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Chapter 23

Autor: Aysha Haven
last update Última actualización: 2025-11-27 23:52:37
Zayn’s POV

I knew something was wrong the moment she answered and said my name. Her voice carried that quiet strain people use when they are trying not to break.

“Adriana?” I said it like a question even though I knew it was her.

“I need you to tell me the truth about something.” Her tone was steady but not natural, the kind of steadiness people use when they refuse to let emotion spill out. “Did you sign a contract with your father that requires you to have a girlfriend to secure your inheritance?”

My stomach dropped.

The contract. The one thing I had prayed she would never see.

“Yes,” I said after a long breath. “There is a contract.”

She did not yell or explode. Her silence was worse than any accusation.

“Who told you?” I asked, though I already knew.

“It does not matter.” Her voice wavered. “I just need to know if it is true.”

I walked to the window, pressing my palm to the cold glass as if the chill might steady me. My reflection looked like a man bracing for impact.

“It is true,”
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