167Although Penny had come to Claire the instant Cole left to meet Hunter, she had been alone in her friend's bedroom since she arrived. Claire was summoned by her father in his study for work-related reasons, leaving Penny with nothing to do. Also, it's been a while since Cole left and her curiosity was growing with each minute. She hadn't thought she would get this update from Cole when she messaged him. Now she was glad that she did. Else nobody would have ever found out that Hunter had bought the services of a detective to search Zara's background. A tremor of indignation ran through her body as she reread Cole's recent text. 'The search indicated Claire's involvement in Zara's attack and that she paid goons to rape Zara. Evidence revealed a whole new face of Claire which Hunter and I can't come to agree with. He's in a doubt something's off.'Some of her anger reduced reading the text again. At least, the last part was relieving enough to bring a smile to her lips. "Good for
168"What does it have to do with your coming here?" Hunter snapped in a tone laced with wrath.For reasons unknown, he was pouring his anger on poor Monty, unaware of the man's stature.But when Monty shared who he was and why he was here, Hunter's heart bottomed out as his face became further colorless. "Oh, I apologize for not introducing myself properly. I'm Monty Rycloft, a detective by profession and Claire hired me to work for her six months ago when you wanted to leave her for Zara. She's asked me to search Zara's background." "And here..." He lifted his file of evidence towards Hunter. "... are the real evidence. The ones you have, I don't know what the detective did to gather them, they are fake and fabricated."With a heart that became double its size, hurting so much in his chest that he felt he might just die of heart problems, Hunter took the file. A drop of sweat rolled below his forehead to his jaw. It shone in the light illuminating overhead as he flipped the file o
169There was ominous tranquility in the atmosphere. The sky overhead was dangerously dark. It was haunted by flashes of lightning and it cast unsettling silhouettes across the roads. The alleys and streets were periodically illuminated, throwing light on stray animals and people strolling down the streets.The calm suggested that something was about to go terribly wrong. However, Zara couldn't care less. She was on cloud nine and dedicatedly blowing detective Jack's flaccid díck, turning it hard with every lick and slurp. She was giving it her all. After all, the detective helped her a great deal. Zara had done enough but it wasn't enough to change Hunter's perspective towards Claire. He was blind in her love. He was unwilling to see she could have any negativity. But Detective Jack made it happen. He did what she couldn't do in six months. Not only did he bring Claire on the wrong side, but he also cleared Zara's image. Now no worldly power could stop her from becoming Mrs. MacInty
170Someone was there. Someone was in the room.They were sagged by the wall in the corner. Although she couldn't contemplate whether it was a man or woman, someone was there. The silhouette became clearer to her eyes with every blink of her lashes. Her heart beat like the drums of a tribal gathering. Her lack of moaning attracted Jack's attention. In order to get her screaming again, he spanked her åss hard, making her eyes squeeze and a yelp escaped her lips. "What happened to my bitch? Where have your moans gone? Come on, scream for me. Let me hear your melodious voice." Jack said joyfully, unaware of the shift in the gait of the silhouette in the corner. But Zara scrutinized it with a vibration starting in her body. She couldn't see the face, but she could feel two eyes glaring at her. Dark and angry eyes. As much as it intimidated her, it frustrated her. "Enzo, is that you?" Zara asked. That was enough to cease the detective's motion. He directed his eyes in the corner, foll
171Hunter's chest was shaking with contained rage. He didn't show the same amount of anger that rushed through his veins in his voice. He was acting normal. Like the normal normal he was accustomed to as an inexpressive person he was. However, the longer he gazed at Zara the thinner his hold on himself became. He was basically erupting like a raging volcano on the inside. But on the outside he was pretending to be normal. "What are you waiting for? Get back on it, Zara." Hunter drawled and dragged the last few words with a warning. He hadn't expected that he would stumble upon Zara having sex with the detective he employed to find dirt on her when he came to the penthouse. It had been dark just like his personality. Because he was legally the owner of the property, he knew the password to the penthouse and walked in. Hunter initially thought to wait in the living room for her. He even had an urge to call her and bring her in. But when Reggie, who was sent to find about Zara's curr
172He was deriving happiness just from thinking what he was going to do to this fúcker, also his second target. Since Zara was the mastermind behind his downfall, he chose to save her for last.He focused back on the detective and everything he had blurted about his Dove spilled into his awareness. Every lie told about her, every false allegation put on her, every rebuking comment Jack Stones made towards Claire while sharing his made-up search made a vortex of anger swirl inside him. Hunter internally rejoiced for standing in support of Claire and protecting her honor even if he was constantly being pushed to do otherwise. He was truly happy that he didn't believe in even a single word he was told. Had he not been in love with Claire... Had he not known Claire's character from before, he would have been tricked again. Because the old man's words held weightage that could have changed any other man's mind towards his wife. He might have sounded honest, yet it wasn't as influenci
173"Aaahh! Aaah! Aaahhhhh!!!" Eyes stared in horror as Jack's pênis started burning. Zara was numb. She couldn't feel her body at all. Her nerves were tangled up, her hands now resting in her lap weakly. She had no strength left in her to function mindfully. Her mind was clouded with fear, her eyes with tears. She was feeling hot all over as though it was her vagína set on fire. "Aaah! Aaahh! Stop it! Stop it!" Jack's scream shook her. Her blood turned icy as she watched the man want to twist and get free. But Hunter's guards- let's edit it! Hunter's 'loyal' guards held the man down quite aggressively. It was as if they knew the shots. Their expressions were ghostly blank.... Like it was normal for them. The way they grasped Jack's limb, it wasn't the first time they were using this strength against a struggling man. Against a man put on fire. But there was something about their stilled gazes. It showed cold astonishment as if this was the first time they were watching a pênis b
174"What the fuck! How dare you hit me, you son of a bitch!" Zara bellowed, suddenly entranced and vexed for being slapped by Hunter.It was as if the wild side of her, which had been sleeping, was stirred to life. Hunter smirked seeing this side of her, "Good. This is the Zara I wished to see.""Keep her awake while I talk to you, alright!"Zara scoffed at his audacity. She bared her teeth with a mad smile as she hissed, "Just who do you think you are ordering around, bastard?"Hunter wasn't unfazed by her totally new version. The cunningness in her features and the evil lift of her lips when she spoke rather amused him. He was compelled to praise her acting skills. She had done great while suppressing her real character behind that innocent facade. Not everyone succeeded in doing that. Not in front of a fucking businessman whose work involved observing people diligently before signing a deal with them. Zara did. She not only lied to him about her real character, but also flipped
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
193. At Murphy mansion,Tia glanced at the clock on the wall with a frown. Then her gaze shifted to the door as she impatiently turned the pages of the magazine in her lap. She seemed annoyed by something but was surprisingly quiet, not taking it out on anyone like she was accustomed to.Shawn, who was sitting next to her, was perturbed by her behavior. It wasn't in his mother's nature to stay quiet while she was annoyed. She would rather split the house apart with her loud screams and scoldings."Someone is constantly checking the clock and staring at the door. Is someone precious expected?" He gave a girly gasp to irritate Tia and added, "Maybe a lover who is supposed to visit behind dad's back!""Damn, dad will be so exasperated. Grandma will be more furious than him, knowing that her daughter-in-law is cheating on her son." He seemed to think deeply while stroking his jaw. "What would she do if I told her? Kill mom? Nah, that'd be the easiest way of punishing her." He talked to h