LOGIN***~~DANTE~~***Let me tell you something about seeing your wife walk through a crowd of hundreds and feeling your entire chest shift.That’s not something you plan for, it’s not something you brace yourself against, it just happens, and it happened to me the moment Zara came through those doors and moved through the red carpet like the room had been waiting specifically for her arrival and had only just realised it.I had been standing near the entrance when I saw her, and I genuinely needed a second — just one — because she looked that good, the kind of good that short-circuits whatever you were thinking about before and replaces it completely.I stood there and watched her move through the crowd with a particular composure she had when she knew exactly what she looked like.Every single rational thought I had about the tension between us dissolved somewhere between the moment I spotted her and the moment she looked up and found my eyes across the room.I wanted to walk straight o
***~~ZARA~~***The MC’s voice filled the entire hall like he’d been waiting all evening for this exact moment. “It’s right about time, ladies and gentlemen, let us welcome the CEO of Wright Holdings Company to give us the opening speech.”Immediately the room responded the way it does when the most important name in the building gets called. A specific stillness that only real power manages to produce without even requesting it.I watched Dante from where I stood.He adjusted his suit once, just one smooth pull at the lapel, then his expression settled into a composed, locked-in look he always wore whenever he was about to step in front of a crowd.Then without a single word or backward glance, he was already moving, cutting through the parting crowd with a long, unhurried stride that somehow managed to feel both relaxed and intentional at the same time.Every step landed with quiet authority, making people step back and watch without fully understanding why.He stepped up under the
***~~ZARA~~***We pulled up to the venue at 8:05 p.m., and I want you to understand that when I say everywhere was already packed, I mean the kind of packed place where you sit in your car for a second just absorbing the energy before you even open the door.Paparazzi lined up along the carpet, reporters with microphones and cameras, guests arriving in clothes that clearly cost more than most people’s rent.The whole thing was buzzing with a particular electric energy that only happens when rich people gather in one place and everyone is trying to outdo everyone else without looking like they’re trying.I scanned the area from inside the car, just taking stock, and that’s when I spotted Dante’s car parked nearby and felt something shift in my chest.He was already inside, which meant he had walked past the red carpet, past the photographers and the entire entrance, without waiting for me, his wife, the person he was supposed to walk in with tonight.I just sat there for a second, le
***~~ZARA~~***6:58 p.m., and we were finally done.I’m telling you, I stood in front of that mirror and needed a second — just one quiet second — to process what I was looking at because Julia had done something to both our faces that I did not have the vocabulary to describe properly.It was that level of stunning, the kind where you keep turning your head at different angles to make sure you’re seeing it right, and every angle keeps confirming, yes, this is real, you actually look like this.I turned my head slightly toward my mom, slow enough that she could see the full makeup, and I watched her expression shift in real time.Her expression right there told me what I wanted to know because my mom does not fake reactions. She never has. If she’s not impressed, she’ll find a diplomatic way to say so, and if she is, you’ll know it immediately.She was impressed.I turned back to the mirror.The gown my mom had brought was a structured dual-tone dress in black and burnished gold.I
***~~ZARA~~***I stared at that screen for a solid few seconds.A caller ID at four in the afternoon on a day that already had enough going on felt like a personal attack on my nerves.I picked up anyway, kept quiet, and waited — because if you called me from a hidden number, the least you could do was speak first.“Zara, hi.”Julia’s voice came through, and I felt the tension in my shoulders drop about three inches immediately.“Hi, Julia,” I answered, relaxing back slightly. “And why was your caller ID hidden? You nearly gave me a full moment of anxiety just now.”She laughed, and there was movement on her end like she was already multitasking. “I’m on Ethan’s phone. You know how he is about his privacy settings — the guy treats his devices like classified government property.”I laughed at that.My mom looked up from across the room with raised brows, silently asking me what was funny. I waved my hand at her in that universal signal for ‘I will explain later’.She accepted it and
***~~ZARA~~***“I need an outfit for a gala,” I told her, already moving back into the bedroom. “Tonight.”There was a short pause, and then, “Oh, the gala,” she said it like she’d already been sitting with that thought. “I actually got an invitation too. I was literally just about to call you.”I closed my eyes briefly. “Okay, that is actually perfect timing.”“So what do you think I should wear?” I asked, dropping onto the edge of the bed. “Mom, you know I don’t have your eye for this kind of thing.”She laughed, and I could practically see her sitting up straighter wherever she was, already energised by the task. “Of course I know. I am your godmother, bibbidi-bobbidi-boo,” she announced.I pressed my lips together hard.“Mom. That song.”“What?” Completely unbothered. Completely at peace with herself. That was Emily Williams for you.“Mum, you’re already coming to the gala anyway—can you come over now? Come and see the new house. We’ll get ready here together and keep each other
***~~ZARA~~***I rushed through the hallway with its fluorescent lights and rows of lockers.My shoes clicked against the tiled floor, and I barely made it to the exam hall before the exam officer walked in carrying a stack of papers and announced we'd be starting our exams immediately, which was
***~~ZARA~~***We headed out of the bursar's office and made our way toward Dante's car parked near an empty lot.When suddenly Raven and her whole crew appeared out of nowhere, like they'd been waiting for us.They blocked our path with their arms crossed and had these intimidating looks on thei
***~~ZARA~~***“Nothing important,” he said, leaning against the doorway. But the way he avoided my gaze made me pause. Something was off, but I decided not to push. Not yet.I sat back against the pillows, taking a deep breath. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the AC and the sound
***~~ZARA~~***I raised my head and looked at him sleeping peacefully beside me. His lips slightly parted, and honestly, he seemed so calm that I couldn't help but stare a little longer.This man was ridiculously handsome even when he was lying beside me doing absolutely nothing.The morning ligh







