Okay, on a scale of 0 to 10,how desperate are you to see Zara's mask of innocence blowing off?
150Claire's POV It was annoying that she didn't give me a chance to reply. She kept talking as if Hunter was on this side of the call. Too bad for her that it's me. Whatever trick she has up her sleeve to get Hunter's attention is going to fail. "T-the man is wearing a m-mask, Hunter. He also has a knife in hand. I'm scared, Hunter! H-he's going to kill me. He's going to kill me, Hunter."I twisted my lips and suppressed myself from responding with a mocking comment. "Hunter, are you listening!" Zara faked a sob and cooed on the phone for extra effect. "I don't want to die, Hunter. I don't want to die." Her sobs were noisy. I was compelled to pull the phone away for a while. When I put it back on my ear, I spoke. "Oh god, Zara! I'm scared for you." I said with a fake gasp, playing along. "How big is the knife? Is it a katana? Or a machete?" I suppressed a laugh and resumed while caressing Hunter's hair, "Is it double-edged? Please keep the door locked. I'm sure he can't come in
151My jaw dropped at her audacity. A fire rose in my body. This characterless woman! How could she order me around to ask my man to come on the call! My veins rushed with intense rage. But somehow I tamped it down as it was not the right time to fight with her. I was physically exhausted, and though I managed to walk to the window, it doesn't mean I was not sore. The pain in my core was tenfold. My thighs were also trembling from standing. I acted wisely and went back to bed. I promised myself to make Zara pay for her deeds. One day. For sure. As for now, I had a better way to get back at her. "He's not free for charity cases concerning helpless widows and false victims anymore. He's done with your games." I said as mockingly as I could. Zara roared, "Claire, mind your tongue!" "Oh, did I hit your sensitive spot? I'm sorry but aren't you a widow? Why does it trigger you?" "You are a divorcee yourself, alright. So don't give me that attitude." My chest rumbled with laughter. T
152Claire's POV His palm grazed my cheek and slightly stroked it. I leaned in his touch, my blue gaze drinking in the sincere expression of his features. "You didn't have to give me a hint. I had planned to do my own digging. I've been too trusting in the past. Now I'll take matters into my own hands and verify." "I'll be waiting to hear about your findings." I gave a small smile. "This time I have nothing to lose. But if your love is true and you can't find the truth, you will lose me forever." "Don't say that, please. I cannot survive without you, Claire. I am completely invested in you and losing you would destroy me. I need you in my life.” His breathing faltered. “Therefore, I'll be careful with my investigation." His hands enveloped me and I melted into his arms. Feeling his chin rest on my head made my heart bask in the sublime ecstasy of the moment."Your stomach is growling, Hunter. When was the last time you ate something?" He seemed to be thinking when we parted."
153Hunter's POV I confirmed with a bob of head, "Yes. My wife's been warning me about her.""Your ex-wife, you mean." The sly smirk he gave me made my fingers curl into a fist. That look on the bastard's face said that he was well versed with the ups and downs in my life. I saw recognition in his eyes, as if he'd done a quick check on my personal life before coming here. Even if he didn't, I shouldn't be surprised that he corrected me. After all, who wasn't aware of the mistake I committed on the night of my second anniversary! It had been discussed and gossiped about nationwide for months. It still does. If it wasn't for the stack of bundles I hurled at every news channel's way, they would have continued to talk about it still. "Yes, my ex-wife who was my wife back then but I didn't listen to her." I said, not hiding the distaste from my tone. "What specifically did your ex-wife warn you about?"I stared into my palms as I recalled all Claire's told me. "That Zara's not who sh
154Hunter's POVWhile I was amazed at the discovery that my wife could ride a bike, right now I was completely stumped and staring at her skills. She was handling the bike smoothly like it was as easy as icing a cake with a buttering knife. I could see her fingers easing and tightening on the throttle as she sped up on the road and sped down to abide by the traffic rules or before a speedbreaker appeared.This was the side I have never noticed her having. Was Claire always this wild? Always feeling this free with people she loved? If yes, why did I never observe this side of her. Was I not the man she loved with an obsession? I ogled at her profile while a burst of agony spread through my chest. I guess I was too busy with work, too blind to take note of her.Wildness beat like a pulse at my throat as I suppressed the urge to tilt her head and take her lips for a wild kiss. Her hair flowed across from my face. I inhaled the scent of her shampoo and clenched my fingers into a fist. N
155Hunter's POV A breeze rolled over and the water rustled like soft music to the ears. My body was too painfully craving to indulge in foreplay. I couldn't help the aggression when I parted Claire's thighs with force. She yelped but the excitement in her eyes couldn't be missed.She had propped herself up on her elbows as her hair freely floated around her fate. Some of them covered her eyes. I stalled for a second to clear her vision. I wanted her to look at me while I pounded into her yet again with the force of the animal I carried within.Tremors ran through her thighs and I could feel it under my palms. I caressed my flat palm on her scorching flesh before slamming my full length inside her in one forceful thrust. Her bosoms heaved as her head fell back. I stayed in unmoving for a few minutes to feel the clenching of her muscles around me. The feeling was hot and plummeted me into a pit of ecstasy.Then I started moving as Claire pressed her bóóbs together. She pinched her nip
156Hunter's POVI laughed in reply as I walked into the chilly water. Only the surface was warm, but the moment I took a dip, the warmth scattered around us, letting the cold take over fully.Claire was clinging to me like a baby Koala. Her shaking thighs kept her firmly against my body as I cleaned her back. I massaged her buttcheeks gently and tried to venture down to her pulsating slit."Don't you dare!" She growled near my ear as her eyes seared on my face warningly. "Don't even think of taking your fingers anywhere near my core, Hunter. You're denied access for a month after what you've done to me in the last twenty-four hours.""You weren't complaining when I was tearing your pússy apart." My dirty words activated a shiver up her spine.She tried to keep her face indifferent, but the scarlet in her cheeks gave away her sweet embarrassment."But I'm complaining now, and you better take heed. No, means no." "Alright, dove. It's not like I was going to do anything. I just wanted
157Hunter's POV I promise to you, Claire, that I will personally investigate this matter besides the private detective.Later on, we went back to Claire's home on my bike. She was drained to shreds and so I had to ride. Upon arriving, Claire hugged my waist tightly and whined like a tired kid who hasn't gotten proper sleep. "I can't walk. Carry to my room." I would have done that even if she hadn't verbalized it. I picked her up after giving the keys to the guard and carried her inside the mansion. It was lunchtime and my stomach was cursing me for listening to my díck over its growl for food. I strode to the kitchen as I pecked Claire's forehead."I want to sleep." She said in a baby tone."Food first. You promised to feed me, remember?""I fed you."What? I stared at her playing with her fingers while my jaw dropped."What did you say?""Nothing," Ethereal flush enhanced her beauty. "I just said feed me sooner so I can retire to bed."As much as I craved to tease her for whisperi
202"SCOTT, NO!" They exclaimed in unison, but Scott was already charging towards Hunter like a madman.Claire, who had been sobbing against her father's chest, snapped her head up at Hunter's mention. Color drained from her face witnessing Hunter at the doorstep with crimson-rimmed eyes. Their gazes locked, and everything he had said to her came flooding back to her in an overwhelming wave. Despite the look of pleading on his face and apology in his eyes, she remained hard-hearted. However, the part that loved her once... The part that basked in the sight of him being praised and respected by her family became distressed. Scott was a decade younger to Hunter, and even though the latter treated her like a doormat wife with zero worth in his life, he was still related to her. Ex-husband... But still they had a past. Claire stepped out of her father's arms as Scott dashed towards Hunter, driven by instincts. "Hunter MacIntyre, you've hurt my sister enough. Time to pay back!" Her hea
201Outside the Argent Villa,Scott and Shawn met each other outside the former's house. Their faces were dull with worry and in the rain storm, they stood soaking wet."Did you find anything about your brother?" Scott asked as he wiped a hand on his face to clear his vision."Yeah, he's at a pub.... With a woman." Shawn uttered the last three words between clenching teeth.Scott wasn't surprised. He was aware of his best friend's elder brother's way to avoid media attention concerning his personal life. He was just slightly affected that Tyler lied to go to pub to find a random chick to click with, so he could post fake dating news with her, instead of attending a dinner with his family.They've been waiting so restlessly to have him at home. The look of sorrow on Andrea's face was pitiful. Scott recalled that expression and exhaled a sigh. His mother had been overly excited to have Tyler at home. She had prepared so many dishes for him, which they had to eat alone and in silence. Cl
200"This is all, but I swear, I haven't seen any other woman since that encounter with that wench. It was after that incident I started noticing you. The second year of our marriage consists of me observing everything you did. That's how I learned your favorites, although I never let it show until now."Hunter tried to close the gap between them with small steps, hoping that when he was standing before her, Claire wouldn't push him away. After all, he had a huge list of extra marital relations. "When I started learning things about you, it slowly came to my understanding that you were exactly how I would have preferred my life partner to be. You were firm with a touch of boldness. You could be extremely caring at times and extensively outraged if annoyed. You didn't hesitate to make me pay for my ignorance and then you also came to show your love to me when you felt that I wasn't going to do it. You held the torch in our relationship and lives, and radiated it with your resilience."
199"I was mentally dead. Although I married you, I didn't feel the excitement as that of a married man because you weren't the woman I want. So, I just spent my time at the club with Cole and other friends.""Even if you weren't the bride I saw myself saying 'I do' for, I was determined to never stray. But that night, that night something got into. I was not heavily drunk but I kissed a woman who sat in my life. I groped her even though Cole and my friends warned me of having a wife. I didn't know what I was doing."Claire's stare became painful. She internally lamented as her heart yelled from the pain of his treachery. His confession now hurt like a third degree burn. She didn't know when she started sobbing, but that was the only sound she heard. She felt as though she’d suddenly jumped off a cliff. What she was feeling was beyond anyone's imagination. Accepting Hunter's infidelity before marriage was bearable. But thinking of him doing the same in the first week after he was dec
198"It happened a few days after Zara left me. I was heartbroken and mentally disturbed. The blaring music of the club became my companion as I found solace in alcohol. I would spend the days at office and my nights at the club." Hunter began. Now that she asked him to be honest, he was not going to skip anything. She also warned him to share it even it's hurtful, so he would do that too. As long as it convinced her to stay and be with him, he would do anything. Although that's not what he thought he would be compelled to do when he left his house to find Claire, he had no other choice. Hunter's heart raced in his chest. He was making mistake after mistake recently. One action he took to soothe his nerves ended up causing a ripple effect of consequences. Hence, he wasn't going to make another mistake by skipping any detail of his infidelity. The air was cool, and yet he sweated profusely while his face remained as white as the moon. "But I was never alone. Cole was there with me.
197A thunder clapped in the sky with lightning, illuminating their faces for a nanosecond. Hunter was panicked by her words and the expression he caught in the light from her face made his blood rush to his head. He moved closer. He pulled her to his chest and leaned his face near hers. Claire squirmed and wriggled like a fish taken out of water. But she calmed down the minute he pinned her to the tree and rested his forehead against hers, his mouth aligned with hers while his thrumming heart synced with her own. The air seemed to turn colder as darkness increased. They couldn't see each other. But in the back of their minds, they pictured each other's expressions and emotions as they breathed heavily in sync. "You are a jerk... And I hate you." Claire sobbed. Her body was shaking in misery. She was crying because of his disappearance and caressed her back. He moved his mouth to her jaw and trailed a line of kisses along her jaw to her neck as he whispered sorry to hers. Claire
196Claire dashed a hand over her cheeks to wipe her tears. She didn't know where else to go— where she could cry without being interuptted by her loved ones or well-wishers— so she came to the only place she thought would offer her the privacy and quiet she needed during this phase of her life... The lake.The same lake that was her companion during her teenage years. The same lake around which she touched herself for the first time while imagining Hunter. The same lake that soothed her heart and brought delight to her face whenever she came here in the past.However, she felt cold in her heart tonight when she came here. Her eyes stung from tears that build up. Stopping near a tree, Claire slumped down. She was tired of feeling disappointed at how her life was unfolding.Twists and turns aggravated her. It was like every month her life took a turn. While one month she was all gloomy and struggling to focus in life, the other month she was too exhilarated to contain it. The changing
195There was silence on the line from both sides. They contemplated where their siblings would go at this hour of night. A thunder roared outside and they both returned back to their senses. "It's completely okay for Tyler to stay out at this hour of night. It's not the first time. But Claire..." Shawn trailed off. "This isn't like Claire. Something's wrong." "We have to find them. Now. I'm coming to your place, Scott. I'll pick you up and we'll go together." Shawn announced."Let's go find them. I need to know what's going on. Claire would never disappear without a word." ***At Hunter's Mansion, Cole sat on the patio, his weary figure slumped in a chair. He was smoking while scrolling through his face. His face was grim while his lips twisted at the posts he came across on his feed. Tyler and Claire were trending. Some stupid social media manipulator started a rumor and it was going awfully viral now. Although Cole understood that it was fake, it sparked widespread frenzy. Us
194Shawn brought his mother to a restaurant located in a remote area with quiet surroundings. It took them about an hour, except that Tia wasn't fazed one bit. The sound of crickets served as background music. Tia was impressed by the warm atmosphere. She walked with her hand around Shawn's arm not like his mother, but like a friend.She was thrilled to see eyes following her and Shawn. Some women stopped all motion to take a glance. When Shawn pulled a chair for her, she heard a woman from the neighboring table praising her hairstyle. They ordered a five course meal. Before it arrived, Shawn excused himself to go to the restroom. He paid the waiter who took their order to praise his mother's beauty. When he came back to their table, the waiter followed suit. He brought a bottle of wine with two flutes and smiled politely at Tia.He gazed at Shawn and Tia with a bow and repeated the words he was directed to deliver, "Sir, madam, you are our fiftieth couple of the night. We have thi