I could hear his voice, that familiar, grating tone, and for a moment, I wondered if I was imagining it. There was no way he was here—not now, not after everything. He should be with Susan, shouldn’t he? Yet, there he was, standing above me, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade."Zelda Liamson! You were the one showing off just now, why are you pretending to be weak and pitiful in front of me now?"The anger in his voice should have ignited something inside me, but instead, all I could feel was an overwhelming numbness. I didn’t want his concern. I didn’t want him to see me like this. I couldn’t afford to be this weak.I barely registered his presence before I felt his hand reaching for my face. Something inside me snapped, and I instinctively pushed his hand away, trying to push him out of my space.The sound of his palm smacking against the air was a harsh reminder of how much had changed between us.“Go away! It's none of your business!” I tried to push him out of my
JamesI was clearly just helping her take off her pants and apply medicine, but I acted as if something had happened between us.Zelda blushed and reached out to push me away. But I grabbed her hand, put it on my lips, and kissed it, smiling."Do you like me kissing you like this?"A tingling sensation spread from my lips to her fingertips throughout her body, like an electric shock. She unconsciously leaned limply into my arms, too embarrassed to say a word. Was this flirting? Although we had done similar things before, we had never flirted like a couple until now.I wasn’t like this before. I had been very silent and depressed in bed. Even during our most decadent moments, I never said such daring things, asking her if she liked it or not. In the past, I made her feel like she was handing in homework.But now, I didn’t even do anything significant; I just kissed her fingers and rubbed her ears and neck, and Zelda wanted to surrender to me. This is horrible. She shouldn’t have indulg
The private room of the Royal Court Club was opulent, the kind of place where you couldn’t help but feel a little indulgent. I leaned back in my chair, swirling the amber liquid in my glass, listening absentmindedly as Miguel and Yuell chatted. Their words blended into the background—something about another reunion. Normally, I’d contribute, but tonight, my mind was elsewhere.“It’s true what they say—he succeeded in business but failed in love,” Miguel teased, leaning toward me. “Brother, you and Zelda haven’t reconciled yet?”I chuckled dryly and shook my head. “What do you know? Even if we quarrel, our relationship is still very good.” My words were calm, but even I could hear the hollowness in them.Miguel sighed. "Okay, okay, you two have a good relationship. Zelda can’t live without you. But no matter how good a relationship is, constant arguments can hurt. It’s been so many days..."Twenty-nine days. That’s how long it had been since she first asked for a divorce. I didn’t need
My chest tightened as I stared at Cheng, his words cutting through the noise around me."What did you say," I demanded, my voice low and tense.He swallowed before continuing, "I just received a call from Xavier. Your wife has a high fever and has been sent to the hospital."I didn’t wait for him to finish. My legs moved on their own, carrying me out of the club. Cheng scrambled to keep up, but I didn’t care if he followed or not.Behind me, I heard Susan’s voice faintly as she realized what was happening. She tried to chase after me, but the elevator doors closed before she could catch up.Good.My mind raced, thinking about Zelda. She wasn’t at the club tonight—was this why?When I exited the building, Cheng was still trying to relay more details, but I tuned him out, my sole focus on getting to her.By the time I reached the hospital, I barely registered the sterile smell of antiseptic or the hu
I bit my lip, struggling to find the words."My Brother... um..."Before I could finish, James suddenly leaned over, capturing my lips with his. His kiss was fierce, his breath warm and insistent.I was taken aback, forced to tilt my head back as his intensity overwhelmed me. The warmth of his lips, and the possessiveness of his actions, left me defenseless. For a moment, I forgot to resist.When he finally let me go, I gasped for air, my face flushed and my mind blank.He pressed his hand to my forehead, his dark eyes boring into mine."Brother and sister? So, you think we are committing incest now?"Panting, I struggled to process his words. Wasn’t he the one who had always resisted this relationship? He was the one who ignored me for five years, who refused to have children, claiming it was incestuous.Yet here he was."Zelda Liamson, I don't kiss my sister like this."I felt like I had been struck direct
JamesThe moment Cheng stepped into the office, his demeanour screamed unease. He moved cautiously, his phone in hand, as if the news he carried would set off a bomb.“Boss,” he began, his voice carefully measured, “you and your wife are both trending on the Internet.”I didn’t react immediately. Trending on the Internet? Of course, it would be something trivial.Cheng continued, “You attended Miss Susan’s recital yesterday, and the First Lady asked you to hold her bouquet. A photo of you holding the flowers was taken and posted online. It's causing quite a stir.”His eyes darted nervously as he added, “Your wife, on the other hand, went to watch your brother's race last night. Some photos of them looking... close were taken and posted online as well. Netizens don’t know they’re brother-in-law and sister-in-law. They’re calling it a scandal....”The way he delivere
ZeldaI didn’t want James Ferguson to suspect I had been studying abroad, so before Liz could clarify, I nodded and said with a small smile,“Yes, I am the translator. However, with Mr. Ferguson’s Italian skills, it seems I’m unnecessary here.”Liz didn’t seem to mind my improvisation. She had originally brought a translator, but their delayed flight had left her without one. Since I spoke Italian, she had asked me on the way to the hotel to step in temporarily.Susan stood awkwardly to the side, unable to follow our Italian conversation. Her discomfort was evident, her expression pinched and her fists clenched. She looked like she was shrinking into herself, and I could almost feel the hatred radiating off her.Without acknowledging her, I quickly followed Liz into her room. The door shut softly behind us, leaving Susan outside.I could imagine her frustration even without hearing it.When I return
JamesFrom the moment I spotted her, something in me tightened. Zelda Liamson was crouched on the cold ground outside the hotel, barefoot and clad only in a thin dance costume. She clutched her phone like it was her last lifeline, her face pale, her shoulders trembling slightly. She looked completely lost, like a lone figure adrift in an unforgiving storm.It was hard to reconcile this image with what Anna had told me earlier. Anna claimed she’d left irresponsibly, but this? This wasn’t the demeanour of someone careless or dismissive. Something had clearly gone wrong, but I didn’t move.Chen Ting, sitting stiffly in the driver’s seat, glanced back at me hesitantly. “Boss, should I go ask Madam what happened?”I kept my eyes on her, my hand gripping the door handle tightly. My thoughts churned, but I didn’t respond.I wasn’t sure what stopped me. The sight of her like this stirred something unfamiliar—a mix of frustration and something else I didn’t want to name. But before I could act
JamesThe abrupt silence of the phone call echoed in the sterile hospital corridor, a small, yet jarring disruption to the otherwise clinical atmosphere.I stared at the dark screen, a faint frown creasing my brow.From the window beside me, the emergency entrance was visible, a flurry of activity. A moment ago, I could have sworn I saw a familiar figure being carried inside. A woman, her face obscured, but something about her…Zelda.But no, it couldn't be. She was at the old house, safe. She wouldn't be here. She wouldn't… hang up on me.Why wouldn't she answer? Was she still angry about lunch? I’d been detained at the office, an urgent matter that couldn’t be postponed. She knew I hated breaking promises, especially to her."James, my mother has woken up and asked me to come out and call you."The sound of my given name, rarely used, snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to see my cousin, her expr
ZeldaThe phone screen mocked me, a digital window into a reality I desperately didn't want to see.Susan's words, laced with venomous glee, echoed in my ears."Is that your husband?" As if she had any right to speak his name.My hands trembled, a mix of rage and a bone-deep dread. I couldn't answer. I wouldn't. Not with her watching, her eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction."Sister, are you afraid to answer it?" Her voice was a saccharine mockery.I snapped. The phone went dark, and the scalding coffee followed, a desperate, futile attempt to silence the truth she was trying to force down my throat."Zelda Liamson, you are mad!" She screamed, the hot liquid dripping down her face.Mad? I was beyond mad. I was unravelling."Don't be ungrateful and repay kindness with hatred!" She spat her words with a bitter, ironic twist.Kindness? Did she call this kindness? This tearing apart of my life, this shattering o
ZeldaI watched Susan’s mouth move, the words blurring into a meaningless drone. My mind was reeling, a montage of memories flashing before my eyes. Yes, a small voice whispered, nothing in this world is free.I remembered that snowy night, the young James carrying me into the Ferguson mansion. He’d personally coaxed me that night, cleaned the grime from my body, and tended to my wounds. He’d spoken softly and offered me a piece of orange candy. I’d thought I was lucky, that I’d somehow caught his eye, and earned his favour.But I’d forgotten… James wasn’t compassionate.He was aloof, cold, unapproachable. And he had mysophobia! Why would he, of all people, lower himself to care for a filthy, bloodied child unless… unless there was a reason?And now, the reason was staring me in the face, cruel and devastating. I closed my eyes, trying to shield myself from the wave of bitterness and pain threatening to engulf me. I wouldn’t give Susan the satisfaction of seeing me break.“Are you fin
My good mood vanished, replaced by a chilling premonition. Even though the number was unknown, I knew it was Susan. I frowned, ready to block it, but another photo arrived. Annoyed, I almost swiped it away, but my finger slipped, enlarging the image. My heart lurchedIt was a surreptitious shot, clearly taken on a plane. The man, only half his face visible, sat with a sleeping woman leaning against his shoulder. The woman’s face was obscured, but her long, thick, curly hair suggested youth and beauty. She was nestled against him, asleep, while he gazed at her with… tenderness.The picture was beautiful, and evocative. If the man wasn’t my husband, the man who’d promised to be home for lunch, I might have even called it romantic.My fingers went numb. I could feel the blood draining from my face as I swiped the photo away. Then, more texts from Susan:[You should recognize that this is James Ferguson's private plane. Idiot, this woman is the one he really brought back to the country an
ZeldaLilian Wenger's red eyes and embarrassed flush were hard to ignore. She’s a dancer of some renown, and those in the arts often possess a certain nobility. But the comfortable life she was accustomed to was clearly weighing on her, the thought of losing it all outweighing any sense of shame.I never expected Susan to still be lying to her parents, still clinging to the fiction that James is her child’s father. My brow furrowed.“Please?” I prompted.“James has stopped investing in the Wenger family. It was agreed upon, but he’s cut us off without warning. Our funding has dried up…” This was news to me.James hadn’t breathed a word of it.“Zee, for your grandmother’s sake, you can’t just stand by and watch the Wenger family crumble. Grandma and Grandpa built that business.”Grandmother Wenger passed away when I was five. My memories are hazy, but I remember her warmth and her adoration. It’s undeniable that my adoption by the Fergusons was tied to my connection to the Wenger famil
ZeldaI woke up in the big bed at the Mansion, disoriented. The last thing I remembered was being in the car with James, the argument hanging heavy in the air. I looked down. My clothes had been changed. They were clean and fresh. Aunt Jiang, no doubt.My lips felt strange, a little sore, with a faint medicinal scent, like antiseptic. Someone had been… cleaning them? The thought made me uneasy.Aunt Jiang bustled in.“Madam, you’re finally awake! I’ve been to check on you twice. Breakfast is ready. Please eat quickly, so you can take it to your husband.”“How did I get home last night?” I asked, my voice still thick with sleep.“Mr. Ferguson carried you back himself, Madam. He took care of you all night before returning to the hospital. He wouldn’t let me help. I don’t know if his wound reopened. He looked so worried. His face was so pale when he left…”My brow furrowed. Guilt, sharp and unexpected, pierced through me. Aunt Jiang’s words painted a picture of James, concerned and carin
ZeldaA prickling sensation crawled up my spine. Something was wrong. As the man reached for me, I reacted instinctively, swinging my bag and hitting him squarely in the face.“Someone, help! Help!” I yelled, my voice ringing out across the crowded club.The commotion drew attention, but the two men were quick. One grabbed the woman in the red dress, while the other wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close.“Baby, stop making trouble,” he said loudly, his voice dripping with false concern. “Let’s not quarrel, okay? It’s all my fault! Sorry, my wife drank too much…”He was trying to drag me away, to make it look like a lovers’ spat.Panic clawed at me. I saw, out of the corner of my eye, that the people I’d hoped would notice were buying his act, turning back to their dancing.“I’m gay!” I shouted, desperation giving my voice an edge. “Let me and my wife go! We’re a couple! We don’t even know you!”I struggled against his grip, trying to reach the woman in the red dress. “Let
ZeldaMy heart plummeted. James… he’d lied. Deliberately.The thought echoed in my mind, a cold, sharp shard of ice. He’d manufactured this whole injury, just to manipulate me, just for the baby. The same way Hellen Ferguson only cared about the child, not about… me.The realization stung, leaving me feeling foolish and betrayed.My legs had gone numb. I hadn’t even noticed the bodyguards leaving. I sank to the floor, hugging my knees, trying to contain the rising panic. After what felt like an eternity, I forced myself to stand. I clutched the incubator, a fragile shield against the truth, and walked to his ward. I needed to hear it from him. I needed to understand.But as I cracked open the door, their voices drifted out, stopping me cold.“Brother has succeeded in wooing his wife? Didn’t little Zelda Liamson cry and make a fuss before, insisting on getting a divorce and going abroad?” Miguel’s voice was laced with that familiar, subtle mockery.Then Yuell Qing’s laughter was sharp
ZeldaI blinked, realizing just how cunning James really was. He hadn't explicitly said anything about cancelling the divorce, but he’d subtly manoeuvred me into this position. Unbelievable.I puffed out my cheeks."You wish! I can't even count the ways you've made me unhappy. I'm only staying temporarily because of Little One, and because your injury is partly my fault! Don't think you've won me over that easily. You're just an…apprentice husband at best!""Apprentice husband?" James raised an eyebrow.I nodded firmly. "Don't you understand? Like the interns at Ferguson's. You're on probation. Less than a month. If your performance is satisfactory, I'll consider things. But if it's not…Mr. Ferguson should be very clear on the process, right?"He was silent for a moment, then I narrowed my eyes."Do you have any objections?“He clicked his tongue, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Then perhaps Mrs. Ferguson could enlighten me on the criteria for this…internship? What requirements must