MARRIAGE PACT

ZARA'S POV My father and I sat in the back seat of his car, parked inside Standesamt Mitte in Berlin, awaiting the arrival of the Adlers. The marriage registration was scheduled for 15:00, and it was already 14:00."There must be other ways of saving the company; do I have to do this?" I turned to my father, who had been silent since our arrival.He sighed heavily, "That's not the only issue; you'll be marrying a man old enough to be your uncle," he grasped my hands, his expression grave as he met my gaze, "But desperate times call for desperate measures, Zara. This marriage is our only option to avoid bankruptcy and homelessness."Tears began streaming down my cheeks as the weight of the situation sunk in. "But why me?" I protested softly. "What about Lena? She's older; she could handle this much better than me."His expression suddenly hardened, and he dropped my hand, signalling my breach of an unspoken line."You, Zara, know exactly why. Your sister is instrumental to the company

KAI'S POV The room was dim, illuminated only by the glow of my laptop screen. I sat at my desk surrounded by piles of medical journals and printed articles. I stared at the email from Dr. Richardson in London, my pulse quickened as I read the words again. ** Mr Adler, the surgery has a 30% chance of success. However, if you don't undergo the procedure soon, it will be too late. The tumour is aggressive, and immediate action is required. Please consider the risk and make your decision swiftly.**My phone rang. It was my friend and the managing director of my company, Ethan.“Hello,” I said, answering the call calmly.“I just found out that you didn't come to your office today. Did something happen?” Ethan asked, his voice laced with concern.“No, everything's fine, I just needed some rest,” I responded soothingly, trying to ease his worry. “All right. I have some reports to hand over to you personally. So, I'll see you at your house later today,” Ethan s

ZARA'S POV Ethan's announcement yesterday left me dangling over the edge. I was up all night thinking about how the rest of my life was going to be a living hell once KKaireturned. I thought I had it all planned out–Kai's death, my freedom and my life with Liam. But fate had other plans to snatch away my freedom forever, by giving Kai another chance to live. ‘I can't stay trapped with Kai for the rest of my life. I have to get out here, I have to run far away from the Adlers and my family.’ The thought echoed in my head, fueling my determination. I couldn't give up on my freedom yet.I was in my room, pacing and trying to formulate a plan, when I heard Mrs Adler's voice from the living room, which filled the whole house.“Zara, dear!” she called out, her tone unusually cheerful. “I have wonderful news!”I forced a smile and walked downstairs, my heart sinking with every step. Mrs Adler stood in the foyer, beaming. “Kai has regained consciousness,” She announced. “He called me per

KAI'S POVWhen I woke up on the hospital bed two days ago, the world felt different, it was as if I had been reborn. I was surrounded by the sounds of medical equipment and the soft murmurs of the hospital staff. My body still aches, but it was much better than when I first woke up; it was a dull pain and a reminder that I made it alive, against all odds, I had survived and was given another chance in life. The room was private, with a large window letting in the morning sunlight. I moved my wheelchair closer to the window and stared at the view outside. I felt weak but more alive than I had in months. My first thoughts were my mother, my unborn child and of course, Zara, my supposed wife who is carrying my child.I left without telling them the truth so as not to get my mother scared or worried. Zara wouldn't care less if anything happened to me. I'm sure Ethan would have broken the news to them about my successful surgery. I had told the doctor to inform him about the outcome of

"Kai, are you sure about this?" Ethan's voice was low, yet, from where we sat in my office, waiting for Lena to arrive, I felt the tautness in his tone.I nodded, not taking my eyes off the door. "She's the only lead we have. If Zara told anyone about her plan, it would be her sister."Ethan flopped back in his chair, expressionless. "I hope you are right. If she knows anything, though, she isn't going to make it easy.""She'll talk," I said, hardening my voice. "One way or another, she'll talk."Uneasy silence crawled minutes while my mind kept racing on and on. Security tapes kept running over in my head, the picture of Zara getting into that car with some mystery man, her image branded into my brain, and I flared up in a burning rage that just would not die. I had to know who'd helped her.Again, the silence was broken by someone else's knock on the door, and Ethan stood up to let her in. Lena walked in looking nervous; her eyes flitted from Ethan back to me, trying to be bold, tho