FAZER LOGINZARA’S POVI was in a great mess and that was a fact I was trying to settle into. I watched Cael exit my room and satdown the next moment. The cushion felt hard on my butt and I blamed myself for overlooking it when Ipicked it. Inside of me, I knew the cushion didn’t matter at all. What mattered was Marcus, Nadia, Victor,my inheritance, and Cael. Yes, Cael had signed up to be one of my worries now. I would have to make achoice about him, sooner than later.**I tried to sleep but my mind kept drifting into places I didn’t want it. Eventually, I sat up and usedsleeping pills, more pills than prescribed. Sleep came but it was cut short by the ringing of the doorbell. Iopened my eyes, one at a time and exhaustion lashed at me. I walked to the door and opened it slightly tosee who was disturbing my rest.Lo and behold, it was Marcus.He smiled upon seeing me and presented flowers to me with his right hand. I watched him skeptically,wondering if he had gotten crazy.“May I come in
ZARA’S POVCael Ashford stood there in the doorway like he owned the place.Which, apparently, part of me now did too. He was dressed in a fresh black shirt and trousers, looking far too composed for a man who had just walked into a woman’s apartment uninvited.In his right hand, he held my missing panties like some kind of twisted trophy. His brown eyes scanned over me slowly, taking in the towel wrapped around my body, my wet hair, and the obvious panic on my face.“We need to talk, wife,” he said calmly, stepping inside and closing the door behind him with a soft click.I backed up until my legs hit the bed. “How the hell did you get in here? And who the fuck do you think you are, to just walk into my apartment?”He didn’t flinch. Instead, he placed my panties on the dresser as if we were having a normal conversation. “You left them in my penthouse. So I figured you might want them back.” His voice was still that same smooth, unruffled tone from last night. The one that should have
ZARA’S POVMy head felt like someone was driving nails into my skull from the inside.The worst hangover of my life had arrived with its full force, punishing me for every single terrible decision I made last night.I woke up slowly, squinting my eyes against the bright sunlight pouring in through tall glass windows. This wasn’t my bedroom.This was a massive penthouse suite that screamed luxury and power. The bed was enormous and the bed sheets were tangled around my completely naked body.My thighs felt sticky, my muscles hurt in places I didn’t even know could be hurt, and the unmistakable scent of sex and a man’s cologne was stuck to every inch of my skin.I started getting flashes from last night, each one kept hitting me like an unprecedented punch.The elevator. Cael pressing me against the wall. His mouth on my neck. The way I begged him to fuck me harder. The sounds I made. The way he watched me the entire time with those calm, intense brown eyes.I sat up quickly and immedia
ZARA’S POVThe elevator doors had barely closed behind us before Cael had me pressed against the cold metal wall. His lips crashed down on mine with a hunger that stole what little breath I had left in my lungs.This kiss was nothing like the polite one at the chapel. This one was hungry, demanding, and filled with desire.I moaned into his mouth, fisting my hands in the front of his shirt as all the pain from earlier—Marcus’s betrayal, Nadia’s moans, Victor’s smug voice in my head, all poured out of me. I kissed him back like I was trying to erase every memory of the life I’d lost that day. The feeling of the alcohol was still active in my veins, it made everything feel more alive and blurry at the same time.Cael didn’t hold back.One of his large hands gripped my waist, pulling me hard against him while the other tangled in my messy hair, tilting my head exactly how he wanted.I could feel how much he wanted me, the hardness of him pressing insistently against my stomach through hi
ZARA’S POVI looked outside the window, taking in the bright city lights that shone ahead of us. I sat in the passenger seat, as my heart pounded like a free rock-and-roll concert was being held there.While Cael on the other hand was driving calmly, his eyes on the road, one hand on the wheel, and the other resting on the gear shift. Every time he shifted, his fingers moved close to my thigh and my skin tingled.My head was still buzzing from the drinks. Buzzing from the anger. Buzzing from the way he had looked at me back at the bar.“Let’s get out of here,” I said.He didn’t say anything or ask any questions. He just stood up, took my hand, and led me out. Now we were driving, and I couldn’t stop the words jumping right out of my mouth.“I’m serious, Cael,” I said, turning to face him. My voice was loud, way louder than I expected. “I want to get married. Right now. Tonight.”He glanced at me. “You sure about that?”“Yes.” I laughed wildly. “Marcus can go fuck himself. Nadia too. V
ZARA’S POVI pushed open the apartment door, my overnight bag was still hanging from my shoulder. The place was quiet. A little too quiet if I might. Marcus was supposed to be at work, but his car was parked downstairs. I smiled a little. Maybe he came home early to surprise me.“Marcus?” I called, kicking off my heels. “Baby, I’m back.”No answer.I dropped the bag on the couch and walked down the hallway. That was when I heard it, low moans. I slowed my steps down to listen in.“Ohhh fuck, baby… yeah, that feels so fucking good.”My stomach dropped. The voice was Nadia’s. My half-sister. The same Nadia who cried on my shoulder when Victor went cold. The same one I shared late-night talks with about boys and dreams.I stopped right outside the bedroom door. It was half open. I didn’t want to look, but my hand pushed it anyway.There they were.Marcus was on his back, and his hands gripped Nadia’s waist. She was riding him hard, her head thrown back, hair was messy, her mouth was open







