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Chapter 30
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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
MARRIAGE 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
MARRIAGE 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
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 34
LIAM'S POVI didn't turn my gaze away from her until she vanished out of sight. Long after the outline of her figure dissolved outside my sphere of vision, that ache in my chest refused to let go. She was gone; again. I fisted my hands deeper into my pockets to keep myself from running after her. But what good would that have done? She'd already made up her mind."Liam," Lena's voice cut into my reflections, soft tentative. "Are you ok?"I exhaled hard, turning to her belatedly. "What do you think?"One step closer; soft steps, yet resolute. I could feel her gaze on me, but I couldn't turn to her. My head was too full of Zara, her face, her words, her damn loyalty to Kai. Twisting inside me, that knot of frustration refused to loosen."I know it's hard," Lena whispered; she sounded a lot surer now. "But maybe this is for the best. Zara's… she's with Kai now. You need to move on."‘Move on.’ I could have laughed. Like that was so easy. How was I supposed to move on when every single t
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 35
ZARA'S POVI stood in the nursery, a sea of pastel colors all around me. The room was almost ready for the baby, but that mix of excitement and anxiety still had me folding and arranging the tiny clothes in the drawers. Every little piece made it all a little fresher. This wasn't just a dream anymore, I was going to be a mom."Zara!" Kai yelled from the other room, breaking my concentration.I checked the time. Just mid-morning, he was home from work already. I couldn't help the curve upwards in a smile. "Yeah? I'm in the nursery!"He stepped inside, leaning against the doorframe with that too-wide-to-ignore grin. "Need any help?”"No, I'm good, just trying to make everything perfect." Then I turned to him, and for a second, something glittered in his eyes, the excitement or mischief. "And you…what's got you so happy."He shrugged, looking around the room. "Just thinking how much I love it here, and how lucky I am."I snorted softly, the warmth of his words wrapping themselves around
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 36
ZARA'S POV"Just make sure you eat on time, okay?" Kai returned casually, though his eyes were dead serious. Since the minute I had asked him about his hushed conversation with Madam Tess in the kitchen, he had dismissed me. He leaned down and planted a soft kiss upon my forehead, and the smell of his cologne enveloped me, a smell that made me feel so safe, so secure."Of course! I'll just get some fruits first" I replied coolly, trying hopefully to show in my eyes just how concerned I was."Good. I'll catch you later." He grinned at me and slipped out the door, leaving me with a swirl of thoughts and questions.Later that afternoon, knowing the rest of it was going to be ultra-quiet, Lena phoned me and asked me whether I wanted to dine with her and my father. "Just a simple dinner," she said, "just family." And my first reactions were rather apprehensive, my mind still faced so much uncertainty, but it crossed my mind that I would just go with the flow; at least that would do some go
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 37
LENA'S POV.I frowned across the room at how Kai threw an arm across Zara's shoulders as they laughed together. In the radiant lights, sparkling like stars, her face was like one standing out, it reached in and yanked my heart down. She could be this happy lapping up the glow of everybody's admiration. Did she even know what she had?"Lena!" My father's voice cut into my thoughts, dragging me back to the reality of the party. "Are you all right? You look a bit pale.""Yeah, just… enjoying the atmosphere." I forced a smile, though my eyes did stay around Zara. "It's quite a party, right?"He nodded, none wiser over my inner turmoil. "Your sister deserves this after everything she has been through."Everything she has been through? It was like I was the only one who didn't matter,"Of course," I said, not showing how it really felt.In an instant, I spotted Liam was across the room off near the drinks table, eyes glued on Zara. And me? Wasn't anyone supposed to care that I, too, had been
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 38
Zara's POVThe sun was just about setting, sending golden rays on the horizon. I fell back against the plush seat of the convertible and immediately, the wind began playing with my hair. On one side lay the endless ocean; on the other side of the road, hills were clothed in lush greenery. It could only get better because Kai had really gone all out to make my birthday unforgettable and now this trip.“You're quiet," Kai said, his voice low, his hand lying atop mine. "Too much sun? Or just enjoying the view?"I smiled, twisting my head to meet his gaze. "Just… taking it all in. You've really outdone yourself, Kai. The party, the car, it's overwhelming."He gave a small, satisfied grin. "Nothing is too much for you, Zara.”The husky voice saying my name wrung emotion into my chest. I flipped my hand over and laced our fingers together. This felt right. For the first time in a very long time, I wasn't thinking about anything else but this moment. All tensions and complications between us
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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
