Royally Bounded

Chapter 81

Hayden

Clara and I laid in bed, and I focused my eyes on the TV screen. She wrapped an arm loosely around my torso, her head in the crook of my neck. I toyed with the strap of her nightgown, sliding it along my finger and down her arm.

"That's why I wanted to take Beatrice out," Clara explained to me. "My mother is treating Beatrice poorly. It's not mentally good for her to stay there anymore. Since mother is hiring a new servant, I might as well free Beatrice."

"You're granting a fucking wish for your mother. She would love to kick Beatrice out as soon as she could," I muttered.

"I mean mother let Beatrice leave easily for that reason. She had to keep Beatrice away from Silas and set him up with the best matching future wife."

I scoffed at the fucking bullshit. Adelaide was hungry for attention and reputation since the first day. She nearly sold her own daughter to a fucking bastard, and she would be similar for Silas. The exception was that she would pick a good wife for him.

"I'm going to bring Beatrice to Tarrin tomorrow morning after breakfast," Clara told me. "I want to visit Zelia and Isabella too."

"I'll take you," I murmured.

"You have a meeting tomorrow with Ivor though. You'll miss it if you come with us. I can just have Bernard take me. The guards will be there too. Don't worry."

"You want to leave me out?" I stared down at Clara, cocking my brow. Adam was still at the fucking town, and the thought of him made my blood boil. He was still on my fucking nerves after how he looked at Clara, clearly in love with her.

"I'm not leaving you out. I just think that you should focus on your work. I'm only taking Beatrice there. I'm not actually living there."

I shut my mouth, annoyed with how Adam was going to be near Clara. Clara grasped my face, tilting my head over to look at her. The little damn pleading gaze behind her blue eyes, matched with the pout on her lips, fucking turned me weak.

"Fine," I groaned, stealing a kiss from her lips as I grasped her chin. "Stay away from Adam."

Clara let out a small laugh then shook her head. "So you were jealous?" She teased, tapping the tip of my nose. "We have a child together and another coming. How could you think that I would be with someone else?" She thinned her lips, slightly upset with my words.

"I trust you, but I don't fucking trust Adam."

"That's all you need to do then. Trust me because I'm only going to bring Beatrice there, and I'll visit my close relatives and friends. I'll come home straight to you when I'm done."

I tightened my arms around her waist, and she kissed along my jaw before burying her face into the crook of my neck. I let Clara loose because I knew that she was the last to betray me, the least likely to even hurt me. The fucking trust that I once pushed away, it would always be there for her.

* * *

Emerson placed in the gifts and suitcases into the truck. I had Ralph and him set as Clara's main bodyguards to protect her wherever she went. Beatrice took Xander in the car while Clara stayed back to talk to me. Her arms winded around my neck, and I settled my hands down on her waist.

"I'll be home by tonight," she told me, running her fingers through my hair. "Don't worry too much about me. I'm going to call you when we're near the cities."

"Call me when you get there," I demanded.

She nodded and kissed me before she left. As soon as the Range Rover left, I turned around, finding Ivor leaning against his BMW. He grinned at me, walking over with his annoying expression. I fucking wish that mother got him a wife soon, and he could stop being up my ass about my damn marriage.