Chapter 196

[Arthur’s POV]

I was stunned.

It wasn’t often that I ever found myself at a loss for words. But the statement Ella had just said was nearly enough to knock the very air from my lungs.

Surely she wasn’t being serious...

In those few seconds in which she’d spoken and all the air had collectively left my lungs, I glanced over at Liam who happened to be wearing the exact same expression as me.

“Ella...”

“That’s a huge move to make,” I remarked.

Liam laced a supportive arm around her. “Bonding with one person can be a lot, but with you...You’ll be doing it with two.”

“Ella, be honest. Is this because of what happened to Liam?” I asked.

Her brows drew together. “No...Yes. I cannot—I will not give this woman any more chances to go after the people I care about.”

My stomach twisted in pain. I gently shook my head. “This isn’t something you should be doing out of fear.”

“Why not think of it as a strategy?” she tried.

My heart sank in my chest. “Because that’s not what we should be based on.”

I wasn’t going to lie, a huge part of me was grateful and a bit relieved that Ella was so willing to bond with me, considering my association with my family. Yes, I was still feeling horribly doubtful that she would ever truly want me after all the shit my mother has done.

Nevertheless, I knew almost instantly this matter was connected to Liam’s near-fatal attack.

She’s not supposed to commit to something so intimate under fear and worry.

I wasn’t sure that I had ever witnessed Ella having a panic attack. It was terrifying. It looked as though some invisible force was trying to suffocate her and I couldn’t do anything to stop it. Liam, on the other hand, acted a tad bit calmer than me—like had already witnessed Ella in this situation before.

This fear and panic she was suffering was purely because of Cecilia.

A searing wave of anger rolled through my veins.

I never knew that I could harbor such hatred and resentment for the sole person who raised me. But she had ultimately crossed a line—come to think of it...The woman has crossed several.

Enough was enough.

When I returned back to the hospital after taking my quick trip to the manor, I had little to no regret for the damage I had caused or the words that flew out of my mouth. All of the ire that I threw at my mother felt like it was a long-awaited event.

I meant every word of what I said. She’d driven me to the point of sheer rage in which I nearly lost control of my wolf entirely.

I was finished with those godforsaken trials. All I wanted to do now was focus on my grades, my future after school, and my bond with Ella and Liam.

After the long, horrific weekend, Midterm grades had finally come back.

I had somehow ended up scoring just slightly higher than Liam on most of the exams. I could tell he was a bit bummed but I genuinely think it was because he was placed under more stress than I was.

Both Ella and I were trying to reassure him that it didn’t matter.

“The scores are exceedingly close. Liam, you’re only off by a few points.”

“None of that matters now,” I reasoned with him. “The trials are over.”

Liam scratched the back of his head and gave us a sheepish look. “Arthur, as commendable as it was for you to drop out of all of this, I have to be honest, I don’t want any part of this title either.”

My entire body went still as my eyes widened in shock. Ella didn’t, at all, appear to be as taken aback by this as I did.

“Wait...You mean, you had no interest in wanting to take over the Winslow family’s affairs?” I asked.

Liam shook his head. “None whatsoever,” he stated. “I told Aaron that my true interests lie in professional hockey.”

Wow.

Why had I always thought that Liam wanted the title the same way I thought that I wanted it? Then again, it took me a long time to realize that I didn’t much want the position either. Cecilia did.

Apparently, Aaron had tried to push the same ideas onto Liam that my mother tried to enforce on me. But in reality, neither of us wanted to deal with the bullshit that was the Winslow family.

...

The following day, classes had resumed and I could tell that Ella was still concerned for Liam being able to get around efficiently.

“He’s going to be fine,” I assured her. “You remember Liam and I went for that long walk yesterday and he was moving around well enough without any extra help.”

I was willing to admit that even I was a bit worried about his mobility. Knowing that Liam had numerous stitches lining his chest, I needed to make sure that he was able to make it to his classes. Plus, I knew it would be good for him to get out of the dorm for a little while and get some real exercise.

As Ella and I made it over to English, I was met with a familiar-looking figure. It was one of the administration staff members. An irritated growl almost slipped past my lips.

Oh, for fuck sake!

“Mr. Winslow, you have someone important waiting for you down at the office,” they said formally.

The corner of my eye twitched with annoyance. My voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“Let me guess, would this ‘important’ person just happen to be directly related to me?” I asked.

All I got was a curt nod and the person turned sharply on their heels.

I cursed under my breath and told Ella that I would be back as soon as possible. If this was another pointless meeting with my mother, then I was going to be back in class in record time.

However, when I was brought to that same private meeting room it wasn’t Cecilia who was waiting for me.

Aaron.

“Wow, are you sure you got the right son?” I asked dryly.

My father let out a long withheld breath. “Arthur...I think it’s time you and I properly talked.”

I arched a skeptical brow and leaned against the far wall. “Do I have to? You got what you wanted, right? There’s no need for this.”

It didn’t faze me if I was coming off as rude or not. If anything, I was being honest. There was nothing—absolutely nothing that he and I needed to talk about. Mainly, because he’s never gone out of his way to talk to me before.

So, why now?

“I was wrong.”

“About?”

“You...I should have seen you for more than just another extension of Cecilia,” he explained softly. “I spoke to the family council. I told them about how you wish to pull out of the trials given what’s happened.”

My eyes widened. “You told them about what Cecilia—”

He gave a sharp nod of his head. “Everything,” he confirmed. “I told them everything about what your mother’s been doing.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Wait, do they know about Ella?”

Just what I need, a whole group of frantic nutcases trying to get rid of her.

But Aaron shook his head this time. “No. I think it would be best if Miss Belmont’s history remained kept between the group of us.”

“Well, what did the council have to say about my decision?” I asked.

“They said they wish you would reconsider your decision,” he said. “Many of them still think you would make a great leader.”

I blew out a long breath. “I want nothing to do with this fucked up family.”

Aaron gave me a genuine smile. “You could change it.”