86Hunter came to the hospital with fury vibrating through his veins. He was unhappy that he had to leave Claire at the last minute. She seemed placated and willing to agree to his request. The 'yes' he desired was on the tip of her tongue.The phone call, though, the damned phone call had to come at the wrong time.He remembered Reggie, the chief of his seven bodyguards, who was left with the other three calling him. His voice was strung out and shallow on the call."Sir, Zara woke up screaming in the middle of the night last night. I didn't inform you earlier because you asked me not to disturb you before you left the hospital.""But sir, she's having undefined panic attacks and the doctors are unable to calm her. She refuses to take medicines, both tablets and liquid, and is requesting for you. She's violent with the nurses.""She's making claims of seeing someone in her room again. We checked thoroughly and found no one around." It was after this info that he spoke about hallucinat
87"Nobody said you are not telling the truth. It was probably the image conjured by your mind under the effects of medicines. But Zara," Hunter turned to her. "You must cooperate with doctors from now on.""I am a busy man. I didn't become a billionaire whilst running around to deal with a close friend admitted in hospital. I attended tiresome meetings scheduled one after another for days to reach where I'm sitting today. You were with me when I was climbing the ladders up. It took years to become who I am. I cannot ignore my work and come here to deal with you at any time you want. Please be considerate and spare me the exhaustion." Zara's mouth could touch her lap if she tried it.Hunter's straightforwardness had left her speechless and with an expression that amused the women around her. Also.... What's with him referring to her as just 'a close friend'? She wasn't his friend, damn it. She had enjoyed being the love of his life. 'That is what I will become again in a few days fr
88"Claire will not be happy about this." Penelope got out of the cab in front of the hospital and stared at it hesitantly. She paid the driver and pouted, casting a sad look at her plastered hand. It was completely numb. She couldn't feel where the numbness ended or the pain started. Her whole arm was red and the skin around the plaster had become swollen. Last night she mistakenly slept on her fractured hand. She didn't realize it until she felt excruciating pain buzz through her arm when she tried to lift it after she resurfaced from the depths of sleep. It became worse with passing time. When it became intolerable, she decided to show it to the doctor. Hence, she was here at the hospital. All alone. It's not like no one would have come with her if she asked them. It's just that she didn't want to make a fool out of herself in front of Claire's family given everyone in Argent Family considered her a clever woman. After all, only clever brains could bring her so far in life whe
89"I never thought I would say this but, boss, I think Zara is trying to keep you around her." Reggie commented while pressing the button to summon the cabin. "Hallucinations or not, she was acting in ways that would have required your intervention anyway. You weren't there but we saw her throwing stuff and acting violent with the nurses." Reggie's eyes hardened as old images replayed in his mind, "For a moment I felt like she wasn't the sophisticated lady I had heard she was. It was like I was meeting a completely different person who was not Zara Levine but someone else in her skin."Penny's fingers curled tightly around the railing as her eyes twinkled in appreciation for Reggie. "Yes, Reggie! Nice observation. At least there is someone with sharp eyes. You can catch Zara before your imbecile boss." She whispered to herself, concentrating on their convo. "No offense, sir. But I think it's her old feelings coming up on the surface. Zara had a forced marriage with a man she had ne
90"Hell! I wanted to listen more." She sucked in a breath and kicked her right foot angrily. Eavesdropping on Hunter's conversation had surprisingly reduced her pain. Though the sporadic bursts of currents she felt in her arm persisted, the pain overall had become tolerable. That realization made Penelope climb down the steps and make her way out. She hailed a cab and came back home. Her mind was occupied by Hunter's conversation with his guards that she couldn't silence. Even if Penelope endeavoured to distract her mind to do something else, it jumped back to the memory in the hospital near the elevator chambers. By the time evening crept in, pain in her head became more intense than the one in her hand. She felt an urge to reduce it by sharing what she heard in the hospital with someone.Alas, there was no one who she could discuss Hunter MacIntyre and his unfiltered confession with. Everyone else beside Claire despised him in the Argent family. They would pay to see him sufferin
91"Yeah!!!" Penny went wide-eyed at Claire's accuracy. "And you thought I'd skip my dinner if I heard about him?" Claire blew out a breath in incredulity for Penny shrunk back like she was afraid that Hunter's topic will affect her friend. "Come on, Penny, you need to get it straight that it's over. I have moved on.""I don't care if he plays a caretaker for that slút or feeds her with his own hands. My heart has hardened. It doesn't ache over their mention any more. It's just... Just..." Claire didn't know how to describe the hollow feeling she felt over Hunter's mention. "It's hard to explain but, Penny," She inhaled sharply. "Stop worrying about me. It doesn't hurt any more. I'm fine.""Oh wait, wait, wait," Her eyes narrowed accusingly. "Is it because of Hunter you didn't let me come with you?" Penelope's bad habit of biting and nibbling her lips on getting caught was on projection. "Oh hell, you are ridiculous, Penny! Of all people I didn't expect you to treat me like a child
92Two days flew by since Penelope shared Hunter and Reggie's conversation with Claire. No matter how hard she tried, the words remained as freshly echoing in her mind as if it was said not two minutes ago. She behaved normally around her family like she was happy and unfazed but in isolation her heartstrings tugged a little in memory of Hunter and how those words may have sounded in his voice. Currently she was sitting in her father's study alone. Dominic had sent out for her. But when she arrived, he was not there. So she decided to wait in his comforting workspace that was also going to be her own workspace soon. Since Claire savored the environment in her father's study room, he merrily invited her to share it with him. It was a small sanctuary of peace and backed with the latest technology. It was designed in a way that whenever a person walked inside, the sensors would go on and start playing fine meditation or other related music to promote engaging working environment. The
93Exhilarated and thrilled, Claire boastfully raised her invisible collars, "Soon, sir. And you will be the first one to know." Then she threw her head back, bursting in a fit of laughter. Her father joined her. Later on Claire spent long dedicated hours in her father's company as he gave her some life-changing advices. She noted them and accepted references he made of experienced people, who he thought could give her some insightful knowledge on how to start her company. After all, it's not a cake walk to begin a new company and succeed with it too. One needs advice and stories of success and perseverance to strengthen their spirits. The road to success is never straight. It is full of obstacles and bumps one has to avoid and tackle to reach the destination. For the upcoming five days, she was occupied in conducting and attending meetings with people Dominic referred to. She was utterly indebted to him provided that through his reference she was able to build connections and re
205Two days later, Saturday morning,Dominic and Andrea sat silently on the breakfast table. The maids filled their plates as Dominic observed his wife. It's been two days since that Wednesday night when Hunter came to their house to talk to Claire, and still Andrea hadn't forgotten. Her silent protest showed that she was against the deal Dominic had with their daughter's heartbreaker. She hadn't uttered a single word to him no matter how hard her husband tried to explain things to her. She just said one thing: What he did was wrong! It was a mistake giving someone like Hunter another chance. Andrea was firm on her belief that it should have been Tyler getting a chance with their daughter. He was the right one for her. As much as Dominic inferred that would have been the best thing, the question remained intact— Would Claire have accepted him if her parents chose him for her? "Where are Claire and Scott?" Dominic asked to shatter the silence between him and wife. In reply, Andr
204Claire had sunk to the edge of the bed, clawing at the mattress with her nails, to contain the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. Her body convulsed in pain. It rippled and grew cold. Her heart felt like a bucket full of wet clothes in her chest.She didn't know how to reign in her composure. Her face was numb from shedding uncontrollable tears whereas her lips trembled like a weak leaf about to fall off a branch.She was crying recalling each word Hunter shared. It was unbelievable. While she had assumed he was only distant and ignorant, she hadn't realized he could also be a master cheater. Not once... He cheated on her five times. Five times while she was hopefully waiting for him at home with food turning cold on the dining table.It wasn't 'just' five times! It was those five times he knew he was betraying his marriage and insulting the vows he took towards a wife he loved him honestly. And yet, he did it."Claire, please open the door."Desperate knocks sounded
203"Mr. Argent, it's very important for me to see your daughter. Allow me this one time, please. It's about our future." Hunter said ignoring Andrea as he addressed Dominic. Feeling insulted, Andrea spoke with disdain, "What future? My daughter's future is better off without you. You left her when she needed you the most. Now that we are trying to set her up with a far better match, you want to waltz back in her life. Dream on, Hunter. It's not happening. Her parents are standing in between her and you. We will never let you get to her again.""Did you really think you could slink back into Claire's life after your ex's true nature was exposed? You're delusional if you think that's possible."Hunter gave her a stoic look, although his red eyes showed his turmoil."And do you think I'm coming back only because Zara's arrested now? It's you who's dreaming, Mrs. Argent. Claire and I've never parted ways even after the divorce. Our separation brought us closer— me actually.""I realized
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