James barely had one foot out the door when he spun around to face the crowd in the banquet hall below, ready to announce."Ladies and gentlemen, I've got something huge to announce! Everyone, listen up! Me and..."Out of nowhere, Zara found the strength to hold onto the door frame with one hand, keeping herself from being pulled out. With her other hand, she sent James flying!James was totally blindsided, and with Zara's push, he landed with a thud on the corridor floor outside. He almost flipped head over heels. The guests downstairs buzzed with shock, stretching and craning to catch a glimpse of the commotion.Zara quickly retreated a couple of steps, staying inside the room and away from the prying eyes of the guests.She took a moment to collect herself, then said sharply and firmly, "Enough with your jokes, Mr. Sate! I barely know you, so how can we talk about getting hitched? "I don't want to marry you, and I'm not into you. If you still can't grasp that, I can go out an
Yosef was not the type to play the field. In the three years Zara had been by his side, she was the only one for him.Now, however, he was playing by Beatrice's rules—no messing around before marriage. That meant he only came to Zara when he needed something.She could still hear him singing Beatrice's praises that day, going on about how 'well-raised' she was.In his eyes, Zara was anything but that. If she were, she would not have spent three years in a nameless, no-strings-attached situation with him. In the end, she was tossed aside like yesterday's laundry.At least she walked away first and did not stick around to mess up his perfect little plan to get hitched and have kids.Kids...Without thinking, Zara's hand drifted to her stomach. Her heartache welled up until it spilled out of her eyes in tears.The bitterness was overwhelming.…Yosef dropped Beatrice off at her place, like he always did, with his usual reminder, "Stay safe out there and hit the hay early, okay?"
Yosef never did say if he would take Harper's suggestion. They drank on until the break of dawn before calling it a night.Harper crashed at West Palace. Yosef, who thought it was beneath him, had an attendant from the palace drive him back to East Coast.He was pretty sloshed by then, staggering as he walked. The attendant guided him upstairs with care, and he collapsed onto the couch while cradling his pounding head.The attendant lingered, worried about leaving him alone. After all, any trouble would be on his head. He hesitated, then spoke up."Mr. Webb, Mr. Webb? Should I call someone to help you out? Maybe you've got something for hangovers stashed around here? I can grab it for you."Yosef's frown deepened with irritation as he pulled out his phone and tossed it over. "Dial up Zara and tell her to get here."The attendant, feeling a bit gutsy, scrolled through the contacts and found the contact saved as Zara. He hit call.The first call went unanswered. It was pushing two
Ever since the birthday bash, James had been cooking up every excuse in the book to hang out with Zara, but she was not biting.He got the hint after giving him the cold shoulder a few times. Being accustomed to the role of the golden boy, he did not see the point in chasing someone who was not interested. Thus, he backed off.Then, there was that awkward moment at the supermarket. Zara bumped into him flaunting some internet-famous arm candy. He acted like she was invisible and whisked his date away. That was the end of that chapter.With James out of the picture, Zara found herself pretty much out of the loop with the in-crowd. She was clueless about the latest happenings.Perched on her vanity, Cecil could not resist spilling the beans. "So, a guy from my office who's always at those high-society shindigs overheard that Chairman Webb isn't Beatrice's biggest fan. "He's shipped her off on the down-low and didn't even clue in Yosef about where she has gone. Yosef's been moping a
The warning from the person from HR was not just to spook her. It was dead serious.There was this buzz a while back about a big-shot project manager who, as his contract ticked down to its last seconds, was already plotting his next move to a rival company. However, when his old bosses caught wind of it, they dragged him to court and slapped him with every charge in the book—slacking off, doing nothing, and costing the company big bucks.It was a classic case of kicking a guy when he was down. The old company was out for blood, and they tangled him up in legal knots for two whole years. The court did not pin anything on the project manager in the end. However, the damage was done. His reputation was in the mud, and he was toast in the industry.Zara bit her lip. "I've got my eyes open."Post-dinner, they split up.In the ladies' room at the restaurant, Zara, tucked away in a stall, could not help but overhear two waitresses dishing dirt."See that chick hanging around Mr. We
The cab driver got it right.Yosef's ride pulled up to the hotel's entrance.The East Coast was smack in the middle of downtown. Yosef had no good reason to opt for a hotel room over his own place—unless the young secretary had other plans while he was out cold.Zara paid the driver, stepped out of the cab, and stood not far away. She watched as the young secretary propped Yosef up and guided him into the hotel.She was not sure if the secretary was trying to take advantage of Yosef or if she was up to something else. Either way, Zara was not about to stop tailing them.Blending in like any other guest, she shadowed them right up to their room door.Yosef was drunk to begin with, and after the car ride, he was a complete mess. He stumbled over his own feet and practically draped himself over the young secretary.He stood tall at over six feet, and he had a muscular physique. The secretary was struggling just to keep him upright, let alone close the door properly. She just nudged
Zara dodged swiftly, leaving Yosef kissing thin air. He was right on her heels, though—determined as ever.Zara's hand dove into her bag and clutched something.The next second…A cloud of stinging white mist burst forth, landing right on Yosef's face! In a flash, Yosef slammed his eyes shut and frantically got off Zara. He stumbled backward several steps.The next second, his eyes and throat felt like they were on fire, sending him into a fit of coughing."Zara!"Zara was not doing much better.As she had been too close, she got hit with the backlash. Luckily, she had braced herself. She had snapped her eyes shut and held her breath in time, sparing herself from breathing in too much of the mist.Coughing, she bolted up from the bed, dashed away from the smoky haze, and ran into the bathroom to rinse her mouth and eyes with water.That stuff was pepper spray.Zara always carried it in her bag when she went out, just in case. She just never thought she would end up using it
Zara approached his bed. "Mr. Webb, if you want me to stay and keep an eye on the drip, I'll be here."Yosef typed out a message on his phone and flashed the screen at her: [Feeling guilty now?]Whether it was guilt or fear of payback, it was just one night. She owed him one anyway, for that night she had passed out from cramps and he had kept vigil by her hospital bed.Zara dragged a chair over and took a seat. "It's getting late, Mr. Webb. Try to get some rest."Yosef's throat was killing him, and swallowing was torture. Needless to say, he would not be able to sleep tonight.He typed another message: [You were in contact with someone from Chavez Capital tonight?]She was spotted at the restaurant? Zara's heart did a little flip-flop.Yosef settled back against his pillow.The ward was dead quiet, the wee hours of the morning casting a hush over everything. They had been in too much of a rush when they came to sort out a private room, so Yosef was admitted into a general ward