CHAPTER 2

ZARIA

“Are you okay?”

His voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I blinked rapidly, lifting my eyes to Renzo while forcing a small, shaky smile onto my face.

“Yeah,” I said, clearing my throat lightly. “I’m fine.”

A lie.

But if I wanted any chance of escaping him, him and the powerful family he was born into, I needed to lie. I needed to act perfectly normal. I needed to be careful…extra careful.

Trying to slip away from a man raised in a syndicate, a man feared by police and respected by criminals, was going to be nearly impossible.

“Have you gone for your monthly checkup?” Renzo asked as he walked closer. He stood behind me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. We stared at our reflections in the mirror.

“We have to make sure you’re fine,” he added softly.

More like you want to check if I’m pregnant.

Slowly getting up from the vanity chair, I turned to face him fully, reaching for his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, playing the role of the devoted wife he expected.

“I’m fine,” I insisted. “I don’t need to see the doctor or go for any checkup.”

His brow twitched, a tiny sign of annoyance. “I can’t take any chances, Zaria. People don’t know they are sick until they get checked.”

“I’m fine,” I repeated, letting stubbornness edge my tone, but not too much. I needed him to believe I was simply being childish or emotional, not strategic.

If he wanted to pretend he cared, then I would use that fake concern to my advantage.

“I don’t need to get checked,” I said with a small pout. “Besides…getting pricked with a needle every month isn’t exactly fun.”

“Zaria…”

“Next month,” I said quickly, cutting him off before he could argue further. “I promise I’ll get checked next month. Let’s just…skip this month, okay?”

One month.

That was all I needed.

One month to disappear.

Renzo pressed his lips together, a sign he was irritated but he slipped his hand from mine and placed it on my shoulder instead. His grip tightened, just enough for me to feel the warning beneath his calm expression. He didn’t like me pushing back. He never did. But he didn’t want to break the soft, caring husband facade he had worked so hard to create.

“Let’s get through my father’s birthday first,” he said. “We’ll talk about this later.”

I forced a smile, even though my stomach twisted painfully. “Sure.”

He leaned in and placed a kiss on my cheek, the same cold kiss Judas must have given. “You look beautiful,” he said softly.

He stepped back, eyes slowly sweeping over me, reading me the way he always did. Or trying to. Then he turned toward the door.

“Don’t keep everyone waiting,” he added flatly. “And remember to always smile.”

“Sure,” I replied, keeping my voice even.

He gave a single nod, opened the door, and walked out.

*******************

It took me a long time, too long to make myself go downstairs. I had to steady my breathing multiple times. I had to wipe away the tears that kept threatening to spill. I had to force myself to look composed, not broken.

When I finally reached the living room, Renzo was nowhere in sight. Neither was his father. The guests and guards moved around the grand space, being immersed in the celebration.

I spotted Hawk standing with a group of security men and approached him.

“Where is my husband?”

“He’s on the balcony with his father,” Hawk replied immediately. But as I turned to go, he added, “They’re discussing business.”

I knew exactly what that meant.

It meant stay away.

It meant I was not supposed to hear any of it.

But I went anyway.

I climbed the stairs slowly, my heart hammering in my chest as I neared the balcony. Then I heard them… more like his father speaking.

“Is she pregnant yet?”

“Not yet,” Renzo replied.

The growl that followed from his father made my stomach twist.

“What’s so difficult about getting a woman pregnant?” Richard spat.

I froze, my hands tightening on the railing as shame and humiliation washed over me.

“You want to come try yourself?” Renzo shot back, his words blunt. My face burned instantly.

“I’m doing everything I’m supposed to do,” he continued. “Dipping it in the right hole but she’s still not getting pregnant.”

Richard’s growl turned into a snarl. “You just had to get one thing right! Just one! You had to pick a fertile woman! We didn’t put Elix on hold just for you to sleep with another infertile one!”

“She already did her checkup this month. Everything is fine with her…nor is she pregnant. So, we wait until next month. And don’t worry, I’ll call you any time we are having sex, so you can confirm if I’m sticking it in the right hole. If I’m not, you can direct me. For now, let’s talk business.”

“The shipment,” Richard pressed. “Have you confirmed it?”

Tiptoeing away from the door, I made my footsteps deliberately loud as I returned to the main balcony. I needed them to know I was there, but not that I had heard everything.

The moment I came into view, their conversation stopped abruptly.

Renzo’s eyes found mine, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. My stomach churned, but I forced myself to hold his gaze.

He closed the distance between us in a few long strides. One hand wrapped around my waist, squeezing tightly, not gently, not loving, but possessively.

“You took a while,” he said, his voice deceptively soft.

I forced a small, apologetic smile. “The crowd downstairs was…kind of overwhelming.”

Maybe I wasn’t just talking about the crowd. Maybe it was also because I didn’t want to run into Elix.

Stepping away from Renzo, I made my way toward his father, Richard. “Happy birthday, sir,” I greeted politely. “I left your gift with Kenny, your right-hand man.”

Richard’s lips thinned, and I could see the impatience in his eyes. “The best gift you could give me,” he said sharply, glancing at Renzo, “is a grandchild.” Then, without another word, he walked away.

Renzo stepped closer, cupping my cheek in his hand. His thumb brushed gently across my skin, “Don’t think about what he said too much.”

I smiled at him, standing on my tiptoes to press a soft kiss to his lips, not because I felt anything, but because I couldn’t risk him suspecting my growing defiance. I couldn’t risk him seeing my disgust or fear.

*************

Hours passed in a haze of smiles, pleasantries, and endless toasts. All I could think about was getting home, peeling off the suffocating dress and shoes that had been torturing me for hours, and finally breathing.

My phone buzzed in my purse. I pulled it out, and the moment I saw a private number, my heart skipped. I knew immediately who it was.

Glancing up at Renzo, I noticed he was deep in conversation with his business partner, a perfect distraction.

I opened the message:

WE HAVE IT READY. COME TO THE RESTROOM AND TAKE YOUR PARCEL.

I slid the phone back into my pocket and took a deep, steadying breath. Then, I tugged gently on Renzo’s hand. He looked at me, arching a brow.

“You need to excuse me,” I said sweetly. “I need to use the restroom.”

Renzo gave a slight nod and glanced at Hawk, who immediately understood the unspoken instruction.

I didn’t care about being followed. Nothing was going to stop me from getting the parcel. Nothing was going to stop me from leaving, and it seemed I wouldn’t have to wait nearly a month to make my move after all.