The Contracted Ever After (Cordelia and Ronan) novel Chapter 718

Delia stormed across the living room, her voice a mix of fear and determination. "You really expect me to trust myself in the hands of a murderer? I've got no blood ties to you, Ronan. I mean, Callum's your flesh and blood, and what am I? Just someone you tolerate until I become inconvenient. And the day you get yourself a shiny new girlfriend and decide I’m a thorn in your side, who knows how I’ll end up? You could chop me into pieces and dump me in the sewers. Of course, that’d be too sloppy for you. You'd probably set me up in some kind of accident, making everyone think it was my own fault."

"Delia!!!" Ronan's rage was palpable.

"I need some space. I'm going to stay at the campus dorm for a while – and I'm taking Callum with me. Aunt Whitney and my mom too! Don't you dare try to stop me. If you do, I swear I'll jump out of this window. I'm not the hot-headed girl I once was, and I sure as hell won’t act on impulse anymore." Delia continued packing her bags, her resolve steeling with every word.

Ronan knew he couldn’t stop her, and part of him thought it might be for the best. Let her stay at the school for a few days.

Fuming, he slumped on the couch, grabbed a cushion, and hurled it across the room, his eyes locked on Delia’s agile figure, practically sprinting to get away.

Downstairs, Delia found Callum and said gently, “How about going to preschool at mommy’s university for a bit, Callum?”

Callum, sensing the tension and seeing his mom with suitcases, realized they were moving out, at least temporarily. He wondered if it was something he said that upset her.

"Mom, did I make you sad by getting Dad’s name wrong?" Callum was young, but even he could sense something was amiss. Could his dad have intentionally messed up the name, leading to Jayson's death? The thought alone was chilling.

"No, sweetheart, this has nothing to do with you. Mommy's just really busy and needs to spend some time at the university," Delia reassured him. "The campus is a great place, full of older kids to learn from. Isn’t that nice?"

Callum nodded, somewhat reassured.

Privately, Delia vowed not to let Callum grow up to be like Ronan – cold, calculating, and dogged by a guilty conscience.

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