embChapter /b158: He bAgrees /bto Sever the Mate Bond /em

emChapter 158: He Agrees to Sever the Mate Bond /em

em(Elena ckwood’s POV) /em

emI never imagined I would hear Marcus personally admit he was worried about me. The words hung in bthe /bair between us like a fragile bridge. /em

emI withdrew my gaze andughed bitterly. “Only now you know to worry about me, don’t you think it’s already toote?” /em

emHe stared at my face intently, his golden eyes searching for something. “As long as you’re willing, nothing is toote.” /em

emI smiled back at him, the expression feeling hollow. “But I’m not willing.” /em

emMarcus’s features visibly tightened. His jaw clenched as he remained silent for a long time. /em

emThe stall owner approached with the bill, breaking our tense moment. “That’ll be 120 yuan total.” /em

emMarcus quickly pulled out his wallet before I could reach for mine. He paid without hesitation. /em

emThe stall owner looked at us both and smiled genuinely. “You two make such a perfect couple!” /em

emMarcus opened his mouth to exin, but I interrupted him sharply. “We’re just friends and could never be together.” /em

emI stood up abruptly and left without looking back. /em

em(God’s POV) /em

emThe next day at the Whitmore Family Estate in Riverside City, Dorothea Whitmore pressed her ear against the master suite door. Inside, Samuel Whitmore and Adrian Whitmore were having an urgent conversation. /em

em“Father, the paternity test results were tampered with,” Adrian revealed quietly. “I suspect Sandy Parker was /em

eminvolved somehow.” /em

emSamuel’s voice was strained with disbelief. “How is that possible?” /em

em“Think about it,” Adrian pressed on. “Despite Mother’s mental confusion, she refuses to acknowledge Sandy as her daughter.” /em

em“But she shows extraordinary affection for Elena, even more than she shows me.” /em

emSamuel fell silent, processing this revtion. /em

emAdrian continued his argument. “Elena was adopted by the ckthorne family. More importantly, she has Rh–negative blood.” /em

emThe words hit Samuel like lightning. “Rh–negative blood?” /em

em“The Whitmore family has carried this hereditary trait for generations,” Adrian said meaningfully. “You know what this means.” /em

emSamuel’s breathing becamebored. “Elena might be our real daughter?” /em

em“We need another paternity test,” Adrian dered firmly. “This time, I’ll personally oversee every step.” /em

emSamuel nodded slowly, the weight of possibility crushing down on him. /em

emOutside the door, Sandy Parker’s face went pale with terror. She had heard every damning word. /em

emHer hands shaking, she dialed Sophia Rivers’s number frantically. /em

em“Sophia, they know!” she whispered in panic. “They’re going to do another test!” /em

emSophia’sughter was cold and calcting. “So you’re not the real Whitmore daughter after all. /em

em“Elena has the matching blood type,” Sandy continued desperately. “She’s going to take everything from me!b“/bb. /b/em

emSophia’s voice turned thoughtful. “Elena with rare blood type… I remember Marcus searching desperately for /em

emsomeone with special blood that day.” /em

em“What are you thinking?” Sandy asked nervously. /em

emb“/bIf Elena were to disappear due to some ident while in the Northern Territory,” Sophia suggested casually, /em

em“no one would ever know the truth.” /em

emThough Sophia imed she was just speaking hypothetically, she knew Heidi Cross would act on the /em

emsuggestion to protect her wealth and status. /em

em(Elena ckwood’s POV) /em

emI returned to the ckwood Ancestral Manor after receiving Margaret ckwood’s call. The elderly matriarch /em

emwaited for me in the Meditation Sanctuary. /em

em“Elena, dear,” Margaret began gently. “I must apologize for Isabe’s inexcusable behavior yesterday.” /em

emI sat across from her, feeling the weight of our conversation. “It’s not your fault, Grandmother.” /em

emMargaret studied my face carefully. “I need to ask you directly – do you truly want to sever the mate bond with /em

emMarcus?” /em

emThe question hung heavy between us. I could see the pain in her eyes. /em

em“Despite my reluctance to see you both separate,” she continued, “I promise to respect your decision.” /em

emTears gathered in my eyes as I met her gaze. “My fate with Marcus has ended, Grandmother.” /em

emMy voice broke slightly. “I’m satisfied with having been your granddaughter–inw for six years.” /em

emMargaret’s shoulders sagged with sadness. “Then I will convince Marcus to sever your mate bond.” /em

emAs I left the meditation sanctuary and walked through the manor courtyard, Marcus’s voice called out to me /em

emfrom under the ancient oak tree. /em

em“Elena, wait.” /em

emI turned to face him, my heart pounding. He had clearly overheard our conversation. /em

em“Do you truly want to sever our mate bond?” he asked once more. /em

emThe pain in his voice nearly broke my resolve. But I had carried this secret for too long. /em

em“Marcus, I need to tell you something,” I began, my voice trembling. “I was the real per during our childhood kidnapping.” /em

emHis face wentpletely still. “What?” /em

emwho saved you /em

em“The impostor stole my credit as your savior,” I continued, the words pouring out like a dam bursting. “The scars on your back are from when you protected me in the thorn bushes during our escape.” /em

emMarcus stared at me in stunned silence. I could see the memories slowly returning to his fever–damaged /em

emmind. /em

em“You carried me when I sprained my ankle,” I pressed on. “You refused to leave me behind when I begged you /em

emto save yourself.” /em

em“Elena…” he whispered, his voice breaking. /em

em“You promised to protect me for life when we reached the vige,” I finished. “But you forgot everything /em

embecause of your fever.” /em

emUnderstanding dawned in his golden eyes, followed by devastating pain. He stepped forward and pulled me /em

eminto his arms. /em

em“I’m so sorry,” he whispered against my hair. “I’m so incredibly sorry.” /em

emWe held each other in the courtyard, years of misunderstanding finally crashing down between us. /em

em“I agree to sever our mate bond,” he said quietly. /em

emI pulled back to look at him in surprise. “Marcus?” /em

em“Not because I’m giving up,” he rified, his eyes intense. “But because I’ve fallen in love with you, and I would /em

emnever take another mate.” /em

emWe walked toward his car to handle the bond severance procedures. The weight of our decision settled over us like a shroud. /em

emAs Marcus drove through the Northern Territory streets, he continued speaking. “I want you to be free to /em

emchoose your own path.” /em

em“Even if it means losing you forever,” he added softly. /em

emSuddenly, a massive truck appeared in our peripheral vision, barreling directly toward us at full speed. Marcus’s reflexes kicked in instantly. He yanked the steering wheel hard to the right, positioning the driver’s side toward the inevitable collision to shield me from impact. /em