Chapter 14

Zaria

I’m laughing so hard my sides hurt as Jasper tells me about the time he almost embarrassed himself out of existence in college.

“I swear to you,” he says between his own laughter, “I was two seconds away from sacrificing my dignity on those stairs. Diarrhea is not a joke.”

I clutch the railing as we climb the stairs, still laughing, my eyes watering. “Please, stop. I can’t breathe,” I tell him, wiping my eyes. “Why would you even tell me that?”

“Because if I have to live with that memory, someone else should suffer too,” he replies, grinning.

For the first time in what feels like forever, my chest feels light. Not tight with worry or heavy with dread. Just… light. I didn’t realize how badly I needed this. Normal laughter. Normal company. Someone who isn’t trying to control, threaten, or break me.

We reach the top of the staircase, and that’s when the fun ends. My gaze lands on my step mom.

She’s standing a few steps away, her posture stiff, her eyes locked on me with a look so sharp it cuts straight through my good mood. The warmth drains from my body instantly. My laughter dies in my throat, replaced by a familiar knot of unease.

Jasper notices the shift immediately. “Hey, you okay?” he asks softly.

I force a smile that doesn’t quite reach my eyes. “Um…Yeah. I just… I have to go.”

He follows my gaze and spots Anita. His brows lift slightly in understanding. “Ah.”

“I’ll talk to you later?” I add quickly, not wanting this moment to end on an awkward note.

“Of course,” he says easily. “I’ll reach out later this week about our date, if that’s okay?”

My stomach does a small, traitorous flip at the word date. Before I can overthink it, he leans in and presses a quick kiss to my cheek. It’s gentle and brief, but my face still warms instantly. I feel ridiculous for blushing like a teenager. I really like Jasper. He’s sweet and easygoing. I just wish I wasn’t having a hard time with my family right now.

Jasper straightens and gives Anita a polite wave like he hasn’t just walked into a tense family moment, then turns back to me. “Try not to get into trouble,” he jokes.

“And you too, Mister.” I reply, managing a small smile.

He walks away, leaving me standing there with my heart still a little too fast and my mood completely shattered. I take a breath and walk over to Anita.

She doesn’t waste a second.

“So,” she says coldly, crossing her arms. “You’re over Joe that fast now?”

I stop in front of her, my jaw tightening. “Excuse me?”

She scoffs. “Your sister told me how you cried about him cheating on you, and now here you are, laughing and flirting like nothing happened. Or should I say, cheating too?”

Something ugly twists in my chest. I glare at her. “I broke up with Joe after I caught him cheating on me red-handed. I am single. Which means I am free to talk to whoever I want.”

Her lips part, clearly ready to fire back, but I don’t let her.

“And even if I was cheating,” I continue, my voice steady but sharp, “it would still not be your business.”

Her face darkens with fury. “It is, in fact, my business,” she snaps. “I am your mother!”

I let out a short laugh, humorless and tired. “You have a really funny way of showing it.” The words hang between us. For a moment, neither of us speaks. We just stand there, staring at each other. Her disappointment clashes with my resentment, neither of us willing to back down.

Finally, she exhales sharply and looks away. “Go and see your father,” she says. “I’ll give you some space.”

I nod once, not trusting myself to speak without saying something I can’t take back. I turn and walk down the hallway toward my father’s room, my footsteps slow and measured, my earlier laughter now a distant memory. I step into Dad’s room just as his voice fills the space, sharp and cutting.

“Are you stupid or are you pretending to be incompetent on purpose?” he barks into the phone. “I hired you to do a job, not to make excuses.”

I close the door quietly behind me and take the chair opposite him, folding my hands in my lap while I wait. From the way he keeps calling the person on the other end useless and slow, I’m guessing it’s his secretary. He sits up on his bed, frustration written all over his face. When he finally ends the call, he drops the phone onto the bed and exhales loudly. Only then does he look at me.

“So,” he starts, studying me with an expression I can’t read. “What do you plan to do now that your sister has taken your place?”

The way he says it mockingly makes my stomach twist. “I’ve started dusting up my résumé,” I reply calmly, even though my chest feels tight. “I’ll start reaching out to friends. Some of them have mentioned good job opportunities before.”

His eyes narrow instantly. “Don’t even think about leaving my company.”

I let out a dry laugh before I can stop myself. “You mean the company that now belongs to Tristan King?”

I immediately regret my words as his face contorts with fury. “If I wasn’t weak right now,” he snaps, “you would have received the hottest slap of your life for that comment.”

Something aches in my chest. Dad has never hit me before, but the words still land hard. Harder than a slap ever could. He doesn’t need to raise a hand. His disappointment has always been enough.

He leans back against the pillows. “I already have work for you.”

I frown. “What kind of work?”

“You’re meeting Mr. Williams tonight,” he says, like he’s talking about the weather. “At his penthouse.”

My stomach drops. Not this again?? I push up from the chair so fast it scrapes against the floor. “I’m not doing that, Dad.”

His face darkens. “You will do whatever I tell you to do.”

“Tristan already said you can’t sell me to Mr. Williams,” I argue, my voice shaking despite my effort to stay calm.

“I don’t care what Tristan said,” he fires back. “He now has Samantha. Whatever you do no longer concerns him.”

The words hit me like a punch. Tears burn my eyes as he continues, his voice cold and final. “Do not mess this up, Zaria. If you do, I will cut you out of this family completely.”

I stare at him, stunned, my mind racing. What have I done to deserve this? When did loving him and trying to please him turn into this?

“I’ll send you the address shortly,” he adds. “Go home. Make yourself look beautiful.” A tear slips down my cheek.

He scoffs. “Stop fucking crying and save our company.”

I don’t say another word as I turn and walk out. Anita stands outside the room. For a split second, I think I see something like pity in her eyes, but then she looks away, as if whatever sympathy she feels is too inconvenient to acknowledge.

By the time I get into the cab downstairs, my hands are shaking. I sink into the seat and stare out the window as the car pulls away. There’s only one person who can stop this. One person I despise. One person I should never be calling.

But I’d rather die than sell myself to a man old enough to be my grandfather.

I pull out my phone and open my contacts. Tristan’s name stares back at me, blocked, just like I left it.

I swallow hard.

Then I press unblock.

***