Bella had been a little worried since morning.
She knew the Governor well enough to understand that whatever had happened, he would find someone to bear the weight of his frustration. And that someone had already begun to take shape in his mind.
Someone Bella could not bear to see hurt.
That was why she found herself making her way to Bran’s room once again, intending to sit with him and talk.
Bran had appeared confident in front of his father earlier that day. He had held himself together remarkably well, but Bella believed that beneath that composure, he must have been feeling cornered. He was being blamed for something he had never done, with no way of knowing how far the Governor was willing to take the matter.
And if the Governor had somehow fabricated the evidence, Bella had little doubt that he would eventually find a way to frame Bran, one way or another.
She needed to speak with him about it. More importantly, if things truly were heading in that direction, she wanted to help him prepare for the worst.
Knock.
Bella rapped softly on the door before calling out, "It’s me, Bran. Can I come inside?"
There was a brief pause before his voice came from within.
"Yeah."
She slowly opened the door, the lantern in her hand casting a warm glow into the room. She had expected to find him alone and perhaps troubled by everything that had happened.
Instead, Bran was standing right there, a smile already resting on his face.
"Missed me?" he asked, taking the lamp from her hands and setting it aside.
Bella offered him a faint smile. "Why didn’t you come out to eat?"
Bran shook his head. "Didn’t feel like it. Anyway, how is everything? Did that old bastard say anything to you?"
Bella gently reprimanded him. "Don’t call him that, Bran. He is your father."
"You really think I regard him as such?" Bran asked, his voice carrying not the slightest trace of sarcasm.
Bella looked up at him, her eyes turning round, before he continued.
"He has always been neglectful and cruel toward me. He made me wear rags and whatever George discarded. I barely received proper food, and now he simply wants to frame me because he had to reward me before."
Bran shook his head, a bitter resignation settling into his expression. "I was nothing more than a burden to him, whether you want to accept that or not. And now, he’s simply grown tired of me."
Bella could not refute him.
Since Bran’s childhood, Trevor had blatantly discriminated against him, reminding Bran time and again that he did not truly belong to the family. There had never been any attempt to hide the distinction. It had been made clear in the way Trevor spoke to him, the things he denied him, and the contempt with which he regarded his very existence.
Even the servants had followed the example set by the head of the household. Bran had been neglected by nearly everyone within those walls, treated as though his presence were an unpleasant affliction that was best ignored rather than acknowledged.
For years, he had been made to understand that he was an outsider living beneath a roof that was supposed to be his home.
Half the reason Bella had never left this place to visit her sisters was Bran. She knew that if she were ever gone for too long, he might go without food for days, perhaps even starve to death, and no one in the household would so much as raise an eyebrow. Her presence was one of the few things that kept him from being completely forgotten.
A moment later, she looked up at him and asked, "What have you thought? Things looked quite distressing here."
Bran hummed softly before reaching out and pulling her closer.
Bella did not resist. She settled beside her son, their shoulders touching as she took his hand in hers. Bran was quiet for a moment before finally speaking.
"Well, I’ll figure something out, but I’m not running away." He looked down at her, his expression steady despite the uncertainty hanging over them. "And I promise, no one will harm you either."
His hand rose to her face, his fingers resting gently against her cheek.
"You are the only person I can’t lose," he whispered.
Bella was frozen at her place. A warm sensation traveled down her body hearing those words. The look in his eyes made her feel that believing his words was the most natural thing in the world.
Her heart fluttered unknowingly as she smiled and faintly nodded. "I trust you."
Bran nodded as well, but then...he froze.
[+2 Lumina]
He looked at the notification and then the beautiful woman before him.
Wait a moment...did he just unknowingly aroused his mother?
’Just how long she has been neglected?’
~~~
A/N:- Thanks for reading. Add the book to your collection.