Semua Bab The reluctant vow: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Sunlight spilled through the curtains, washing the room in a soft glow as Kemi stirred beside Zara on the bed. Zara had barely slept. Her eyes were tired, heavy, yet wired with unease.Kemi stretched, yawned, and rolled over to look at her. “You haven’t slept, have you?”Zara shook her head. “Not really.”Kemi sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. “Is it about the message?”Zara nodded. “Kemi, I know you said I shouldn’t call him… but I can’t shake this off. I need to ask him myself.”Kemi sighed. “Zara…”“I know,” Zara said, standing up and grabbing her phone. “I know I should let it go, but I need answers. What if it is him? What if this is some sick joke?”Kemi leaned back against the headboard, watching her. “I get it. But if he says it’s not him, are you going to believe him?”Zara hesitated, then whispered, “I don’t know. But I have to hear him say it.”With trembling fingers, she dialed Regan’s number. He picked up after a few rings.“Zara?” His voice was low, surprised.“Yeah… it’s

The door slammed behind Regan as he stepped into his apartment, the silence swallowing his heavy breathing. He dropped his keys on the counter and ran a hand through his hair, pacing the length of the living room like a man trying to outrun his own thoughts.He had confronted his father. Not just confronted—he had stood up for Zara. Zara, the girl he had been forced to marry. The girl he didn’t even want anything to do with in the first place. And yet…“I actually threatened him,” Regan mumbled under his breath, a look of disbelief washing over his face. “For her.”He sat down on the couch, elbows on his knees, rubbing his palms together slowly as if trying to process his own actions. “Am I… falling for her?” he muttered, blinking like he needed to shake the thought away. “No. No way.”He scoffed to himself and sat back against the cushions. “What’s even my business if she’s being followed? I never wanted this marriage in the first place. She’s not my problem. Whatever happens to her

Morning crept in lazily, sunrays filtering gently through the curtains in Zara’s room. She hadn’t slept much—her eyes were tired, her mind heavier. The message from the night before still echoed in her head. Regan’s indifferent response stung more than she cared to admit.A soft knock sounded at the door, followed by Kemi’s voice. “Babe, it’s me.”Zara rose from the bed slowly, unlocked the door, and went back to her corner on the floor, sitting cross-legged in her oversized hoodie. Kemi stepped in with a nylon bag of suya and soft drinks.“I figured you hadn’t eaten anything solid in days,” Kemi said, settling beside her. “You’ve been ghosting reality.”Zara let out a small laugh. “I’m not even sure if I’m still in reality or some twisted Netflix series.”Kemi passed her a suya stick. “So what exactly did the stalker say this time?”Zara grabbed her phone and scrolled to the message, handing it over. Kemi read the words slowly:“You looked lovely in red yesterday. Shame Regan didn’t

The sun had barely crested the skyline when Regan slipped into his car, jaw tight, eyes alert. He had a plan. The unsettling texts Zara kept receiving had gnawed at him for too long. Even though he wouldn’t admit it, the idea of someone lurking in the shadows, tormenting her, stirred something deep within him. Not love. No. Just responsibility, perhaps. Or irritation. He wasn’t sure, but he knew one thing—he needed answers.He arrived at the quiet café where he’d arranged to meet the same man he had messaged days ago—the one he’d asked to keep an eye on Zara. The guy was already there, in a booth at the far end, nursing a mug of coffee and tapping his foot to an inaudible rhythm. He looked up when Regan entered, eyes sharp behind rectangular glasses.“You said you had something,” Regan said, sliding into the booth opposite him.The man leaned in. “I did what you asked—followed the person who’s been tailing your fiancée. They’re good. Real good. Always in the same car. ES 350. Tinted w

Zara sat curled on her bed, her knees hugged to her chest as the afternoon sun poured lazily through her window. The email from the modeling agency was still open on her phone screen, its bright text almost mocking her. They had given her a second chance—a golden opportunity she never expected after backing out the first time.She should’ve been thrilled. She should’ve been out picking an outfit or practicing poses. But instead, she was stuck in a spiral of doubt, fear, and loneliness.Her eyes stung with unshed tears.She hadn’t spoken to Kemi all day. No playful banter. No encouraging messages. No Kemi offering to come over and help her prepare. Just silence. It was a silence that echoed louder than any argument could. Kemi’s words from the night before haunted her.“I have better things to do. Your dad will still call you to run back home… and like always, you will.”Zara closed her eyes tightly, biting her lower lip. Kemi was angry—and maybe she had every right to be. But it didn’