# Chapter 143: Holding Onto the Present
Hello everyone, it’s me again! How are you all doing? It’s a joy to be here with you once more, walking through the pages of *Forgotten Wife: Let the Traitors Kneel Down*. Today, we dive into Chapter 143, a chapter that weaves together tenderness, fear, raw love, and the quiet ache of a heart afraid to hope. Let’s step into this world where darkness looms—but passion burns even brighter.
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The night had already wrapped itself around the castle, still and heavy with the weight of recent battles. Alessandro had been buried in his duties until exhaustion began to pull at his bones. Yet as he made his way to the room he shared with Abril, he found not a sleeping wife, but a restless one. Standing near the door, she was a vision of quiet determination—and worry.
“Are you going somewhere?” he asked, his voice soft but curious.
“Yes, I was going to look for you,” she confessed, and she looked at him with those golden eyes that could unmake him, even in the middle of the night.
Something was troubling her, he could tell. And soon, the words spilled from her heart. She spoke of her desire to bless weapons in their fight against the creatures born of darkness, to use her newly awakened powers to protect those she loved. But as she spoke, the cracks in her confidence showed. She was unsure of her magic, afraid of pushing too far too soon.
Alessandro stepped closer, wrapping his arm around her waist and cupping her cheek with a gentleness that seemed almost impossible for a man so hardened by war. “I understand how you feel, but you don’t have to force yourself to do anything. The elves have already promised us weapons blessed by the light, and warriors are coming. Your powers have only recently awakened. Don’t rush yourself, Aby—we don’t know how much magic your body can bear, nor what seals still lie unbroken upon your soul.”
But Abril’s heart was too restless to be calmed by logic. What if the elves didn’t arrive in time? What if the enemy attacked before they were ready? Every question carried the sharp edge of fear. And then, the memories came rushing back like a tide of pain: the screams at the dance, the crimson smell of blood, the fallen and the wounded, and the terrifying sight of the monsters closing in on Alessandro.
“When I saw your life in danger,” she whispered, her voice cracking, “my heart broke into a thousand pieces. I love you so much, Lessan. I can’t bear the thought of losing you.”
And what could a man say to that? Words were not enough. So Alessandro kissed her—not a gentle peck, but a kiss that claimed her, a kiss that poured every ounce of love, protection, and silent promise into her soul. It was strong, and yet kind. Sweet. Tender. He kissed her until her trembling stopped, until her anxiety began to melt beneath his warmth, until the haze in her eyes softened.
When he finally parted from her lips, she was breathless, her cheeks flushed, her lips slightly swollen. His voice was a low, gentle balm: “I’m here with you, Aby. You’re not going to lose me. I know this is traumatic for you, but don’t be afraid. I’m here, and I don’t plan on going anywhere. I’ve promised you that, remember?”
Slowly, she placed her hand on his chest. She felt his heartbeat, strong and steady, and the rhythm of his breathing. It was enough to anchor her, to pull her back from the storm in her own mind.
“I can’t imagine a life without you, Lessan,” she breathed. “A future without you is a future too dark to face. When I think that something might happen to you, my heart fills with fear and anxiety. If something ever happened to you, I...”
He kissed her again, a whisper-soft touch, barely more than a brush of his lips against hers. And yet, that single, achingly tender kiss calmed her like nothing else could.
“Aby, don’t worry about the future, or you’ll lose sight of the present,” he murmured. “Let’s live day by day. Let’s live every moment, every instant we have with each other.”
And so she did. Abril wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, passionately, desperately. She wanted to feel him, to be consumed by him, to seal their togetherness with every fiber of her being. In that moment, she didn’t care about what was to come—all that mattered was that they were together, here, now, madly in love.
Alessandro lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed. Their lips never parted, their bodies moved in perfect harmony, and the night became theirs alone. They made love in a way that went beyond the physical, their union forging an invisible bond of souls. Each kiss, each caress, each whispered breath told the same tale: *I belong to you, and you belong to me.* And in that cocoon of passion, all their worries slipped away. The world outside didn’t exist. Only the two of them, tangled together in the whispering dark.
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Meanwhile, under the royal ceiling of their guest chambers, Maya and Cassian lay wide awake in their own bed. Sleep had become a stranger since Ethan’s warning. There was no mistaking what he had told them: they may have been treated like guests, but they were not guests. They were unwelcomed visitors, interlopers who had burst into this hidden kingdom without invitation. It was a razor’s edge they walked, and the danger hung above them like a blade.
But for a moment, as Maya turned her gaze to the skylight above the bed, all of that faded in awe. The sky here was breathtaking—so vast, so clear, so impossibly beautiful. The moon burned brighter than she had ever seen it, and the stars scattered across the night looked like tiny diamonds too numerous to count. It was a sight that made her forget, for a heartbeat or two, that she was standing at the edge of danger.
Cassian’s arm slid around her waist, his warmth pulling her from her reverie. “Are you sleeping?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“No,” she breathed. “And after what Ethan said, I doubt I will.”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep either.”
Maya rested her hand gently over his, a gesture of quiet gratitude. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Why are you thanking me?”
“Thank you for that day you allowed me to go with you. Because of you, I’ve seen and experienced things I never could have imagined.” She paused, her voice turning softer, more vulnerable. “I know you were forced to take me with you. And yet, even when I went to gather my things and you could have left me behind... you didn’t. You waited for me.”
Cassian let out a small, thoughtful breath. “You’re right, actually. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that at the time.”
But then he turned his head, resting his chin on her shoulder, and intertwined his fingers with hers. “But I’m glad I didn’t, because otherwise... I wouldn’t be here with you now.”
Something in the quiet honesty of his words made Maya turn around. She needed to see his face, to search for the truth in his eyes. And when her gaze met his, she saw something that made her breath catch, something that made the carefully built wall around her heart tremble and crack. She wanted to believe it was real, but she didn’t dare. Still, she had to know.
“Do you love me?” she asked, the question hanging in the air like a fragile thread.
Cassian blinked, startled by the question. The truth was, he didn’t know the nature of his own feelings. But he knew one thing for certain—he wanted to be with her. He wanted her near, no matter what the world said.
“If I’m honest... I don’t know,” he admitted. “All I know is that I want to be by your side. Do you love me?”
Maya’s silence was louder than any answer. She knew the truth in her own heart, but she refused to speak it aloud. Because between them, there would never be a future—not one that was allowed, not one that could survive. So instead of answering, she leaned forward and kissed him, soft and sweet, and then slipped away from the question entirely.
“I think we better try to get some sleep,” she said, evading, deflecting, hiding beneath a mask of calm. “We don’t know what we’ll face tomorrow.”
Cassian felt the evasion, of course he did. But he also understood her. He didn’t want to force a confession that wasn’t ready to be born.
“Yes,” he agreed quietly. “I think that will be best.”
But as they lay there in the dark, eyes open and hearts restless, neither of them found sleep easily. Because the words unspoken hung between them, as luminous and unreachable as the distant stars.
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## Reader's Impressions & Star Rating
What a beautifully intense chapter! This is one of those rare heavenly blends of sensuality and emotional vulnerability. The way Alessandro calms Abril’s fears through his unwavering love and devotion is simply swoon-worthy. Every kiss felt like a promise, every caress a prayer. On the other side, Maya and Cassian’s quiet conversation is tinged with a bittersweet ache—so much unsaid, so much forbidden. The chapter masterfully contrasts passionate, fulfilling love with hesitant, uncertain feelings. It reminds us that love isn’t just about fighting battles—sometimes, it’s about holding the one you love and choosing to live in the present.
I absolutely loved this chapter. It’s tender, raw, and deeply emotional.
⭐ **Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars**
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## Next Chapter Prediction
With Abril’s powers still sealed and the elven warriors not yet arrived, the shadow of the coming battle looms larger than ever. I predict that in the next chapter, the enemy may strike before the reinforcements are ready—forcing Abril to push her limits in a desperate attempt to protect those she loves. And what will happen between Maya and Cassian when danger forces their true feelings to the surface? Something tells me a storm is coming, and when it hits, secrets will be shattered and hearts will be tested.
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