Husband With Benefits-Chapter 869: Disappointment

"What is your opinion on me forcing someone into marriage?"

Dora, Kael, Lily, and Cai all looked up at Rafe as if he had just sprouted another head. The mere mention of ’forcing’ was enough to send a chill through the room. The thing about force, after all, was that it never carried positive connotations, no matter the context. Unless, perhaps, someone was forcing out toxic waste...

But marriage and force? Those two ideas did not belong in the same breath.

Kael, predictably, was the first to shatter the stunned silence as he stared at his brother with a look, "Are you talking about something similar to your previous situation? A Contract marriage? Because, let’s be honest, you barely dodged a bullet last time..."

Rafe sighed, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck. "Something similar, yes, but also different. This girl... she’s trustworthy. I know she is."

"Doesn’t matter," Dora interjected sharply, her tone as crisp as a knife’s edge. "If you’re forcing her into a marriage, then you are the one who isn’t trustworthy." She turned her sharp gaze toward Cai, clearly expecting him to echo her disapproval. "Well?" she demanded, folding her arms as if blaming him for Rafe’s question.

After all, Rafe had been hanging around with Cai more and more. And the Frosts were definitely a bad influence. "What do you think, Cai? Or are you seriously about to side with him? Lily, has this guy tried to force you into anything?"

Cai, however, wasn’t biting. He had his head tilted slightly, his eyes fixed on Rafe with a look of contemplative curiosity. Dora scowled at his lack of immediate response.

"Hey! Don’t leave me hanging here," she said, snapping her fingers toward him. "Are you going to agree with him or not? Is it okay for him to force someone into marriage."

"It was a hypothetical question..." Rafe tried to speak up but Dora shot him a look that had him regretting ever speaking up.

Cai sighed, shook his head slowly, and then pointed a finger at Dora, his voice calm but firm. "Why are you always so impatient? Let me think, will you?" He turned back to Rafe, his expression thoughtful, and when he spoke again, his words were deliberate, almost weighty. "While, yes, force in its very definition is wrong—and, let’s be honest, also illegal—"

"But I am the law in Petrovia," Rafe interrupted with a faint smirk, his tone only half-serious.

Cai snorted at him, unimpressed. "There’s narcissism, and then there’s you. Also, could you let me finish?" He rolled his eyes before continuing. "As I was saying, I do know of one instance where a marriage took place under less-than-ideal circumstances. The girl felt forced, —at least at first—but in reality, the only thing ’forced’ was the signing of the papers. No threats. No coercion. Just... circumstances. Seb and Olivia Frost. You’ve met them. Olivia got pregnant."

Dora’s eyebrows shot up. "And you’re saying that makes it okay?"

"I didn’t say that," Cai countered, holding up a hand to forestall her. "I said it happened. The difference here is that those two people were already in love, but they let misunderstandings and pride get in the way. They were separated because of it. The marriage—forced as it seemed—was just a way of cutting through the noise. And in the end, it worked. But..." He fixed Rafe with a pointed look. "That was an exception, not the rule. If you’re talking about forcing someone into a marriage just to get a wedding out of it, by all means, go ahead. You’ll get your ceremony and a wife in name."

He shrugged, his tone turning dry. "But if you want a life partner? Someone who’s going to stand by you through all the ups and downs? Force isn’t going to get you there. Not for long, anyway."

Rafe leaned back in his chair, Cai’s words cutting deeper than he let on. Still, he smirked, masking the unease curling in his chest, and turned to Dora with a mock-injured tone.

"Hey! I didn’t think you’d almost bite my head off over a hypothetical situation. Dora Sterling, I thought we were friends. We are almoist family!"

Dora rolled her eyes. "Fine, I overreacted. I was touchy about the subject. I shouldn’t have judged you so quickly. Considering mostly in the royal families girls are forced into marriage, I can be defensive." fгeewebnovёl.com

Rafe grinned, easing the tension with a casual quip as the conversation shifted to lighter topics. Laughter returned to the room, but his thoughts remained dark, tangled in the weight of what he couldn’t say aloud.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Cai watching him. Not idly, but with a sharp, knowing look as if putting together a puzzle. Rafe’s fingers curled into fists.

Dammit. Has he figured it out?

The thought made his stomach churn. Cai was perceptive—too perceptive. Did he know this wasn’t just a hypothetical? That this was about Arabelle?

She wasn’t someone Rafe could simply pursue. If she chose to run, the Frosts would protect her with all their power, shutting him out completely. He couldn’t risk that. Despite being royalty, he was not foolish enough to think he could handle the Frosts easily. He would if needed but he’d rather not. No, what he should do was to bind her to him before it was too late, to stop her from slipping through his fingers.

His gaze flicked back to Cai, whose faint smirk spoke volumes. Forcing himself to relax, Rafe asked lightly, "Something on your mind, Cai?"

Cai’s smile was thin, his tone casual. "Not at all."

Rafe’s chest tightened. Cai knew something—or suspected enough. He’d need to tread carefully if he wanted to keep his plans under wraps.

But even as Cai’s gaze shifted to Lily, maskign the man’s thoughts, Rafe could not help but wonder if all this would be moot. Arabelle had not contacted him yet after that time. So, it could be that she might not be pregnant, and all his thinking and planning would be wasted.