Chapter 85: Let’s break up

Ilias flicked open his lighter and held the flame to the end of his cigarette. Once it was lit, he closed the lighter and leaned back in his chair in the gazebo, taking a slow drag before exhaling a thin stream of smoke.

"He’ll regret speaking to me so harshly," he muttered, holding the cigarette between his fingers.

He had no personal grudge against Caroline, nor did he harbor any ill feelings toward her. He had simply been pragmatic about the situation. As far as he was concerned, the interests of the royal family had to come before personal attachments, and he had expected Andrew to understand that. Instead, his brother had responded with anger, leaving Ilias deeply displeased.

His phone rang in his pocket for the third time. With a faint frown, he finally pulled it out and answered the call. He continued smoking as he settled more comfortably against the back of the chair.

"Ilias, we agreed to meet today. Where are you?" a woman asked from the other end.

"I’m busy with work," he replied flatly.

"Don’t lie to me. You weren’t even in your office," Lavina retorted sharply. "You’ve barely spent any time with me these past few days. Even on our three-month anniversary, you disappeared without giving me a proper explanation. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?"

Ilias listened without interrupting, his expression unchanged. Her frustration seemed to have little effect on him, and he appeared more interested in finishing his cigarette than explaining his absence.

"Let’s break up," he said coldly.

For a moment, Lavina couldn’t respond. She had expected an argument or perhaps another excuse, but she hadn’t anticipated those words.

"What? No!" she protested, her heart beginning to pound as panic seized her. "You can’t just say that out of nowhere, Ilias. What are you talking about?"

"I’m bored with this now," Ilias replied indifferently.

He tossed the cigarette onto the gazebo floor and ground it beneath his shoe, extinguishing the remaining ember. His expression remained cold as he continued, "We were never in love, Lavina. Don’t forget how this arrangement began in the first place."

"Ilias, I love you." Lavina’s voice trembled, and her hands began to shake as she struggled to keep herself composed. "Yes, I know it started as a give-and-take arrangement, but I ended up falling in love with you. I didn’t plan for it to happen, but it did."

She swallowed hard before pleading, "Please don’t do this. If I’ve offended you in any way, I’m sorry. Just tell me what I did wrong, and I’ll make it right."

Ilias let out a short, humorless chuckle.

"You don’t love me," he said dismissively. "Do you really think I can’t read a person’s face or look into their eyes and understand what they’re hiding? Tell me, Lavina, do you even know anything about me?"

He didn’t wait for her to answer.

"We’ve been sleeping together, nothing more. Don’t mistake that for a relationship. From today onward, don’t call me, and don’t show your face to me again."

Before Lavina could say another word, Ilias ended the call.

He sneered and shoved the phone back into his trouser pocket before leaning against the chair again. For a moment, he stared at the space in front of him, considering what he had just done.

"Was I too harsh?" he muttered to himself.

He shook his head, dismissing the thought almost as quickly as it had come. Whatever Lavina felt for him was no longer his concern.

~~~~~

"I told you not to blame yourself," Andrew said, his voice exceptionally gentle.

Earlier, while sitting in his office, he had received a call from Jeremy. In the middle of their conversation, he had suddenly begun hearing his wife’s thoughts through their mate bond.

Even if I were punished to death, I would still choose him.

Those words had struck him deeply. He had abandoned everything in his office and teleported straight back to the house, driven by the need to find Caroline. When he arrived, however, he found Ilias confronting her, adding to the distress she was already struggling to bear.

Andrew’s expression softened as he looked at her. He hated seeing her carry the weight of everything that had happened, especially when she was already hurting.

"I can’t help thinking that way," Caroline whispered.

She gently pulled away from his embrace and wiped her cheeks with trembling fingers, but the tears continued to fall.

Andrew cupped her face in both hands, gently lifting her head until she met his gaze.

"I told you not to cry, Caroline. Tears won’t help you through this. You need to stand your ground, especially in moments like these, and stop letting negative thoughts consume you." His thumbs brushed the dampness from her cheeks, wiping away the tears that continued to gather in her eyes.

"When Emmett comes here, I don’t want to see you crying. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to step in and send him away myself." His expression grew stern, though the tenderness in his touch never faded. "I won’t tolerate anyone making you cry, not even someone you care about. Do you understand?"

He held her gaze for another moment before his voice softened. "You need to find the culprit, Caroline. You can’t let guilt weaken you when you still have the chance to uncover the truth. Be strong, and don’t give up before you’ve found the answers."

Caroline simply stared into Andrew’s eyes, her tears gradually subsiding under his steady gaze.

"Go upstairs and wash your face," Andrew instructed, finally releasing her face.

Caroline nodded faintly before turning toward the staircase. She climbed the steps without another word, leaving Andrew to deal with his brother. Ilias was still somewhere within the estate, and Andrew had no intention of letting their earlier confrontation pass without an explanation.

He left the house and headed toward the gazebo, where he had last seen Ilias. The moment he stepped inside, he found his brother occupied with his phone, seemingly unconcerned about what had happened.

Andrew’s expression darkened.

"What the fuck did you say to Caroline?" he shouted as he approached him and held him up by the collars.