LOGINZANE.A week later a guard brought mail to the front porch where I sat sipping coffee and reading a boring book about controlling the spirit and mind. I wished the book would just end but I kept turning pages anyway.The guard handed it over. “Here, Mr. Zane.”I saw it was from Saint Michael hospital. I tore the envelope open. Before I could read the paper my father snatched it out of my hand in a hurry.He opened it, saw the words, and a big smile spread across his face. He went in jubilating, “I told you, Rose. I told you. I am not the father.”I rubbed my fingers together, took another sip of coffee, and stood up with the cup in one hand and the closed book in the other. I walked inside and found my father shoving the paper in Mom’s face while she sat in her wheelchair.He shouted, “I told you I was right. Don’t you owe me something?”Mom ignored him and turned her wheels away. He kept shouting, “I prove my innocence and you walk away from me.”Mom asked, “Innocence?” Then she look
ZANE.I got home and acted like nothing was wrong. Damien stood at the staircase. I walked past him but his voice stopped me.He asked, “Are you alright?”I didn’t understand why he acted nice all of a sudden so I ignored him and kept walking. I entered my room and shut the door hard. My hand tightened on the files. I dropped them on the table.Beauty was still asleep on the bed. I went to the bathroom, took a quick bath, cleaned up, and changed into a plain shirt and shorts. I walked back to the table and opened the files again. Sora’s name stared up at me and happiness filled my whole body.I spoke to myself, “I can’t believe I let you suffer all these years. I am sorry I didn’t find you earlier. I won’t let you go anymore.”I packed the files tight and carried them to the closet. I knew Damien watched me like a hawk so I hid them deep inside a bag of old clothes. Then paranoia hit. I searched the entire room for cameras or bugs. I checked under lamps, behind pictures, inside drawer
ZANE.My heart beat faster. “I'll be right there. Wait up for me. I have to finish something here.”I hung up. The image of Sora's birthmark flashed in my mind again. I called out to Beauty. “Bee. Let's go home.”She ran back giggling. I caught her and ruffled her hair. “Did you have fun, sweetheart?”She nodded and yawned. “Yes, Daddy. I feel sleepy. I played too much.”“You’ll sleep in my room today. Sounds nice?”Beauty nodded happily and stretched her arms for me to pick her up. I carried her with my free hand. Her cotton candy and ice cream cone started to fall but a bodyguard caught them. She nuzzled into my neck, her eyes closing. I gave the teddy bears and bags to the guards and held her properly, soothing her back as we got into the car.Deep down I hoped Sora was the boy from my past. Even if he wasn't, it wouldn't change how I felt about him.The car drove off back to the Estate. I walked past Mirabelle who was smoking on the front porch. I wasn't ready for her nonsense.
ZANE.I walked toward my bedroom after dealing with everything downstairs. My head was still full of thoughts about Sora and what the doctor said. I needed some time alone to think. When I got to the door, Mirabelle was standing there blocking the way. She had her arms crossed and that look on her face like she owned the place. “Get out of my way,” I said once. My voice was low and cold.She didn't move. Instead she stepped closer. I put my hand on her shoulder and pushed her aside firmly. She stumbled a bit but followed me right into the room anyway. I turned around fast. “Don't test me, Mirabelle.”She put on a soft face. “Can you listen to me for a second? I know I did too much but it was because I love you. I still do.”I stared at her. Love? After all the shit she pulled? “You love me and hurt me?” I questioned her.She corrected herself quickly. “My aim was Sora. I didn't expect he would be so weak to not be able to handle something as little as that. C'mon you know I didn't
ZANE.He sat back down so fast he almost slid off the chair. I kept my voice calm. “I have taken this company’s growth in five years to six times the income and limit it has ever gotten and with one mishap that doesn’t shake the company you all turn against me.” I shook my head. “It’s time for a spring clean.” They started shouting at once:“That’s absurd.”“We have power.”“You can’t treat us like nothing.”“Your father always listened to us.”“It was a bad decision to lose the heiress of the Montenegro company. We have lost business proposals ever since your new relationship came alive.” I rested my elbows on the table and clutched my chin. “So. It’s not the stocks that affected but the name because I ditched the idea of marriage with the same woman who released the news without my permission.” Half of them went quiet and stunned. The rest started talking fast:“That’s impossible.”“Miss Mirabelle is a sweetheart. She would never do such a thing. She has only had eyes for yo
ZANE. I saw Sora’s knees buckle right in front of me. I lunged forward and caught him before he could hit the floor. His head dropped against my chest. He felt way too light. I glared at Mirabelle. “We’ll get back to this.” She scoffed and crossed her arms. “Save your weak omega first then we’ll talk. He can’t handle the drama. Be quick before something bad happens to him.” I didn’t waste another second on her. I scooped Sora up, one arm under his knees, the other around his back. His skin looked paler than usual. I carried him straight out to the car and barked at the driver to head to the hospital. By the time we got there the doctors took him inside fast. I paced the waiting room until one of them finally came out and told me to follow. I stood next to the bed while the doctor finished checking Sora. The doctor looked up at me. “Why have you been stressing him so hard?” I froze. “I haven’t. I made sure his work was dropped for the past week.” The doctor shook his he
Chapter 19 ****** SORA: Damien stood there, the expression on his face unreadable. His gaze moved from Zane to me, then back to Zane. My heart was racing so fast now. “Well,” he said slowly, stepping inside and closing the door behind him, “what’s… going on?” He lifted a brow. I straightened i
Chapter: 16 ****** ZANE: The woods were quiet, too quiet. No sound of animals or even birds. This was weird. There wasn’t even wind. There were just trees that stretched endlessly into the deep forest, their branches like skeletal hands reaching into the hazy sky. The ground was damp, the smell
Chapter: 14******ZANE:I wasn't even sure what I was about to ask when Sora bolted out the door like his legs were on fire, slamming it so hard, it shook the walls.And I just stood there, gawking awkwardly at the door.For a couple of minutes, I didn't move. I just stood there, staring at the pl
ZANE:I drove the rest of the way in silence. I didn't know what the hell I was thinking, holding Sora's hand like that. I didn't know what possessed me. I had no idea what the hell I was doing anymore.‘You don't like him, Zane. All you need is just to stop thinking about him. It's not that hard.’







