Andrew seemed hesitant but pressed on, âHave you given any thought to our earlier conversation?â
When silence was my only response, he prodded, âIâm referring to the favor of you acting as my betrothed.
â
I found myself without words.
The question loomed large.
Truth be told, assisting Andrew was far from appealing, given Shirleyâs antics and Veronicaâs inaction.
Yet, Calebâs incident this morning had tipped the scales in Andrewâs favor.
âNo!â Ivy sensed my emotions.
âDonât rush into an agreement.
Weâve only glimpsed what looks like betrayal from Caleb.
The full story remains untold.
Could we be misreading the signs?â
Skepticism laced my voice as I replied, âAfter whatâs transpired, is there truly room for doubt?â
Fraught with concern, Ivy urged, âIf you hastily consent, itâll tether you to Andrewâs side, away from the pack and your children.
Think of Dylan and Elena.
Have you weighed the impact on them?â
Ivyâs caution gave me pause.
My disdain for Caleb lingered, yet our children deserved no part in the strife.
I took a moment before speaking to Andrew.
âThe stakes are high.
I need time to deliberate.
â
He respected my need for space, nodding in agreement.
âOf course, Iâll await your decision.
â
With a gesture of farewell, he offered, âRest up, Debra.
Iâll seek you out once I can.
May joy find you.
â
I expressed my gratitude with a nod.
âI appreciate it, truly.
â
Andrew left with a subtle smile, a silent promise of return hanging in the air.
Debraâs POV:
As soon as I returned to my room, before I could even lie down, a servant, having received earlier instructions, brought my daughter to me.
âDebra, Mr.
Pierce asked me to bring Abby to you,â the maid said with a pleasant smile.
âHe mentioned youâve been missing her and wanted to see her as soon as possible.
Sheâs had a good nap; thereâs no need to worry.
â
She then carefully placed Abby into my arms.
âThank you.
â My gratitude was tinged with complex emotions.
The demeanor of the servants often mirrored that of their master.
Initially, upon my arrival, the staff were polite yet distant, perhaps viewing me with a measure of disdain.
However, as time passed and they observed Andrewâs respectful treatment towards me, their attitudes shifted to one of genuine respect.
I had to acknowledge, Andrew was unlike other pureblood witches; he did not harbor the same prejudices against mixed-blood witches and treated us with sincerity.