Betrayed By The Hero, Loved By The Lord-Chapter 11: Ways to end a marriage (1)

The next day, Selene found herself in a carriage returning to the very home she ran away from in the middle of the night.

To her left was Agnes who could not hide her nervousness and in front of Selene was the unwavering gaze of Xavier Blackthorn.

Selene tried to focus on the window and not on the man who was burning a hole through her head from how much he stared at her but she could not. She had already thanked him for the dress and the proper burial he arranged for Elsie. What more did he need from her?

"Is there something you wish to hear from me, Lord Blackthorn?"Selene questioned, deciding to give him what he sought from her.

"Not at all but if there is something you have to say to me then go ahead. Can’t I enjoy the view?" Xavier asked, his gaze still fixed on her.

Selene didn’t see anything wrong with him looking but he was staring too long. "You are enjoying having to go there. It might not go well."

"Why be so negative already? I am sure it will go well. I am a very persuasive man," Xavier said, not the least bit concerned about the reaction.

"One of us has to be wary," said Selene. Xavier didn’t know Gabriel’s new temper.

"We seem to balance each other out," Xavier noticed.

Selene didn’t see it that way but she remained silent to let Xavier enjoy himself. Gabriel had become the kingdom’s hero but his new status wasn’t a match for Xavier. Gabriel should have some sense to not anger a lord who was also a pureblood from a strong lineage.

Xavier wanted the carriage to go a little faster so he could witness the show sooner. Gabriel was a fool to let such an interesting woman slip from his fingers but then again, Xavier always saw the pair as mismatched.

Selene grew even more wary when they reached the gates of what was her old home. She had devoted so much of her time and money to this home just to end up leaving it. It had been a waste of her time.

"Milady, his horse and carriage are here,’ Agnes whispered to Selene. Xavier’s gaze turning to her made her fold her lips. What had she said wrong?

"Whispering around a pureblood is useless. We are unfortunately cursed with good hearing, especially in closed spaces. You should just speak loud enough to be heard. Nothing remains a secret," Xavier smiled, the reveal of his fangs making Agnes want to stop talking instead. freewёbnoνel.com

Selene reached her hand across to Agnes to calm her nerves. Xavier was rarely social so his ways would scare others but he was almost as she remembered him to not be afraid. "He is only offering you good advice. Part of him might be trying to scare you but he means no harm."

Xavier’s attention turned to Selene. "And here I thought you forgot all about me. You speak as if you know me well but we are not friends in your eyes."

"We are not," Selene replied.

"No," Xavier agreed, his hand going to the carriage door to open it for Selene. "We are soon to be married. We will be far more than friends. Who would’ve thought?"

"Not me," Selene answered, still surprised by their situation though she ran to him. "We weren’t that close in the past so I did not know you considered me a friend then. I am pleasantly surprised by it. Thank you," she accepted his hand held out to help her out of the carriage.

Selene knew that trouble was coming soon as servants started to move fast to alert someone of their arrival.

It wasn’t long before Gabriel was at the door, his face already set up with anger and his gaze fixed on Selene. Gabriel knew she would return but not like this. Not in the carriage which belonged to Lord Blackthorn and for the lord himself to show up with her.

"Lord Blackthorn, this is a surprise. I have welcomed you into my home twice now which is far more than others in town have had the pleasure of experiencing. And you are with my wife," Gabriel said, his gaze not yet torn away from Selene. "I need an explanation as to how you two came to be together."

"To my knowledge, there wasn’t a search sent out for her last night so you couldn’t have been too concerned about her whereabouts. Or did you not know your wife was not home? Good hero but terrible husband?" Xavier asked, the corners of his lips starting to lift into a bigger smile.

"Married couples argue and sleep in separate beds to cool down. It is something you do not have experience in since you have yet to settle down. Selene," Gabriel held out his hand for Selene to come to him. She had some nerve running to Lord Blackthorn.

Was there something between the pair? What could she have said to bring Lord Blackthorn from his estate to be here?

Gabriel questioned why Xavier showed up to the banquet and now it started to make sense. It made sense why he caught them alone.

"Ah, yes. It must be normal to turn into the arms of another woman when you are at odds with your wife. Would it be so wrong for your wife to turn to someone’s arms?"Xavier asked.

Gabriel disliked Xavier’s smug expression and what he was hinting at. Instead of going after Xavier since it would land him in hot water, Gabriel had Selene in his sight and started to approach her.

Xavier held up his left hand to be at the height of Gabriel’s chest as he moved to step in between the married couple. "Unless you wish to take my entertainment to a deadly level, I wouldn’t do that. You paraded your lover around like a trophy yet the idea of your wife having a man angers you? You should make your request to the king the ability to think."

Gabriel disregarded Xavier’s status for the moment since Xavier was stepping into something that didn’t concern him. "Thank you for returning my wife to me but you are no longer needed. I shall think of a reward for your help to bring her home safely and I will try not to think you were so much of a bastard to sleep with a married woman."

Xavier laughed at Gabriel having the nerve to refer to anyone as a bastard. "You’re a mixed-blood who brought home his mistress to be under the same roof as your wife yet I am the bastard? I didn’t know you were so stupid."

"I didn’t sleep with your wife," Xavier cleared up before rumours could fly. It didn’t matter to him what anyone thought about Selene seeking refuge on his estate but he had a feeling Selene wouldn’t want anyone to think she had an affair. "There is only one bastard here. Two," he counted another.

Cassandra was quick to come outside after being told by a maid that Selene had returned. Lord Blackthorn’s presence was left out of the message.

Cassandra’s eyebrows were knitted together with small wrinkles starting to show. She knew Selene would return since Gabriel was confident she would but she didn’t expect Selene to bring forward a highly coveted man with her.