Do leave reviews on the blurb page:) It'll help readers find the book and the platform to share it across the app with many readers.
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
175Zara smiled in response, her frustration obvious in her clenched jaw. She eased it with a smile and nodded. But her calm demeanor grated on Hunter's nerves. He wanted to destroy her except that there was one more question he needed answer for. Zara beat him to it, and what she said rattled his insides as his anger cracked. "That doesn't mean I didn't try to kill her." Hunter's eyes froze on her, his heart stopped for a beat and shock hit him. "What do you mean?" "What I mean is," She removed her hair from her shoulder as she smirked. "I tried to kill her and I would have succeeded if you didn't interrupt, Hunter." Memories from the car accident he saved Claire from rushed to his mind. His back straightened painfully as he glowered at her. The happenings of that night tiptoed in his mind. The fear in Claire's eyes, the tears, the colorless appearance of her face, the twitching of her fingers, the tremors in her limbs... everything about her had assaulted him back then. He w
176"I don't trust that woman anymore, Reggie. In spite of being in pain she can get away with it because she knows how to take care of it. Don't underestimate her skills. Just do as I say and stop worrying about me." Hunter drawled after turning around.His white skin made him look pitiful. Reggie wanted to say that the others could take care of Zara. But the slump in Hunter's shoulders specified his weariness. He needed time alone to sort his emotions... And to compose his guilty conscience."Okay. But keep your GPS on. I want to be able to know where you are once I've taken care of her."Hunter only walked into the elevator as he controlled his eyes. The door shut with a ding and the moment it started its way down, tears strolled out of his eyes. He felt fúcked up. His heart wouldn't stop hammering in his chest.As Hunter struggled to go back to his car, his phone vibrated in his pocket. When he fetched it, the name flashing on the screen assaulted him. He pressed his lips together
177The air around Claire became stuffy and pressed down on her. She felt like she was caged in a small room, leaving her breathless. Sweat trailed the side of her face and fell on her collarbone as her hands twitched.The television was glowing with the clip of Zara being dragged on a stretcher into an ambulance. She was draped in a white robe and around her abdomen, the white sheet that was covering her was red. She was bleeding and screaming. Amidst the hustle of desperate cameramen and bustle of reporters trying to cover the news for their channels, Zara's ear-splitting screams could be heard.She was in dire pain. Considering how she was wriggling to get up and even managed to lift her torso off while two female cops tried to tame her, it looked like a level of hell was broken loose on her.However, that was not why her heart suddenly jumped into her throat and thudded there. It was the shape of a familiar man she caught in the extreme left corner of the frame of the captured cli
178Unfortunately, his phone was switched off. Claire went to the washroom with a frown. She finished her morning routine with a sour mood and when she came down to breakfast, all eyes settled on her including the maids'. They were ogling at her as if she had grown another head.Of everyone's behavior, Scott's looked a little too expressive and annoyed. He had a broken plate on the table and everything around it scattered haphazardly. She imagined him striking the surface in a fit of rage over Zara's news.After all, his sister had been right all along and still she suffered. Zara's revelation proved her innocence and told the world how unfair things have been towards her. Claire had an urge to hug her brother and kiss him on his cheek. The attention, nevertheless, was making her uncomfortable. Maybe next time, she mulled as she came towards the table. "Morning," Claire's voice was a whisper. "I have an early meeting. I'll leave first."She lied because she couldn't stand all their st
179"That man has hurt you enough. I won't allow him to come near you again. You will find a better guy. One who will love you doubtlessly and who won't leave you for a wretched ex-girlfriend." Scott looked at her sharply. "I want to be with him. Just him." Claire folded her hands as she gave him a look. "No, absolutely not." Scott rasped indignantly. "Why not? I still have feelings for him." Scott unbuckled his seat belt so he could sit facing her, "Because he broke your heart, sis. He left you for his ex, remember? You deserve so much better than someone who'd do that." "What if I want to forgive him? What if it was a gruesome mistake and he repents his actions? We both saw the news the other night. What if he was tricked into divorcing me?" Claire was seriously annoyed and argued back loudly even though she knew that it was her life and Scott or anyone else's view really didn't matter. She had only asked him that question out of stupidity. She could just forget it and move on
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