Marco's POV
Serene had been furious with me from the moment I married Lara. I ignored her calls, her questions, and the sharp messages she sent when I failed to explain myself. She hated being pushed aside, hated seeing someone else carry the title she thought was hers. And I understood why. I kept her hidden, kept her in the dark, kept her close enough to use but far enough to forget.
But none of it was for Lara's sake. Her safety was not my concern in the beginning. Everything I did was for me, for my pride, for the satisfaction of proving the prophecy wrong. The Moon Goddess had chosen someone else, and I refused to accept it. I wanted control, and shape my own fate. Lara was supposed to be temporary. She was a responsibility I planned to discard the moment she gave me my heir.
