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Chapter 25
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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
Last Updated : 2024-10-02MARRIAGE 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
Last Updated : 2024-10-02MARRIAGE 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
Last Updated : 2024-10-02MARRIAGE 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
Last Updated : 2024-10-04MARRIAGE 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
Last Updated : 2024-10-04MARRIAGE 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
Last Updated : 2024-10-04MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 32
ZARA'S POVThe next morning I woke up in Kai's bed, my decision weighing inside my mind like a shadow. I'd chosen this, I'd chosen him, this life. Yet lying here staring at the ceiling, Liam's message still haunted me. ‘Let's talk this out. I love you.’ It was still echoing inside my head; it took everything not to respond. I'd chosen. For now.He was already up by the time I left the bedroom. Kai sipped his coffee in the kitchen, donning an easy smile. "Morning," he said, and the softness of his eyes when they hit mine yanked something inside my body."Morning," I replied, trying to sound light, but it didn't leave my chest.Kai set his coffee cup on the counter and nodded toward a small box on the counter. "I got something for you."I raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"He reached for the box and flipped it open, revealing a sleek, black credit card. The sheen of it gleamed under the kitchen lights, taunting me. "It's yours," he said. "I want you to have whatever you need, Zara. Anythi
Last Updated : 2024-10-05MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 33
ZARA'S POVI passed under the entrance of this high class department store and my stomach was still twisted as if it was still heavy from that unlimited credit card in my bag. I turned to Lena beside me and her eyes were sparkling with excitement as she looked around."You serious, Zara? Unlimited card?" she shrieked, trying to bite a smile back and doing a very bad job. "Kai's spoiling you, sis. This is insane!"I nodded, still clearly not natural to spend so freely. "He told me to get anything I wanted. It's supposed to make me feel… supported."Lena grinned. "Girl, if this is his way of supporting you, I'd say he's doing a pretty damn good job. I'm so happy for you Zara. I was worried sick about you, I thought it was all a charade that he put you up to. But this is real."Teasingly enough, but my mind ran to something far more serious, and I didn't know whether the card had said something about Kai's care for me or something transactional. I shook the thought away and forced a smi
Last Updated : 2024-10-05
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MARRIAGE PACT 87
Zara's POVThe world contracted, and I breathed shallowly; all the little noises around me sounded muffled. And then, in the eye of my brain was Kai's smirk, the cruel confidence etched in his features-because it reminded me just what futile position I find myself in with him: he has my son, and he knows that.Teeming with warmth from the multitude of members, with facial masks of confusion and curiosity while the room filled in, my stepfather Mr. Klein finally reached an upright pose, his mask of control mixed with charm upon his face, though it was faintly shaded over by some unease which danced through his eyes.Kai let out this calm, yet strong and clear voice from the back: "Now that is off our back, let us resume."He turned to Mr. Klein, who gave him less than a nod of acknowledgement. My stepfather moved forward; his voice was like silk-slow, cultured, calculated. "Ladies and gentlemen, please-I do apologize for this misunderstanding just now. It was about something very perso
MARRIAGE PACT chapter 86
Zara's POV Thick as the air you breathe, tension lay heavy in the room with all the threats flying around. Michael stood firm beside me, his very presence of us against them. Mr. Klein and Kai sat before us, the sharp glint in their eyes keen and calculating. Here's the deal," Michael said, even but icy. "You come clean about everything-illegal deals, murder, cover-ups-or we take it to the press." Klein let out a low, insidious chuckle that succeeded in raising the hairs on the back of my neck. "You've got a lot of nerve, boy. You have any idea what you're up against? "Don't test us," I said, cutting in-the edge of my resolve, lacing my tone. "We have all the evidence against you: documents, recordings, eyewitnesses. Your empire will fall, and for the first time, you will pay for your crimes." Kai leaned back in his chair, curling his lips a little. "And you are above the law, is that it? You just think nothing's going to come your way due to your little crusade?" I met his gaze
MARRIAGE PACT chapter 85
Zara’s POV The thick silence of the room, after all the board members had been dismissed, made the air almost unbearable. Those who remained were those that counted toward this confrontation: Kai, Michael, Jacob, Mr. Klein, Lena, and me. I felt the weight of their gazes upon me-Lena in her confusion, Jacob in his calm resoluteness, Michael in steadfast support, Mr. Klein in feigned nonchalance, and Kai piercingly amused. Kai was the first to speak, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. “Well, Zara, it seems you’ve set quite the stage. What now?” I took a step forward, my pulse racing but my expression calm. “Now, the truth comes out—every last piece of it.” Mr. Klein leaned back in his chair, the smirk concealing something more unease in his eyes. "Truth is such a subjective concept, don't you think?" I turned my back to him, turning to Lena instead. She looked just so lost, so totally bewildered by everything that had happened. My heart was out for her, but this wa
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 84
Zara's POV Thick with tension, suffocating, the room slowly filled with members, reporters, and the unmistakable weight of anticipation. Michael sat beside me, calm and collected as expected, yet practically humming with energy. This was it—today was the day. Across the room, Mr. Klein's smug confidence had fallen to a more guarded expression. Kai sat beside him, leaning back in his chair with an unsettling calm, his calculating gaze flicking between Michael and me. But it wasn't Kai or Klein that unsettled me the most. It was Lena. She stood beside her father, a mask of confusion etched upon her face, her eyes darting in my direction for some sort of explanation-one that for now was impossible for me to provide. Whispers of reporters murmured their questions, as cameras poised for a shot of every moment in action. I pulled the folder laid across my lap just a little tighter. It was heavy-heavier than the words of my mother. Michael leaned closer into me; his voice low, "You ready
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 83
Kai's POV I sat in my study-the soft glow of the lamp on my desk, the only light in the room. It was dead silent, with only the irregular tick of the clock on the wall breaking the stillness. My eyes flickered toward the envelope that lay on the desk, its edges slightly shaking under the weight it carried. Madam Tess entered quietly, carrying a tray with a glass of scotch. "The envelope from Ethan arrived earlier today," she said in that still, calm tone of hers; though her eyes told a whole different story. "Leave it there," I said, nodding toward the desk. I sounded colder than I knew, but the disposition to soften it just wasn't there. I nodded, setting down the drink and envelope, before beating a retreat for the door. A glance over my shoulder before I went did seem in order. "Whatever it is, sir, I hope it brings you clarity." Clarity. A commodity I hadn't enjoyed for years. It glowered at me, a silently hurled challenge. My hand moved to it much more slowly, sliding the kn
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 82
Zara’s POV "We’re almost there," Michael said, his voice steady, yet laced with determination. He leaned forward, spreading the documents across the table in his study. "This evidence alone could take Klein down, but combined with yours, Zara, it’s irrefutable." I nodded, my eyes scanning the papers in front of me. My fingers danced over the old recorder on the table-the same one that had captured a truth I wished I could forget. "It's been three years, but hearing it again." I trailed off, shaking my head. "It still feels unreal." Jacob leaned forward, his voice finally coming deep into the corner, a frown on his face. "Whatever the pain, that recording is the nail to the coffin, Zara. It blindsides both Klein and Kai. I looked toward him with those grooved lines on his features. Years of unjust accusations the world had thrown at this man, my source of strength, and yet some window of ache in the eyes reminded me of exactly what this was all about:. "They silenced her," I whispe
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 81
Kai's POV "Say that again, Ethan," I growled, my fingers clamping onto the edge of my desk. My jaw clenched as I waited for him to repeat words that had already set my pulse racing wildly. The silence had stretched long, but when the words did come, Ethan sounded distinctly uncomfortable. "The boy. He was born in New Zealand two years ago. His birth certificate lists Michael Hartmann as the father." My fist came up onto the desk before I could catch it. It made a resounding thud that bounced back into the silent room. "You're telling me Zara gave birth to a boy and didn't feel that was something important enough to mention to me?" "That's exactly what I'm saying," Ethan replied evenly, though I could hear the hesitation in his voice. "The child is with Michael's cousin. I have the address." I closed my eyes, breathing in deeply, trying to restrain the storm inside me. She lied to me. She told me he was dead. My mind coursed through the possibilities. What kind of twisted game was
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 80
Michael's POVThe glow from my laptop screen cast faint shadows across the darkened study. I leaned back in my chair, the weight of the discoveries pressing hard upon my chest.How deep does this go?For weeks, I had tracked every transaction with Mr. Klein's name on it, using his business partnership as cover in investigating his accounts. And what I'd found wasn't illegal; it was explosive: shell companies, offshore accounts, bribed officials-a web of corruption. And right at the center of it? Kai.A knock on the door yanked me from my reverie. Zara stepped inside, her expression grim."Any luck?" she asked, her voice soft yet urgent.I gestured toward the screen. "More than I bargained for."She closed the door behind her and went closer, crossing her arms. "What did you find?"I turned the laptop toward her. "See for yourself."Her eyes moved down the documents, while her furrowed eyebrows deepened further with each passing second.“Offshore accounts in dummy names,” I began, “Tra
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 79
Zara's POVMichael’s voice was low, but the tension in his words cut through the air like a blade. “I don’t care what your agenda is, Kai. Whatever game you’re playing with Zara, it stops now.”I stood frozen, unseen by either of them, near the door of the conference room. Neither had noticed me step back inside after fetching my file. I pressed my back against the wall, angling for the confrontation without a sound.Kai was annoyingly calm, the arrogance dripping from every pore. "Game? I don't think you understand, Michael. This is no game to me. I have unfinished business with Zara. You're in my way."Michael let out a harsh snort foreign in nature. "Whatever unfinished business you think you have with her is of no relevance. She moved on. You should know how to respect that.”“Moved on?" Kai's laughter was low and cold. "That's what she told you? You really are a kidder, Michael. Zara is a master of concealing the truth. If you think you know her, you're living in dreamland."With
