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Chapter 23
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MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 24
It was one of those days on which, as usual, I thought everything was going just hunky-dory. I was sitting at the office, at my desk, reading over some reports, when my assistant, the specter, knocked on the door."Sir, there is a gentleman at the door who says he wants to see you. He says his name is Liam Greenwood," the assistant said.Liam Greenwood? Just the mention of his name made my spine shiver. He is Zara's ex boyfriend, who helped her escape during my welcome party. "Send him in. Okay?" I said, my voice in check, my words keeping my tightening chest calm.A minute later, the door swung wide, and Liam walked in, a few years younger, straddling like a man with that saucy, cocky swagger as though he had nothing to lose. His eyes wandered all over the room before finally resting on me with a smirk that put me instantly on guard."Kai," he said, like we were old chums. "Thanks for fitting me in on such short notice.""I forget that you and I are on first-name terms," I returned
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 25
KAi'S POV "Am I going to lose her?”That was the thought my mind vulture kept circling back to all the way home. Liam's smug face kept flashing before me; his words twisted inside me like a knife. He was arrogant, for sure, but the worst was he was too confident-too sure that Zara would come running back to him. And that too-real certainty fed every doubt I'd managed to bury deep.I drove up to the house, my head reeling from that conversation. Every step through those big front doors felt like dragging chains. The maids greeted me with usual politeness; I took no notice. Madam Tess said something, too; her voice fell into the distance. I couldn't stop, I didn't. I went directly into the study and swung the door shut behind me, as if somehow it could shut out the bedlam Liam had stirred."Sir, dinner is ready," one of the maids had said. I hadn't even heard her properly. All I knew was that I was losing control. Slumping into my chair, rubbing my temples, it was weighing down on me.
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 26
Zara's POV"Kai, we can't do this," I whispered back, my breathlessness satiated with the depth of his kiss. The beating of my heart was a race for my mind to make out what was happening.Kai's arms jerked tighter around my waist as he pressed his forehead against mine. "Why not?" he growled, the voice so hoarse it was really raw emotion,and his eyes latched onto mine for answers to questions he hadn't asked yet.I swallowed hard against my throat as I said, "This...it wasn't supposed to happen like this."He leaned in a bit closer, his face against mine in a whisper. "And yet it did," he all but purred as his lips tickled down the side of my face. "You kissed me back, Zara. You wanted this.”It was one sentence, all that was needed, it seemed like the truth was catching in my breath a little too close to home, apparently. Well, I had kissed him back. In the intent of that one moment lay desperation and longing, or so it seemed. Or was it just a spark, or something deeper?Before I co
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 27
ZARA'S POV. I stood in front of the mirror, the gown Kai gave me pouring down my body like liquid gold. Hugging my body at just the right places, for a second, I felt like royalty. I ran a hand down the front of my body, smoothing over every inch of it. He had perfect taste; I'd have to admit that."Is it to your taste?" Kai's voice came from behind, even and smooth. I turned halfway, his eyes, meeting mine in the mirror."Perfect," I said, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "You always manage to surprise me."He leaned in, warm breath ghosting over my neck as he delicately drew a strand of hair around my ear. "You deserve nothing less."From the tone of his words, it sounded as though he tiptoed around so that one step in the wrong direction snapped the tentative peace we'd forged between us. I couldn't help it, I snorted at the imagery, Kai Anderson, heartless businessman, soft and snuggly. Strange as this change was in him, with each time with him, the onus of this protec
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 28
Zara's POV The phone rang again. I didn't need to check the screen because really, I knew exactly who it was. Liam had been calling more these last couple of days. His voice pulled on memories I've been trying to bury. Memories I had no business dwelling on now. Yet with each ring, that voice stirred something inside my body.I sat on the bed and watched as the phone vibrated its way along the nightstand until finally coming to rest, pinging a few seconds later just to let me know I had a message."Call me back, Zara. Please."I swallowed hard, shut my eyes, and took a deep breath. I had absolutely no business returning that call. That at least I knew. Still, the pull was undeniable. Before I knew what I was doing, my fingers were already dialing the number.Zara." The voice was soft, too intimate and tugged at my heart in ways really not expected."Liam," I whispered, answering for some reason, knowing full well I was playing with fire."What's going on,Zara?" he said, the lilt in h
MARRIAGE PACT 29
Zara's POVI recovered from whatever daze I was and hastily pushed my phone beneath the pillow just as Kai entered, his features soft yet questioning. I forced a smile, commanded my heartbeat to steady. I couldn't tell him about Liam's call. Not now. Not when everything was looking up finally for us.Kai moved closer and sat beside me on the bed, tucking a strand of hair from my face. His fingers touching my skin sent shivers running down my spine, but this time it wasn't because I was afraid or jittery; it had grown inside, deeper than any doubts and confusion."You've been quiet," he said, his eyes scanning mine. "You okay?”I nodded, trying to swallow as my throat began to shrink in on itself. Really, I really couldn't not tell him everything anymore. But Liam? That part of my past needed to stay buried for now. I wasn't ready to open that door."I'm okay," I said in a whisper that was barely audible, not even convincing myself. "Just thinking."Kai lifted one brow-pretty obviously
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 30
Zara's POVSoft hums of laughter filled the dining room, clinking of silverware against plates that echoed in the background. I looked around the table, my heart pounding just a little too fast. Everybody was here, my father, Lena, Kai's mother. All the people who mattered and for once it seemed as if everything really was all right. A bit too right, maybe.Kai, I have to say," Mrs. Anderson said, patting her lips with her napkin, "This dinner is excellent. And Zara… you outdid yourself. The decor, the ambiance. So elegant."I saw Kai's smile across the table and returned one. His mother had always been standoffish, suspicious even, since everything had gone down. Tonight, though, there was a different tone in her voice, something warm, almost approving."Thank you, Mrs. Anderson, I'm glad you like it," I tried to say without my voice sounding like it was on an even keel, while my stomach was hosting a complete ecosystem of butterflies."Oh, call me Helen, dear, you're family now, af
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 31
ZARA'S POV.It's all one big blur tonight, me, the hall, racing heartbeats, spinning head, and Lena's words are still caught inside my head, thick fog in there. I swear to God, I heard the sound of her voice, it was as jealous as hell, asking if indeed I was happy with Kai, and that got me doubting it all in the first place. Whether I believe this, life with Kai, if this is really what I want?I leaned my back against the cool wall and took a deep, controlling breath. The house had plunged into an eerie silence after dinner. Kai was working in his study, but I knew what was to come. He'd asked me this morning, before all the craziness of tonight's dinner, if I would finally share a room with him. I'd heard him say that before, but tonight, after all that had happened, it was weighted. Like I was crossing some threshold with which I wasn't sure I was ready.I heard the soft pad of feet down the hall. Kai."Zara?" His voice was low, tinged with concern. "You've been standing here a whil
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MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 68
ZARA'S POV. FLASHBACK.The pungent smell of disinfectant filled my nostrils as I blinked into consciousness, the fluorescent lights above my head a brutal brightness to the eyes. Blinking a few times, I turned my head slowly around me. That was when I saw him sitting next to my hospital bed, concern etched deep in his features."I am so sorry," he said in that low, firm voice of his. "I didn't see you. I thought.."Stop," I whispered, my throat dry and raw. "You saved my life. You brought me here.""I had to," he pressed on, leaning further in. "You were… I hit you. I was terrified."In a few moments, the nurse came in, took my vitals, and peripherally I had forgotten all the agony that had lanced through my body. Finally finding my voice, I asked in a whisper, "What about my baby?”She reassured me that my baby was all right and that I really was lucky, not to have been hurt so seriously in the accident. The relief that flowed in then was displaced by the weight of my situation. My
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 67
LENA'S POV.I gripped the edge of the vanity, staring at my pale reflection. Zara. Her name clung to my tongue like poison, filling me with a rush of anger and fear. I'd hoped she would just stay gone after everything-after she found out about Liam and me. She had been so broken, so devastated. I'd hoped that would be the end of it.There she was, back from the past, standing beside no less a figure than Michael Hartmann. Of course, who did not know him: the billionaire whose influence cut across Berlin and beyond. Papa had been dying for a business partnership with his company; he said that was what would take ours to the next level. But if Zara swayed him against us…My bedroom door burst open, and Father stormed in, his face twisted with exasperation. "Lena, do you understand what this means?" his voice came sharp, tinged with anger so barely controlled. "This isn't some girl with a grudge. She's come back with Michael Hartmann. Do you know what that means for us?”"I know, Father,
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 66
KAI'S POV The room was din around me, the raw shock pounding through my veins, or that moment of clarity when it fell into place, but it just crashed upon me like a freight train. Michael Hartmann-the name which I had heard three years ago in that hospital when they told me she'd been taken out of the country. A man with that last name had been with her. Then, divorce papers. I was off and running. Michael Hartmann was the reason she'd left.I caught her alone just as she slipped away from the crowd. I moved fast, catching her arm and yanking her onto the balcony. Cold air slapped both of us when she whirled, eyes narrowing."What the hell do you think you're doing, Kai?" she snapped, jerking her arm free of my grasp."What am I doing?" I spat, voice shrill, trebly loud with the weight of years in unasked questions. "Zara, what am I doing? You vanished into thin air. You left me with nothing. And then you show up now, pretending… this?" My hand gestured to the door, to everything in
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 65
Kai's POVThe announcer's voice sliced through the hushed mass of people inside, nothing compared to the increase in tension inside that room, taking my brain away from the Michael Hartmann mystery. That look of wonder, how he stared straight into my eyes as though to know me, some hidden secret which only he can uncover with his eyes-just left something chilling upon my veins.His voice, with the microphone, boomed again, "Tonight, I am delighted to introduce you to a lady who is not only my fiancée but also my bright and supportive partner in this new venture. "The words were like a train that slapped and flung me back into reality. Fiancée? Partner? My gaze sliced to him; my heart was running amok."Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for Zara! "My heart stopped. Of all names, Zara.She walked out towards the stage, and for this one moment, in surreal fashion, the whole world did this weird flip around her. It was her, Zara; my Zara, this woman whom I had looked
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 64
Kai's POVThe host strode up the stage, his voice sonorously resounding in the luxurious ballroom and pulling me out of my conversation with Alina and Lena. I had been waiting for a reason, any reason, to tune out of their chit-chat, and it seemed I finally had one.“Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer spoke dramatically. “We are really privileged to introduce to you the CEO of Hartmann Enterprises: a man of vision, of legacy, who brings with him not just an empire but the promise of a new future.”I covered a yawn; the interest was just about nil. Each night was one and the same: a platform of cash and prestige filled with people dying to show off their influence. But as he went on further, I really did wrap myself up in one phrase that said: "A man of legacy." It resonated, though I couldn't quite place why."Tonight, please welcome… Michael Hartmann!”I straightened; my eyes narrowed. Hartmann. The name sounded to reverberate in my brain, tugging from a memory buried deep. I could
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 63
Lena's POVThe crystal chandeliers above cast soft golden glows on the finest of Berlin. I snapped the diamond bracelet onto my wrist and then turned to Liam standing beside me; his expression was set in that mask of disinterest so characteristic. He hadn't said a word all evening, but that didn't matter. Tonight was not about him-it was about appearances. And I needed ours to be impeccable."Can you believe this?" I said beaming, taking in the passing guests. "This CEO that everyone's talking about-he's already causing such a stir and he hasn't even arrived yet. Apparently he's young, from New Zealand and his family's legacy is-what's the word I'm looking for? Legendary.”Liam nodded shortly, his gaze already roving to the exits. I clench my teeth, hoping he would just bloody well fake interest in this. My voice didn't quiver as I plunged on, "Father is talking about a partnership, and if we play our cards right, it's going to be a translation of more influence inside Berlin business
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 62
Kai's POVI stared blankly at the woman across from me as my brain went numb, listening to her list all that she had accomplished, all of those high-end fashion events she had attended, and all those awards she had won. More than full-fledged into the fifth minute of elaboration about her high-end fashion career, her voice rose with each sentence ringing with pride.".and last year, I received the European Fashion Innovator award," she concluded, her chin just that fraction higher. "Honestly, it felt like a walkover without stress. I was kind of disappointed, all the others were just no competition at all. You understand how that goes, Kai-mediocrity has no standing against true talent.”I didn't change expression, only nodded a little to forward the encouragement. It was a trick I'd gotten pretty good at: the supportive nod and the accompanying hum that let people know I was really, really paying attention. She didn't catch on that I hadn't said a word in the last ten minutes. Or may
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 61
Kai's POVI stared blankly at the paper works in front of me, my mind was far from it. Three years…. Three years of searching, of questions that had gone unanswered, of nights that had gone with sleeplessness. Three years of wondering if Zara even remembered me, if she still thought of me-or if she was already lost in a world with someone else. And if she was… Is she raising our child with him? At the thought, my chest tightened with churning anger in my tummy, like a bitter edge.A knock on my door yanked me out of the spiral my thoughts had taken."Come in," I said, gruffer than I intended.My mother stepped in, the lines of her face set in that soft look of concern she had been wearing of late. "Kai," she said softly, seating herself across from me. "It's late. You should be home, rather than burying your nose in work.”"Work's all I have left, Mother," I replied flatly, without emotion, uncaring if the honesty hurt. The concern swirled in her eyes, but after years of her hinting a
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 60
KAI'S POVI pulled up to the address Mark had given me, eyes narrowing as I took in the tall gray façade of the building. A hospital. My chest clenched as anxiety crept up my throat. Why would Zara be here? Has she been hurt? And what about the baby? My baby. But no sooner was I inside, the sliding of automated doors, the sterile smell of antiseptic hitting my nostrils, did little to improve my disposition. My eyes did a quick sweep of the waiting room before they settled upon the receptionist, a girl, probably in her early twenties, fidgeting over a stack of files.I approached her; urgency practically dripped from my pores. "Excuse me," I said, stammering and fighting to keep the shakiness out of my voice. "I'm trying to find someone, a patient named Zara Adler. She was just recently admitted here this month."She looked up at me, with a courteous expression, voice detached. "Let me check," she said, fingers already racing across her keyboard. "Zara Adler, you said?""Yes, Zara Ad
