Husband With Benefits
Chapter 726: Shocked

Chapter 726: Shocked

Dora... What was she doing here?

For a moment, everything around Kael seemed to blur. The vibrant music that filled the room, the lively conversations of the guests, and even the opulence of the ballroom itself—all of it faded into the background. His entire focus was consumed by the sight of her.

The woman who had haunted his thoughts for the past six months, the one he had tried so desperately to forget, was now standing right in front of him. She looked even more beautiful than he remembered.

He took a step forward excitedly, wanting to greet her, ask her how she was doing and why she had disappeared, but then stilled as he watched the council members greet her respectfully

His eyes narrowed in confusion. What was going on? Why were they treating her like this? Did they know her?

Then, as he watched Rafe approach her with that same warm, respectful demeanor, the pieces started to fall into place. Kael’s breath caught in his throat as a realization hit him with the force of a freight train.

Dora... was Princess Isidora?

The shock of it nearly knocked the wind out of him. The woman he had fallen for, the one who had left him shattered and confused, was not just anyone—she was Isidora Rosalind Sterling, the Crown Princess of Estania. The truth was both staggering and deeply unsettling.

All this while, he had blamed himself for hurting her, for breaking her trust. But not once had she thought to mention that she was royalty too? Had everything been nothing but a game to her. He felt his anger surge. Not at her. But at himself.

Dora had already shown him that she did not care for him. She had been indifferent to him. But like a fool, he’d convinced himself that her cold attitude towads him had been a result of his own betrayal.

And then, as if the situation couldn’t get any more complicated, another thought struck him like a cold slap to the face. Isidora Rosalind Sterling... Isis. The name Rafe had mentioned. The woman his brother admired more than anyone else in the world.

Kael’s mind reeled. Dora was Isis. The woman who had captured not just his heart, but also Rafe’s admiration, was one and the same. A bitter laugh almost escaped him, but he swallowed it down and started to walk towards her, knowing what was expected of him. The anger and the happiness warring within him would need to wait for now...

Taking a deep breath, he walked towards her...

***

The moment Dora had accepted the invitation to visit Petrovia, she had known this confrontation was inevitable. She had prepared herself for it, telling herself that she was ready to face Kael again.

And yet, she had not expected it to happen so soon. The moment she entered the large ballroom, she had felt his gaze on her. And it had yet to move away. It was as if his eyes were burning a hole through her, the intensity of his stare impossible to ignore. She could feel it as she was introduced to the various ministers, and she could feel it when she turned to greet Rafe. And this scared her.

What she had felt for Kael six months ago had scared her. Because even though he had hurt her and her mind knew that he was dangerous, her heart had yearned for him. So, she had done the only thing possible then. She’d run away from him. And over the last six months she’d convinced herself that she’d gotten over it. But here she was, feeling bothered just by knowing that he was watching her every move.

When she turned to greet Rafe, she could no longer resist the urge to look in Kael’s direction. Slowly, almost hesitantly, she allowed her gaze to drift toward where she thought he was and as their eyes met, the world seemed to stop.

What she saw shocked her. The man she remembered was gone. In his place stood someone who appeared colder, harder. The east charm he’d exuded seemed to have vanished under something much more sharper. He’d even lost weight. Was he sick?

The question and the worry in her mind nagged her and she almost questioned him about his health.

Seeing that he’d almost reached, Rafe gestured Kael forward," Isis, let me introduce my younger brother. Isis, this is Kael Ignis and Kael this is Crown Princess Isidora Sterling."

Kael nodded and stepped forward, extending his hand. As Isidora placed her hand in his, she felt a charge run up her arm. He smiled slyly then as he felt her almost tremble, slowly bringing her hand to his lips. Gently, he brushed his lips against the back of her hand and straightened," Its a pleasure to meet you, Princess."

Dora smiled and gently extracted her hand," Likewise, Prince Kael."

Before the two could say more, the ministers directed her attention, guiding her to sit on the places prepared. As Kael watched Dora slip a hand through his brothers proffered one, his heart hardened. She’d walked here into his territory on her own but there was no way she was going to be leaving without his wish...He’d seen the flicker of emotion in her eyes. It was probably guilt at her own deception being revealed. But whatever it was, he was not above using it for his own gain.

As he walked back towards his position in the ballroom, his eyes remained fixed on her, almost planning quietly. His mood, however, plummetted when he heard the people whispering about how beautiful their crown prince and Princess Isidora looked together. And how it would be a fairytale romance if the two were to marry each other.

His mood plummetted the more he heard the gossip and with a sulken look, started to walk out of the ballroom from a side door.

It was because of this that he failed to notice someone else entering the large ballroom from the other side...

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