near the bed and turned, facing me fully. His thumb brushed across my knuckles, a gentle stroke that somehow felt more intimate than any embrace.

"So much happened in one evening," he murmured, his voice rough at the edges. "But how do you feel?"

I shrugged. "I feel lighter now." Nothing else mattered except being with him.

His gaze softened as he let his guard down enough to show the truth in his expression.

A blink of an eye later, he bent closer, brushing his lips against my forehead, then trailing lower until his mouth found mine.

The kiss was unhurried at first, his patience pulling me deeper until I leaned into him, my hands, naturally finding the warmth of his chest.

But when I whispered his name against his lips, something shifted. His control thinned, his hold on me grew firmer, and the kiss deepened, hungry and desperate, but still grounding.

When he finally pulled back, his breathing was heavier. His hand lingered at my waist, steadying me as though I might slip.

Instead of words, I touched his face, tracing the sharp line of his jaw with my fingertips, before I kissed him again this time with my own urgency, my own choice.

He responded instantly and gathered me into his arms, his strength wrapping around me like warmth.

And as he lifted me effortlessly, laying me onto the bed, the world outside ceased to exist.