Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates novel Chapter 496

Chapter 496: 496-The Unexpected Groom

Helanie:

"Okay, listen up," Vonston arrived shortly after I ended my call with Kaye.

"We have a groom on the way. It’s an old man—" he began, but I already knew who the groom was.

"I’m not marrying that old man," I hissed at him.

"Well, you are getting married tonight."

He shrugged and walked away, making me turn toward my family—who weren’t doing anything to help me.

"What am I going to do now?" I asked myself, rubbing my palms anxiously.

"What are you looking at me for? I’m not fighting anyone for you. The council gave us instructions—you have to get married or be exiled. And by exiled, they mean punished," my dad said, emotionless as ever.

Of course, he’d never stand up for me.

Even after I returned and achieved so much, he still wasn’t proud of me.

Sometimes, I wondered if he had ever loved me at all.

"But you can fight them. Why won’t you?"

My stepmother smirked, making my stepbrother laugh at her words.

"And Helanie, what was all that academy training even for? It’s not like you can fight everyone," my stepmother mocked, clicking her tongue at my misery.

"But I can!"

A loud, thunderous voice echoed through the hall as he walked in.

His presence filled the air, thick with tension. His body language screamed confidence.

"Norman!" I called out, running straight toward him and into his arms.

I’d been so stressed out and anxious, I didn’t even realize what I was doing. But seeing him gave me a sudden sense of calm.

He paused for a moment before gently placing his hand on the back of my head to comfort me.

"Where have you been?" I pulled back from the hug and asked, voice shaky. But before he could answer, my attention was already shifting. I was looking behind him—for Emmet.

"Norman, where is Emmet?" I asked again, my eyes widening by the second.

Norman looked like he had been through something.

"I—" he cleared his throat and then looked past me, toward my family, who seemed to have been watching us closely.

"Come here," Norman gently held my arm and led me toward the exit so we could talk without anyone overhearing.

The clouds were quickly filling up the sky, and I knew the council would rush to get me married.

The punishment had to happen on the exact day.

"Why is your cellphone switched off?" I hissed at him.

"It ran out of battery. I’ve been in the woods—looking everywhere for—"

He paused, and that’s when I finished the thought for him.

"Emmet? Did Emmet go missing?"

I watched as his face filled with sadness.

"I don’t know..."

He was definitely hiding something from me at this point.

"Norman, please tell me the whole truth."