Chapter 003

ZACHARY 👔

Swirling the glass of amber liquid in my hand, I kept my eyes fixed on the open screen before me, watching the footage of her slashing my car tires.

My lips twitched. As expected, Ursula.

There was something about the way she plunged the knife. Unapologetic. Fierce. Stupidly reckless,just like she was eight years ago.

I took a slow sip of the whiskey. The burn on my tongue was nothing compared to the ache pressing down on my chest.

The door creaked open behind me. I didn’t need to turn to know who it was. My private investigator.

"Ian."

"Wellington." He gave a curt nod.

His eyes flicked to the screen, glinting with mischief.

"Busy, I see."

He leaned to take a closer look.

" She sure did a good job there, Wellington."

I ignored him. " Did you find anything?"

He straightened, all humor draining from his face. "This might be more complicated than we thought."

My brows furrowed. " Go on."

He handed me a folder. "There are inconsistencies in your grandfather’s medical records. The official cause of death was brain hemorrhage, but…"

I opened the folder.

" …there were no signs of bleeding in the brain. None at all."

I stared at the page, my blood turning cold.

"We were told that’s what happened," I murmured.

" That’s what they wanted everyone to believe," Ian said. " But someone’s lying and covering their tracks."

My brows scrunched up. " What do you mean?

His lips pressed in a thin line before he continued.

" The nurse on shift that night is missing."

A cold knot formed in my stomach and I closed the folder . "Missing how?" I asked .

"No call. No show. No record of her ever clocking out. Her apartment’s empty like she vanished."

I pressed my palm to the glass. Anna's death .My grandfather’s death... this was connected.

" That's not all." I lifted my eyes. " Before he died, your grandfather wanted to meet his lawyer."

My stomach twisted. " Why?

" No one knows."

Was this after he included that I had to marry Valerie to get my inheritance or before that.

The more I get closer to answers, the more confused I get.

Something was definitely going on.

I had found it odd when my father showed me the will that I had to marry Valerie. The one woman I hated .

" I'm confused." Ian's voice cut through my thoughts. " How is Valerie Hampton involved in all of this."

I leaned back in my chair, my hand raking through my hair as I tugged at the roots in frustration. "She’s at the center of these deaths." My voice was low, bitter. " My grandfather died after naming me his successor only if I marry Valerie. And Anna…" My throat tightened. "Anna died because she discovered a secret about Valerie. One I never got the chance to learn."

I downed the rest of the liquor and poured another. My hand trembled just slightly.

"Either Valerie is the unluckiest woman alive…" I muttered, eyes fixed on the glass, " or she’s part of something darker than we imagined."

" That explains your unhealthy obsession towards her."

I glared at him and he chuckled.

" But there other ways to solve all these rather than forcing her to marry her."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

" Are you feeling pity for her?

He shrugged, his expression sombre.

" What if she's innocent in all of this?

" In our world, no one is innocent."

His gaze never wavered, and there was a flicker of something behind his eyes. "And what if you're wrong? What if all this is just a game you're playing with her life, Wellington?"

The tension in the room thickened as his words lingered in the air. I couldn't tell if he was trying to provoke me or genuinely questioning my motives.

"You're assuming too much," I said, my voice low and steady despite the storm brewing inside me. "You don't know anything about her, about what she's done, or what she's capable of."

He tilted his head, the faintest trace of a smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"She's never going to agree, anyways."

I nodded, pulling a pack of cigarettes from the drawer. "I know too well that she is one hell of a stubborn woman, which is why I have to play my cards right."

"Like blackmailing her?"

I offered him a cigarette, which he took.

"It takes more than blackmail to tame Ursula."

I leaned against my desk, taking a long drag, letting the smoke burn deep in my chest. It settled there, a temporary relief from the chaos swirling in my head.

Ian chuckled softly. "What did you do?"

I shrugged, exhaling slowly.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a message on its screen.

When is the wedding?

— Valerie

"Impressive," Ian said, his amusement clear. "You two would make a hell of a couple. How did she even get your number? I thought you two were rivals."

I glanced at my phone, my thumb hovering over the screen as a cold , unsettling feeling washed over me.Something about the message didn’t sit right with me.

I shoved the phone back into my pocket and met Ian’s eyes. "You got what you wanted. Why do you still look unhappy?"

His eyes widened as the realization hit him. "She’s agreeing so easily? She has a motive, doesn’t she?"

I gave him a sideway glance. For a private investigator, he was dumb sometimes.

" How do you know that? He asked, confusion evident in his voice.

I took another drag of the cigarette, feeling it silence the voices in my head.

"If there's anything I have learnt about Valerie ......." My lips stretched into a smirk. ".... is that she never backs down without a fight. she already suspects I'm doing this to get something and she's going to use it to her advantage."

Ian frowned, clearly trying to piece it all together. "But you still have the upper hand... You can make her fall for you. Then, when you’ve gotten what you wanted, you can end it."

I shook my head, annoyance flaring. "I don’t want it to get complicated."

His grin widened, a knowing gleam in his eyes. "Or you're scared you're going to fall for her."

I almost groaned but I caught myself. I reached for the ashtray instead. "Wanna place a bet, Ian?"

He threw his cigarette to the floor, crushing it beneath his shoe. His smirk remained.

"Careful, Wellington .The game you’re playing might be a lot more dangerous than you think."