Se connecterWhen Zara discovers her abusive fiancé cheating with her best friend,she flees to a bar where a mysterious stranger offers her refuge. One night with Josh changes everything—but their whirlwind romance built on passion and pregnancy hides a devastating secret. As Josh’s fake feelings turn achingly real and Roberts vendetta turns deadly, Zara must navigate a web of family betrayal,supernatural mysteries and her own shattered trust . But when love transcends the boundaries between life and death, Zara discovers that sometimes you must lose everything to find who you really are.
Voir plus「仕方ないから、結婚して“あげる”わ」
そう口にした瞬間、部屋の空気がわずかに張りつめた。
九条玲司は一瞬だけ視線を上げ、ほんのわずかに眉を動かす。 だが、それも束の間だった。すぐに口元を歪め、鼻で笑う。「随分と偉そうだな。
まぁいい。君が“財閥令嬢”であることに価値があるのは事実だ」その言葉は、淡々としているのに、妙に冷たかった。
綾乃の胸の奥で、氷の欠片が落ちるような感覚がする。(この人は……人を、条件でしか見ないのね)
感情を表に出すことはできなかった。
ここには祖母がいる。相手の祖父もいる。 鷹宮家と九条家、二つの家の歴史と体面が、この場を縛っていた。祖母の澄江が、そっと綾乃の手を握る。
しわの刻まれた手は、小さく震えていた。「綾乃、お願い。おばあちゃんの、最後のわがままだと思って……」
“最後”という言葉が、静かに胸に刺さる。
綾乃は目を伏せ、短く息を吐いた。逆らえなかった。
逆らう選択肢を、最初から持たされていなかった。結婚は、驚くほど事務的に決まった。
感情の入り込む余地など、最初からなかったかのように。顔合わせから三か月後。
式は身内だけで簡素に済まされ、披露宴は企業合同のパーティー扱い。 祝福の言葉よりも、名刺交換の音の方が耳に残った。結婚後、九条邸で最初に交わされた言葉も、やはり事務的だった。
「夫婦としての時間は、基本的に必要ない」
淡々と告げられ、綾乃は思わず視線を上げる。
「君は東亜リンクス商事での仕事を続けろ。
こちらも、君の父との関係維持には君が必要だ」「……私を、“駒”として使うのね」
思わず漏れた言葉に、玲司は初めて真正面から綾乃を見た。
「お互い様だろう。君も、この結婚で立場を守っている」
正論だった。
否定できないからこそ、腹の奥が熱くなる。しかし――
結婚から半年が過ぎた頃、その均衡は静かに崩れ始めた。東亜リンクス商事の大型案件。
海外エネルギー開発プロジェクトに、不正の噂が立った。資料を追ううち、綾乃の顔色は失われていく。
その中心にいたのは、彼女の直属の上司であり、 九条ホールディングスとも深く関わる人物だった。「……これ、表に出たら、会社が潰れる」
深夜の書斎で、震える指先を押さえながら呟いたその時。
背後で、扉の開く音がした。
「気づいたか」
振り向くと、九条玲司が立っていた。
「……あなた、知ってたの?」
「最初からな」
静かな声だった。
「君がこの件にどう動くか、見たかった」
「最低……」
吐き捨てると、玲司は低く言い返す。
「それでも、君は黙らないだろう。――そこが、気に入っている」
その一言に、綾乃は息を呑んだ。
(この人は、ただの傲慢な男じゃないの?)
初めて、
夫としてではなく、敵でも味方でもない―― “同格の人間”として、九条玲司を意識した瞬間だった。Chapter 93Zara’s POVFew weeks on, the moving truck arrived on a crisp Saturday morning. Not that I had much to move. A year of living in Green’s apartment hadn’t accumulated much beyond Phoenix’s toys and my clothes. Everything fit into a dozen boxes.“Are you sure about this?” Green asked, watching the movers load the last box. “You’re always welcome to stay here, you know. For as long as you need.”“I know. And I love you for that.” I adjusted Phoenix on my hip. He was fascinated by the moving truck, pointing and babbling excitedly. “But it’s time. Time to build something stable for Phoenix. Time to really start over.”“With your mom.”“With my mom,” I repeated, still getting used to saying it. “She has that huge mansion with more rooms than she knows what to do with. And she wants us there. She wants to be part of Phoenix’s life. Part of my life.”Green hugged me carefully, mindful of Phoenix between us. “I’m going to miss having you down the hall.”“I’m not disappearing. I’ll vi
Chapter 92Zara’s POVThe week after Josephine’s big reveal to me felt like living in a dream. I kept looking at the check, at the company documents, at my bank account that now had numbers I’d never imagined seeing. It didn’t feel real.But there was something else weighing on my mind. Something I needed to do.The money from Josh’s assets. Ten million dollars sitting untouched in an account because I’d never been able to bring myself to use it. It had felt like blood money, like profiting from loss, like accepting payment for pain.Now, with Josephine’s gift securing Phoenix’s future and mine, I finally knew what to do with it.I spent two days researching charities. Organizations that helped abuse survivors. Shelters for women escaping domestic violence. Programs that provided therapy for trauma victims. Legal aid funds for people trapped in abusive situations.I divided the ten million among fifteen different charities, carefully calculating how much each one would receive. Then I
Chapter 91Zara’s POVI called everyone the next morning. Green, Ovee, Maya, and even Emma. I needed them all to hear this in person, to share in what felt like the most surreal moment of my life.“Emergency meeting at my place,” I’d said. “Eleven o’clock. I have news.”Now they were all crowded into Green’s living room, which I was still calling home until I figured out what to do next. Phoenix was playing with his blocks in the corner while everyone looked at me expectantly.“So what’s the big news, is she your mother?” Green asked, practically bouncing in her seat. “You sounded so excited on the phone.”I took a deep breath. “I found my biological mother.”Silence.Then everyone started talking at once.“What?”“Are you serious?”I held up my hands, laughing. “Let me tell you everything.I told them everything. About the DNA test. About the results confirming she was my mother. About spending yesterday at her mansion hearing her story and telling her mine.“Oh my God, Zara,” Maya s
Chapter 90Zara’s POVThe inside of the mansion was even more impressive than the outside. High ceilings with crystal chandeliers, marble floors that gleamed under the afternoon light, artwork that looked like it belonged in museums. Everything was elegant and tasteful, speaking to wealth I’d only ever seen in magazines.“Please, sit,” Josephine said, leading me into a spacious living room with plush cream-colored sofas and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the gardens. “Make yourself comfortable. Can I get you anything? Water? Tea? Coffee?”“I’m okay, thank you.”“Actually, you know what? Let me have something prepared for you. Have you eaten lunch?”Before I could answer, Josephine walked to the doorway and called out, “Daniella!”A woman in her sixties appeared, wearing a simple uniform. “Yes, Mrs. Adams?”“Daniella, this is my daughter, Zara.” Josephine’s voice broke slightly on the word ‘daughter,’ like she still couldn’t quite believe it was real.Daniella’s eyes widened. “Yo












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