Aurora pursed her lips.


    She did have some money saved up. No matter who managed the household, her portion was non-negotiable. As for the bride price, she had kept some of it for herself there was no way she would have given it all to the Warrens! The small dowry she had been given wouldn''t have been enough to live on, and she would never agree to the marriage without some savings of her own.


    However, the money she had saved was meant for the future.


    "You can take it if you need it, but you have to borrow what''s necessary. After I escape, I''ll be alone and without any support. I can''t be left without money. You can''t expect me to wander the streets and starve in the cold," she said.


    Barrett steered the conversation toward money as he knew it was better to discuss that first. Otherwise, pressing for too much information would make him seem too forceful and arouse Aurora''s suspicions.


    "How much do you have? I''ll look at it, leave you some, and use the rest to hire people. If it''s not enough, I''ll borrow from Vi," he suggested.


    Aurora pondered. She knew that relying on Vi for arge sum might not work. Though Vi was from a noble family, the woman was stingy and frugal.


    "I have two to three thousand silver coins, but you can only take one thousand," she said.


    Barrett tried to ask for two thousand. After some back-and-forth, they settled on one thousand five hundred.


    With the money settled, Barrett naturally needed to know what cards Aurora had up her sleeve. She had to tell him, or he wasn''t willing to take the risk. This was a matter of his future, maybe even his life. If he didn''t feel secure, he couldn''t agree. Aurora watched him for a long moment before suddenly asking, "Barrett, you''re not trying to sell me out, right?"


    Barrett''s thoughts hadn''t fully shifted away from the bargaining. He wasn''t the sharpest and his emotional responses were often slow. After all the bargaining, it almost seemed like he truly believed he was nning for her.


    So, when he heard her question, he looked up in surprise, his tone filled with anger and grievance as he replied, "What did you say? If you don''t trust me, why would you entrust me with something so important? I''m putting my life and future on the line, and you still doubt me?"


    Aurora might have understood Barrett, but the truth was, she didn''t understand men. Lying was second nature to them and they had a knack for it.


    ??.??


    Human nature wasplex and ever-changing, and that included her own. When it came to Barrett, she always saw him through a simplistic lens and thought she had him figured out. Her caution, sensitivity, and suspicion often blinded her to the truth, leaving her unable to see through the man she believed she understood so well.


    On top of that, Barrett was herst hope. Deep down, she still believed that he had feelings for her.


    After a long silence, she said, "Don''t worry. The remnants of Eleanor''s faction are colluding with a female official at Grand Princess Lisandra''s side. She can ensure that nothing goes wrong."


    Barrett looked at her in shock. "A female official at Grand Princess Lisandra''s side? Are you saying that Grand Princess Lisandra has joined forces with Eleanor''s faction?!"


    "No, not Grand Princess Lisandra,


    but a female official at her side." Aurora decided to juste clean. "When Mrs. Lester came to see me during your mom''s funeral, she told me this. She insisted I hold onto Dominic because if he gets captured by Westhaven, Victory Pass will fall."


    "That doesn''t add up." Barrett thought carefully. "If they told you Westhaven wants General Sullivan, then even if the Hell Monarch''s people try to rescue him, it''s unlikely to seed."


    "Naturally," Aurora replied, "most of


    the troops will be focused on guarding Dominic. If the king agrees to Westhaven''s request but the Hell Monarch''s people try to rescue him, that would be going against military orders and viting the treaty made after the two kingdoms'' negotiations." Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    M


    Her eyes were filled with a chilling certainty, as though she could already foresee Carissa''s fate.


    "In that case, whether they seed or fail, the king will punish them."


    She leaned in even closer to Barrett, her voice dropping to a near whisper, "When the chaos hits, you''ll have a better chance of saving me. The odds will be much more in your favor."