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CHAPTER NINE: Confrontation
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2023-09-09 09:39:51Related chapters
Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango CHAPTER TEN: Let's Get Married
Zara pricked her ears up. She wanted nothing but a good way to keep the baby a secret from Scott, especially since they were now divorced. "Don't keep me in suspense. Spill!""Okay, okay." Mia raised both hands and moved closer to her. Her voice came out in a whisper. "How about you enter into a fake relationship with another man?""A fake relationship?" Zara's eyes widened at that."Yes! That way, even if Scott finds out that you are pregnant, he won't be inclined to believe that the baby is his. You just have to make it known that you were seeing this guy when you were abroad and he's the father of your baby."Zara leaned back and tapped her chin. That was not a bad idea. However, it was a tough thing to do. "It sounds like a good idea," she said and then released a big sigh. "But where do I find such a man? You know, men always want sex or money in return for most things. How can I convince a man to act as my partner with no strings attached?"Mia shrugged. "It's pretty easy. Just
Last Updated : 2023-09-09Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango CHAPTER ELEVEN: Cunning Actress
"How is she, doc? Is the baby okay?" Scott asked the doctor as soon as he strode out of the VIP ward. The doctor put away his stethoscope and dismissed the nurse beside him. "There's no cause for alarm, Mr. Brown. She just suffered from some contractions and pain in the pelvis. The baby is safe. However, she needs to spend some time here so we can examine her further. I also advise that she doesn't go through much stress from now on. Her blood pressure is quite high."Scott finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, doc. Thank you."After going through the rest of the formalities for admission, Scott finally walked into the ward. He found Cora lying on the bed with a sad expression on her face. She also looked distant."Hey, are you okay?" he asked, moving closer to the bed."Of course, I'm not okay!" she cried, turning to her side. "I am in a lot of pain. If you hadn't shoved me aside, I wouldn't be in this state now."Scott sat down on the chair by the bedside. With complicated emoti
Last Updated : 2023-09-09Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango CHAPTER TWELVE: Dirty Game
Zara was all smiles as she walked into Keystone Group's headquarters. She waited in the lobby of the last floor until she was called into the CEO's office."Good morning, Mr. Keystone.""Morning, Ms. Hall," Jordan said, standing up to shake her hand. "Please sit."Zara happily took her seat. "Thank you for choosing Hall Corporations. I was overjoyed when I got the email. I promise not to let you down, Mr. Keystone."Jordan leaned back in his chair and said, "Call me Jordan...""Huh?""Instead of Mr. Keystone, call me Jordan. I'll address you by your first name too.""Oh..." Zara muttered, a wary look appearing on her face. She shrugged a second later. "Okay.""It seems you have a lot of enemies, Ms. Hall."Worry lines instantly appeared on Zara's face. "What do you mean?""Let's just say that I received a couple of angry emails."Hearing this, Zara pursed her lips for a while. "Oh, I see. If you don't mind me asking, was one of them from Brown and Co?""Actually, about 40% of these em
Last Updated : 2023-09-09Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango CHAPTER THIRTEEN: The Clapback
There was a screaming tagline attached to a video. As Scott hit the play icon, the corner of his left eye twitched. In the video, Zara was dressed in a pantsuit with a lacy blouse and black heels. She walked up the platform of the hall as camera lights flashed non-stop. In the background was a projector that read, "Meet the new CEO of Hall Corporations." After looking at the crowd for a while, Zara adjusted the microphone and said in the calmest voice, "Good day, men of the press. I am Zara Hall, the new CEO of Hall Corporations. Thanks for accepting my invitation at such short notice..." A look of boldness appeared on her face as she paused for a while. "It's often said that humans need to dream big, or should I say, shoot for the stars. A lot of people over the years have done that, but when they were on the verge of execution or this close to achieving success, an enemy comes along and tries to sabotage their efforts. "You all must have seen the news about Hall Corporations pa
Last Updated : 2023-09-11Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Fake Relationship
Zara could hardly believe her eyes when she read the paragraph after that attention-grabbing headline."News reaching us indicates that billionaire businessman, Scott Brown was married to Zara Hall for more than a year. They were involved in a messy divorce battle about a month ago. Zara refused to accept any alimony after their marriage was dissolved."This begs to question why Scott is targeting her and her business at the moment. Our source says that both parties have gone their separate ways. But from all indications, it seems they will be rivals yet again in the business circle!"Zara couldn't help fuming. "How the hell did they get their hands on such information? To the best of my knowledge, no one unrelated to Scott and I knew that we were married. Only our grandmothers, friends, and domestic workers knew about this. How could have ratted us out?""Not me!" Mia raised her hands innocently. Then, she added, "You forgot Cora and her parents.""It can't be Cora. She's always mask
Last Updated : 2023-09-11Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Chance Meeting
Scott alternated his gaze between his friends. "What is it? Did Zara or someone else release something else about me again? Am I in the news for something bad again?""Nah!" Anthony finally spoke, "This time, it's only about Zara.""Spill!" "Well, a gossip blogger released a video of her having lunch with a top model earlier today," Leonard chimed in, scratching his nose.Scott's face fell for a brief second. Then, he shrugged with feigned indifference. "What's the big deal? She's a businesswoman, after all.""You see, that's where you have it wrong. It wasn't just lunch, it was a date. The guy revealed that they are actually in a relationship. It seems they have been together for quite some time," Leonard explained.A look of hurt and disappointment fell on Scott's face again. He scratched the corner of his mouth and mumbled, "Oh, I see. Good for her then."Anthony held out his phone after locating the video online. "Would you like to see the video? Actually, the voice in the backgr
Last Updated : 2023-09-11Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango CHAPTER SIXTEEN: You Whore!
Tension rippled between both parties the very moment they came face to face. The air in the corridor seemed to get colder.It was as if none of them wanted to lose the staring contest as they didn't break eye contact until a nurse walked by and looked at them as if they all had double heads."Zara, it seems we just keep running into each other. What brings you here?" Cora finally broke the silence.With an eye roll, Zara uttered, "That's none of your business."She was just about to turn around when Scott piped up, "Who's this guy?"Zara tilted her head and gave him a bombastic side-eye. She wanted to repeat the last words she said, but when she noticed Cora clinging to him tighter, she blurted out, "This is George Thatcher, my boyfriend!"The corner of Scott's left eye twitched when he heard this. He set his mouth to a grim line and alternated his stare from Zara to her quasi-boyfriend.He had pretended not to give a hoot about Zara's new relationship when his friends told him. But n
Last Updated : 2023-09-11Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Scott's Suspicion
The construction of the city park in Beecroft was halfway through to completion. Zara had been working so hard that she barely noticed the change in her bodyIt had been five months since she last ran into Scott or spoke to him on the phone. Although she was thankful for this, she had a bad feeling that when he finally showed up, he would bring along more troubles with him.And just like that, her fears came to pass. Zara was on the grounds for the ongoing city park one sunny afternoon. She had on a helmet and safety vest and was holding an umbrella over her head. She was speaking with Brielle, who was jotting down some things when a shiny car suddenly pulled up on the premises. Its tires on the gravel caused a loud drifting sound that startled Zara.She held her belly as she turned around with a slight frown. Under the bright sunlight, the door of the car opened slowly. A head with black shiny hair appeared a second later. The man was wearing dark sunglasses and his chiseled jawline
Last Updated : 2023-09-12
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Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango Epilogue
Ten months later."Wake up, Daddy, Mommy! It's morning already!"Scott and Zara, who were snuggled up in bed, woke up to the excited squeal of their son. Zara opened her eyes and yawned. She nudged her husband as he was already drifting to sleep again."Wake up or he will come jumping on the bed again," she whispered to him.Scott stirred and rubbed his eyes. "But I am so tired. You wore me out last night.""It's not my fault. The baby wanted to eat a lot last night and she refused to let me sleep until I satisfied the cravings.""You know that's not what I'm talking about," Scott chuckled. "How can a pregnant woman have so much energy?"Hearing this, Zara slapped his arm while blushing. "Shush! Don't let Jayden hear you or he will start asking questions again. Help me up, will you?"Scott pulled her closer and gave her a kiss. Looking at her slightly swollen face, he said, "Good morning, beautiful.""Me too! I want a kiss!" Jayden shouted, running into the room without shutting the do
Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango CHAPTER NINETY-ONE: Love You More Than Life
Time seemed to stop as Zara let out a scream that reached the ears of the policemen outside the gate. She lost the sense of her surroundings as she looked at Scott's face. Even the gunshots from nearby and the thud that came moments later didn't draw her attention.Her tears fell on his face. He stretched his bloodstained lips again, flashing his red teeth at her. Coughing, he muttered, "Take care of Jayden. I love you two… So so much."Zara nodded her head. "I will. I'll take care of him. But don't leave me. Let's take care of him together, okay? I can't live without you. Stay with me, okay? I love you, Scott. Always have."Still smiling, Scott raised his hand and touched her face. He held her gaze for seconds which seemed like minutes. His hand slowly dropped. Zara held on to it and continued to tell him to stay with her.But at this moment, his eyes slowly closed. Zara's cry increased in tempo alongside Jayden's. The little boy was just as horrified as his mother. Zara shook Scott'
Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango CHAPTER NINETY: The Rescue
All of a sudden, a loud noise came from not too far away. Portia and Cora looked in the direction of the exit."What was that?" they uttered at the same time.A gunshot came from a distance above. It was followed by several thuds, louder than the first one."It's the police! You are surrounded. Surrender right now!" a shout came from above.Portia immediately swung into action. "Stay here! I don't think they have found this place. I'll go handle them. Don't let these two get away, okay?"Being instructed, Cora nodded her head even though she was shaking. She sat on the ground while still holding Jayden's hands together. Portia quickly headed for the entrance with the knife still in her hand.Outside, several policemen broke down the door of the house with multiple battering ram. They took several positions while the best of them matched into the kitchen with guns.The door of the pantry was kicked down in the blink of an eye. They broke into twos, looking around in the pantry. A duo s
Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango CHAPTER EIGHTY-NINE: Time For Slaughter
"That shoe!" Scott's eyes widened as he leaned forward. He zoomed in on the live footage to have a better look. The other men also opened their eyes wide. Their eyes were on Portia's pair of blue and white trainers."I have seen that shoe somewhere before," Scott mumbled as he began typing on the keyboard again. Another tab opened. He clicked on the surveillance video Portia had given to them. Without wasting time, he looked at the footwear Zara had on when she arrived at the Andersons' home. It was a pair of pink and black sneakers. Quickly, he fast-forwarded the video to when she was leaving. Strangely, her footwear was no longer pink and black. It was blue and white!Scott increased the brightness level of the screen and zoomed in more just to make sure he wasn't mistaken. The footwear had indeed changed."Holy smokes!" Anthony exclaimed at the mystery that was unfolding before him.In silence, Scott scrolled up the body of "Zara". It was at this moment he noticed that the body s
Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango CHAPTER EIGHTY-EIGHT: Liars
The person she was looking at was Scott. She imagined slapping him in that hard face of his for all the pain he caused her child. The nerve of him to show up here after everything!"Mrs. Anderson... Mrs. Anderson," Detective Marshall called out, snapping his fingers.Finally, Portia drew her gaze away from Scott. She looked back at the cop and said, "Can't we talk here?""I'm afraid, no. I also need to speak to your daughter."Portia turned. "I could call her out.""No, there's no need. To the best of my knowledge, she's under house arrest, I don't want to stress her more than she already is. Also, she could get into trouble with her probation officer. Just let us in. Or is there something you don't want to see in there?"Hearing this, Portia's face changed immediately. She eyed him and then turned around. She walked into the house, leaving the door open. The four men walked in immediately.As soon as they entered, Scott's eyes swept around the house. He walked around while the others
Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango CHAPTER EIGHTY-SEVEN: Two Hostages
"Mommy!" Jayden screamed as soon as he saw Zara sitting on the chair with her head hanging low. A rope was tied tightly around her. There was a dry patch of blood on her neck. Wisps of her hair stuck to her sweaty face. Her hands were tied together in front of her pelvis. Her collarbone was visible at this time, it was deeper than it had ever been. At the sight of his mother in this state, Jayden leaped to his feet and darted to her. Before he could get through the door of the cubicle where Zara was, Cora pushed him down with a smack. He fell to the dusty floor, hurting his back yet again. He screamed, "Aaaah!""Shut it!" Cora roared at him, raising her hand to hit him again.Jayden held his lips as he looked up at Cora with fear. His pale face instantly turned red. He coughed hard but still didn't let go of his lips. Suddenly, something caught his attention. He looked away from Cora. He soon screamed again, "Mommy!"Cora turned to look in the same direction as the little boy. She
Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX: Ta-da!
Cora drew her head back. Looking up at the ceiling, she let out an evil laughter that reverberated in the entire living room. There was a bloodstain on the figurine. The sight of it made her more joyful. She looked down at Zara again and smirked. "Stupid bitch!"The patter of flip-flops suddenly came from the side. It was followed by a scream-whisper, "Cora! Why did you do that?"Cora looked at her mother with a smile still on her face. "I told you she was going to come, Mom. She was about to search the whole house. I had to stop her."Holding her forehead, Portia didn't know what to say for a while. She looked upstairs to make sure Steven was nowhere in sight, then she asked, "How did she get here? Did she come in her car or taxi?""I don't know!" Cora shrugged. "Why do you ask?"Portia put two fingers on Zara's neck. After confirming that there was a pulse, she said, "Use your head, Cora! We can't just let her go. And if we keep her here, the cops are gonna come here. You could be s
Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango CHAPTER EIGHTY-FIVE: Mommy On A Mission
The mood in the Hall family's home was sadder than it had ever been in more than fifteen years when Zara's parents died. At the time, many people were crying, but today, it was a one-man crying marathon.Zara, who hadn't taken a shower since the day of Jayden's kidnap, dragged herself from the sofa and sat on the cold floor. Her crying increased in tempo. She dragged her greasy hair and scratched her red face. She looked like a woman who had just lost her husband.Mia moved closer and reached out. "You need to stop crying, Zara. You have been crying for more than two days.""If I don't cry, what else can I do? Eh! What else can I do? My son is missing. And the police keep telling me stories upon stories without having a single clue as the where Jayden is. Yet, I am not supposed to cry?" Zara asked sniffing hard.She suddenly slapped Mia's hand off her shoulder. "Leave me alone. Let me cry!"On the sofa opposite the two young ladies, Karen was seated in casual clothes. Her eyes were he
Open Marriage: It Takes Two To Tango CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR: Surveillance Footage
"Yes!" Scott punched the air as he stared at the masterpiece he had made. There was a big smile on his face at this moment. He had taken the day off work and spent the entire morning and noon painting the huge Spiderman figure on the wall of a spare room.With one of his hands on his hip, he muttered to himself, "I just have to put a child's bed here and make it more comfortable. Then, I have to convince Zara to allow him stay the night a few times."The thought of bringing up the topic made Scott shiver. He could already imagine her shooting him a deathly glare. But he was going to give it a shot anyway. "She can't kill me, can she?"Scott chuckled as he imagined her agreeing after his incessant pleas. "She can be very stubborn, but once I make her see the good in this, she will surely agree."As Scott continued to talk to himself, there was a knock on the door. The nanny's voice came from outside, "Mr. Brown, your phone has been ringing. Sorry to disturb you."Scott turned to look a
