LOGINShare
38 Zed
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Zed's POV
Meeting different kinds of people makes my mind sharp in reading their emotions. I can tell if they are genuinely motivated or obliged. I can also see who can exercise leadership and those who are only good at words.
So, when Ella acted out, I knew she was jealous of Yen. She was hurting over the paintings that made her think I'm still crazy about Yen. But jealous or not, I can't afford to expect more from her—more than what we live for in the present.
Sad to say, I'm happy with our progress. Ella's little acts of jealousy flatter me. It gives me hope that she will come to me if James truly rejects her. It makes me hope that she will stop begging for him to accept her and their child if I move faster. But I will wait until she is brave enough to tell me she chooses me over James. I will give her full freedom from the very start so that I can also set my mind that someday this relationship will also come to an end.
Related chapters
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 39
Zed's POV“Ar, do you mind if I order pizza? Ella is supposed to cook for you, but I spoiled it,” I chuckle, earning me a glare from Ella.Ara glares at me, too. And I laugh louder. If I have not lured Ella into making love with me, she could have cooked her specialty and bragged it to Ara.“You know what, I should have cut your joystick!”“Pizza or what?”“Fine, your choice. Or, anything that has beef.” She pouts and rolls her eyes.“Anything else?”“Chicken wings tossed in garlic and parmesan cheese and in pesto sauce.” She pauses and tilts her head to the side to think. Then, she snaps and exclaims, “Don’t forget pasta in white sauce and potato fries. Yen likes them.”I nod. How can I forget? “What else?”“That’s all for me. But don’t ask me what else Yen
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 40 Zed
“No, I’ll be fine. Thank you. You all don’t have to bother at all,” Yen says. “I insist, Miss Yen. Any taxi driver can recognize who you are,” says Ella. And I am pleased again at the sportsmanship she is showing. “Either you wait for me, or you go with Zed. Choose,” Ara says, moving her gaze from Yen to mine. “Let’s go, Yen! It must be something urgent since you can’t wait,” I butt in. Yen opens her mouth to speak, but closes it again. Perhaps, she knows she can never win against Ara. Or perhaps, she doesn’t want us thinking she’s playing hard to get. “I’ll get the keys,” Ella rises from her seat and walks to the key rack, plucking off the car keys from the hook, and throws it to me. I still walk towards her, hold her hips and bend to kiss her on the lips. I kiss her long and hard, erasing the sense of jealousy that she may have started to harbor deep in her heart. “I love you,” I whisper in her ear, but loud en
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 41 Zed
Yen’s POV It’s all over between us. Zed’s coldness when I kissed him for the last time was enough to tell me I’m no longer the one he treasured in his heart. I felt something inside me had snapped when the realization hit me. It hurts, but it also means the end of the guilt I have harbored all along. I had said everything I wanted to confess to Zed. I had long wanted to tell him that ever since the day he accepted his defeat. And I still remember that day. He appeared in my lawyer’s office and told us he wouldn’t contest the petition for our marriage annulment. He even wished us a lifetime of happiness. Yet, we never got the chance to talk alone and long enough. Because if we had, we would have been more hurt than we already were. He only showed up in the first two stages of the annulment process. But after that, only his lawyer appeared. We were only informed that Zed had left the country and was no longer comin
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 42 Yen
"That's brilliant of you to ask that question, Ella." My mouth hangs open at Kim's reaction. I thought he'd be showing Ella out of the door for insulting him. I glance at Zed to see his reaction, and I also see him holding his breath. However, Kim seems amused at her suspicion. "Great business magnates are the ones chased, not the other way around," Kim continues, a pleased look spreading on his face. "My point exactly, Mr. Mori." "This world is full of treachery and betrayal, so it's hard to trust anyone. So, I admire that, Ella. You're still young and expected to easily get swayed by attractive offers." "So?" Ella raises a brow at him, waiting for the bottom line of all these. She's indeed a strong and brilliant woman, fearless and confident. And Kim, the man born for the business world, easily spots her potential. "My motives behind the offer are exposure to your country, partnership with Jamella Tech, and fame. We all know that Jam
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 43
"Is that Mr. D?" she asks."He is," I answer, then pause to look at her, my left brow raising. "You know him?""I met him once at the coffee shop," she says, glancing at him. "He looks-""Eccentric," I finish it for her, laughing.I don't know why, but I harbor no hatred for Ella. It hurts to see her taking my place in Zed's heart, although I have no right to feel that way. Yet,she's also the reason I've been stripped of my guilt for leaving Zed. I'm a human, after all. But even if this stupid jealousy makes me feel like an idiot,I am truly happy for Zed. I just don't want to see them together. It makes me regret the things I failed to do as his wife.Ella's lips twist into an amused but confused smile. "Eccentric?""You'll get to know him soon since your office will be in this building with him."I lead Ella to a hallway on the ground floor and stop at the last door of the left wing. I glance at her, and our eyes me
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 44 Ella
Ella's POV“Where are we going?” I ask Zed as soon as I have figured out that we’re not on our way home.“Lunch.” His eyes are on the road but he casts a glance sideways.“Okay.” I’m also hungry already, so I just nod and close my eyes.My thoughts go back to Mr. D right away. And this connects me to the task James told me. That he won’t mind giving me the business he and my dad had worked hard for secretly.However, he indirectly asked me to avenge him by competing against Kim Yuan’s Corporation. And that would be a man named Dennis.Now, I understand what James meant. Dennis is the genius who leads the team of highly-capable engineers and computer programmers who create and design Kim Yuan’s flagship products. If I’m going to pirate Mr. D, that means robbing him of the source of his success. Though hiring other talents is possible,
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 45 Ella
"Ella," says Zed, glints of nervousness painting his face. I want to make things right with you. I want to give our relationship a proper name." A pang of pain wraps my heart. This man is indeed silly enough to jump into a cliff of uncertainties. He knows I can never promise a future for both of us, but he is still making a fool of himself. He has been there. "May I see what's in that other box, please?" I tell him, changing the topic. I am also curious about what is he's asking in that other box. Zed stares at me for a while before he moves his eyes towards the two attendants watching us from afar. One nod from Zed, and the two come forward. One of them is still holding the heart-shaped pillow that carries the box. The two attendants bow slightly before the bearer of the pillow puts down the box carefully in front of me. My heartbeats turn into a frenzy. It pounds hard against my ear as I feel I know what's written on the strip inside.
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 45 Ella
“Ella,” says Zed, glints of nervousness painting his face. I want to make things right with you. I want to give our relationship a proper name.”A pang of pain wraps my heart. This man is indeed silly enough to jump into a cliff of uncertainties. He knows I can never promise a future for both of us, but he is still making a fool of himself. He has been there.“May I see what’s in that other box, please?” I tell him, changing the topic. I am also curious about what is he’s asking in that other box.Zed stares at me for a while before he moves his eyes towards the two attendants who are watching us from afar.One nod from Zed, and the two come forward. One of them is still holding the heart-shaped pillow that carries the box. The two bow slightly before the bearer of the pillow puts down the box carefully in front of me. My heartbeats turn into a frenzy. It pounds hard against my ear as I feel I know what’s wr
Latest chapter
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 87 The Epilogue
Zed's POV I stare at the charcoal portraits of two little kids. One painting shows them holding hands, another shows them eating together, and another shows them chasing happily. Those portraits depict my longing to be with the brother I had never met. I don't realize that my tears are already brimming as I recall those days. Those days when I sent those paintings to the orphanage together with my father's monthly allocation for him. I wonder if dad had noticed that I also painted a portrait every month and made sure I finished them before it was time to send them to him. "You keep them," I say, lifting my teary eyes to Dennis. Dennis rolls his eyes. "You made me so poor back then. All the money that daddy sent went to the expensive frames I bought for those portraits." Ella laughs but tears pool at the corners of her beautiful eyes. She looks so divine in her bridal gown; her angelic face matches the glitters of those thousands of diamonds that Den adorned on her wedding dress.
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 86 Special Episode 9 ( Ara's POV)
My brows furrow as I look at the woman whose voice rings loud and clear inside the room. She looks like she is in her mid-fifties, but a strong and domineering aura emanates from her. Her presence speaks of authority, and the lift of her chin and fiery gaze is enough to tell she holds a high position that even James bows down in respect. “My queen! Why are you here?” exclaims James, his previous arrogant look melts down against the power and authority of this woman. “Put down your weapons!” she orders, moving her eyes around. The three burly men instantly bend down and put their guns on the floor. I look at James and also find him conceding. He raises his hands in a gesture of surrender, then bows down, placing his gun on the floor. “Surrender all the weapons, not only those in your hands!” My eyes grow wide at her command, and my gaze darts toward the men pulling the pistols and knives hidden inside their jackets. I also watch James disengage an oliv
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 85 Special Episode 8 : (Ara's POV)
"Very well," James raises his hands and claps slowly but loudly. He stands at the doorway, slowly pacing towards us. Following behind him are three burly-looking men who quickly spread apart, covering the room's corners. However, his claps are not to applaud but to mock. James is devilishly a handsome man in his mid-thirties but doesn't have the aura of domineering and stunning CEOs. He has gold piercings on his ears, messy bangs that he keeps pushing to the side, and tattoos painting his entire arms. He stands tall in a pair of signature rubber shoes and bleached denim jeans, coupled with a button-up shirt that lays open down to the center of his chest. His figure better fits the definition of a mobster. James looks at Zed and says, "I always know you would come to play the role of a knight in shining armor, saving a damsel in distress." I glance at Zed, now sitting beside Ella and holding her hand. He looks back at James, his eyes keen and watchful.
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 84 Special Episode 7 : (Ara's POV)
I feel my fear sucking the air out of me. If I have to see myself in the mirror, I must already be as pale as death’s shade. Zed glances at me worriedly, but his expression is worse than mine. I know very well that he’s not scared for himself but us. Every minute that ticks by feels like taking away some years from my life.“Where are we now?” Mitch asks, her eyes moving around fast. She’s as scared as me!“We’re going uphill,” says Zed. He looks now at Ella, who is now fast asleep due to the sedative that Mitch administered to her. Because of my fear, I didn’t even notice before that an intravenous solution was dripping above her.“Will the baby be alright?” He’s sleeping soundly on the stroller beside the stretcher. I can’t help noticing how Ella has prepared for this.“She must be. I have been able to prepare her needs ahead.”The ambulance then skids to a turn. Mitch and I hurriedly peer through the slits of the curtains and see that we’re entering a wide gate. Zed also peeks out,
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 83 Special Episode 6 : (Ara's POV)
"What are we going to do now?" I whisper, but my eyes dart wide in fear. Mitch and Ella also look back at me with freezing gazes, massive glints of fear and shock ruling their expressions. "Where are we heading?" Ella asks, her gaze shifting among the three of us. "I'll call a backup." Zed pulls out his phone from his back pocket without wasting a second. "Sir, we screwed up. When we reached the clinic, Ella was already in an ambulance. But an enemy has taken the driver's place." "Whose ambulance?" "From the hospital where her OB-Gyne is affiliated." "Where's Monster?" "At the clinic. But the key is with me." I realize that the monster they are talking about is the car we used in coming to the clinic. But, perhaps, it got that name because it is heavily tinted and bullet-proofed, aside from the ammunition loaded inside. "No worries. I have spare keys." "You're following?" Zed asks. "Yes."
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 82 Special Episode 5 (Ara's POV)
Zed moves straight ahead instead of turning to the left as initially planned. So I start presuming that Zed has changed his mind about picking up Ella himself. But then he turns right, and soon, we enter a black gate. “What are we doing here?” I ask Zed. Seeing him unfastening his seatbelt, I also do mine. “Hurry, Ar. We need to change the vehicle, a bullet-proof one.” “Who is living here?” “One of my teams.” Zed jumps down from the car and runs towards my side to open the door for me. But before he reaches me, I have already stepped one foot out. “Ara, just stay here. You will be safe here. This area is heavily guarded, and the security is high. I will pick you up once everything is over. But in case I can’t, my team knows what to do with you,” Zed speaks in utmost tenderness. His face even paints his gratefulness and worry for me. But I don’t like him saying goodbye. I may not be of any help to him, but I want to accompany him until
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 81 Special Episode 4: (Ara's POV)
"Ara, close your eyes and tighten your seatbelt!" I scream even before I see Zed's next move. He then looks over his right shoulder, places his right hand on the top of the steering wheel, then eases off his foot abruptly from the brake pedal. I scream again as the car reverses andaccelerates backward, missing the car that speeds next to us narrowly. "Slow down, Zed! I'm not ready to die yet!" I shout from the top of my lungs as our car is about to collide with another vehicle. And the torture doesn't end. Cars after cars come closer by a thread's width, but luckily, Zed swerves away just in time! Damn, Kim! I wouldn't be in death's mouth if it were not because of him! Is he siding now with James? "Scream as loud as you can, Ar! It eases your fear. Haven't I told you? Kim's kindness is just a show-off?" Zed yell in my left ear, jolting me off from my seat. "My goodness, Zedrick! I don't expect this side of you. How can you fly a
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 80 Special Episode 3 : (Ara's POV)
"You're seeking more trouble, Zed. Do you think James will give you peace?" I am already shaking in anger. Zed is just too stubborn. Just where does this man get his courage from? If he relies on his previous investigation team, I don't believe they're more powerful than the assassin's group. They have been delving into James' case for several years already. They would have solved the case long ago if they were that good. "Let him do what he wants." Zed doesn't look like he is kidding. His eyes are on the road, but his sharp gaze reflects his determination. Silence envelopes inside the car, giving me more time to look left and right, scared that a convoy of vehicles will suddenly overtake and block our way. I am fond of watching suspense movies, and finally, I have become the leading character in my life's drama. My phone suddenly vibrates, and I immediately presume it comes from a bomb planted under my seat. I scream, and Zed s
SINFUL INDULGENCE 3 79 Special Episode 2: (Ara's POV)
“Made from finest silk fabrics, this gown is embellished with 1000 diamonds. But this is not the most expensive wedding gown. Kate Middleton’s sparkling wedding tiara alone had 1000 diamonds.” Zed’s face pulls into a stern frown. “Are you meeting me just to show that off? Damn you, Dennis! I admit I can never afford a lavish bridal gown as you do, but believe me, the beauty of the wedding lies not in the expensive gown a bride wears, but the weight of the affection she carries in her heart.” I raise my head this time and peer at these men squarely. I may not have met Dennis yet, the one they call Mr. D, but I heard many things about him from Yen. She even calls him eccentric. And judging from what I am seeing now, he looks far more bizarre than how Yen describes him. How can a man in his right mind calls an ex-fiancé just to show off? “I’m seeing you because I want to ask for your suggestion.” Mr. D shrugs like he doesn’t care about Zed’s reaction. I
