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Chapter 37
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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
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 39
Kai's POV“Sir. Mr Klein and Ms Lena are here to see you.” Dean, my assistant said, through the intercom."Let them in," I replied, laying down the pen in my hand.Mr Klein walked in with Lena at his heels. I could sense something brewing, the minute they stepped inside. Mr. Klein's expression was unreadable, and there was something cold about the way he scanned the space before he set his gaze on mine. Lena then flashed one of those well-practiced smiles, though it never really reached her eyes."Kai," Mr. Klein said; his voice deep, formal as it always was. "I hope we are not disturbing you.""Not at all," I said, rising to shake his hand. "It is a surprise. I wasn't expecting a visit."Lena flashed me a smile; something danced in her eyes that I couldn't quite place. "We thought we'd drop by.”I waved my hand toward the chairs in front of my desk. "Please, have a seat."They sat down, Mr. Klein smoothing his suit jacket before easing back in the chair, with his hands folded neatl
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 40
Zara's POVI sat on the rim of the bed; my phone felt heavy in my hand. The message from that unknown number stared at me from my screen, calling out to me. I got another one last night. It had been swirling in my insides, urging me to meet him.*I have vital information about your past to which you must know the truth. Meet me at Café Verity at 3 PM.*Time dragged its feet toward that hour, and with every passing minute, my anxiety grew into something more, a need to know the truth, feeling coupled with the overwhelming fear of what that truth could be. My heart pounded, thinking of what lay beyond those swinging café doors.Mrs Adler?" Madam Tess' voice called from the hallway, drawing me from my reverie. I could hear him moving about in the living room, shuffling papers reminding me of what faced me."Yeah, just a minute!" I hollered back, taking a deep breath. Of course, I wouldn't say a word about this meeting to anyone, not even Kai. I had promised myself I wasn't uttering a wo
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 41
ZARA'S POV.I lay in the bed with Kai fast asleep beside me. But my head felt weighted down by a leaden blanket. Shadows danced upon the wall, whirling and spinning mirroring the storm brewing inside my head. Jacob's words were in control of my head, echoing endlessly as they refused to fade into the night. My biological father-the actual word that rattled me, shook to the very core of my existence. How could I trust a complete stranger who showed up from nowhere, claiming to have ties with me?I recalled the whole imagery of his eyes, looking into mine for some understanding, or was it a spark of belief? He claimed that my entire life had been a lie, woven with deceit, an intelligent web of lies devised between My father and Kai. And now, how was I to fight that thought with my love for Kai?I lay amongst this sea of confusion, paralyzed, with my insides screaming to shake them off.The morning came quickly. And I barely had a wink of sleep. Kai was still sleeping soundly and I quiet
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 42
ZARA'S POVI couldn't shake the feeling that everything I knew was built on a house of cards that was ready to collapse at the slightest pressure of truth. As soon as the day began, I was determined to dive into research regarding my mother's past. I sat at my desk, turned on my laptop, and blocked the world from view as the need to learn her story overcame me.All couples of searches resulted in just her name, with a couple of details about her life as a prosecutor. Then, I struck an article outlining the fight by her to unmask corruption within Adler's family business. Every word, in my reading of her stand-up to giant figures and how she took on the nails to bring them to book, my heartbeat was racing fast; her being strong-headed, career-oriented-aggressive, a veritable warrior in a world full of darkness."How come I didn't know any of this?" I grumbled. And the betrayal of my own ignorance, washing over me like a cold wave. “How come my father had never mentioned anything abo
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 43
ZARA'S POV I didn't waste a second. Since the moment I'd walked away from Jacob in the park, my stomach had been a hollowed pit of anxiety. His disclosures weighed upon me like a heavy leaden blanket, its smothering weight crushing the breath from my lungs as my mind struggled to make sense of the reality he'd said I belonged to. But could I? Could I believe him? Not without proof, not without testing every word he'd said. That was why I was here, stepping into the glass towering building of my father's company, plastering a smile on my face as I headed straight to Lena's office. If anyone could fill in the gaps, then my sister was the person to do it. "Zara!" Lena exclaimed bright-eyed the instant I stepped into her office looking up from her desk, "You're glowing. Kai is really doing a good job spoiling you." "I know right. Thanks, Lena," I said, trying my best to retain the lightness in my voice. "I thought I'd drop by. It's been a bit since we've had lunch together." "Tha
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 44
ZARA'S POVI stepped out of the hospital and inhaled deep as the cool breeze stroked my skin. Jacob walked beside me wordlessly but was there with me as we walked away from the sterilized confines. My head whirred on Is this real? Had we just given them a DNA sample? Was I finally going to see whether my dad isn't my real father?Not a single one of those emotions escaped onto my face. Jacob didn't see that the slightest bit of chaos was churning inside me."So." Jacob's voice cut through the silence. "How are you feeling?”I gave him a sideways look. "I'm good," I said a little too quickly. Thing was, I hadn't been feeling good for days. My belly had been tied up in knots since that old conversation in the park, but like heck was I about to let that on.We had stopped at the curb where his car was parked, and yet he didn't open my door. He turned to me instead; his eyes seemed an etching of concern. "Zara, the doctor said you haven't been eating well, and you're carrying a child. Yo
MARRIAGE PACT Chapter 45
ZARA'S POV.Sobs wracked my body across the silent restaurant. God, I detested this feeling-the utter feeling of powerlessness. Everything that I knew was tumbling down at my feet. Jacob came and sat next to me, his big frame overshadowing mine as he wrapped his arms around me, hugging me. I wanted to push him away, scream at him to leave me alone, but I didn't. I let him be there holding me, since despite all that had gone down, I needed someone anchoring me.His voice was soft, almost broken, with the words: "I'm so sorry, Zara. I didn't mean for things to happen this way."I snuffled out, "Sorry? You are sorry?" as my fists pounded his chest in an attack full of heart. You come into my life and turn my world upside down, and all you can say is sorry? Why now? Why now that I am finally happy? When everything was going so smoothly with Kai? When I thought nothing could ever go wrong again, you show up and ruin it all!” He didn't flinch or budge as the blows fell. His arms were still
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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
