Zara’s POVMy heart stopped. Lucas is my son? My baby?“Leo,” I turned sharply to him, “I’ll be back. I have to go somewhere.” I hurriedly entered my car.“Where are you going, Zara?” he asked, but I drove off before he could get an answer from me.I was going to that monster in prison. I had to figure out what exactly was going on on my own. Even if I had to remove a nail or a tooth, I was going to do whatever it took to get the truth out of Elora today.I sped across the streets of San Francisco, ignoring the traffic rules. But I didn’t care about any penalty. I just thought of one thing. The baby I thought was dead. The baby I mourned for three whole years.The guard watching us wasn’t enough threat to prevent me from thinking of all the brutal things I wanted to do to Elora.“Zara,” she hissed. “Why are you here again? Have you come to gloat and boast that you won? You lying bitch. You promised to keep my identity a secret!”I rolled my eyes, sighing briefly. “Trust me, even befor
Zara’s POVI glanced at Leo’s face as we walked away from the boardroom after he had a shot but clearly heated conversation with his father. I could see the tightening of his fists and the sadness in his eyes he tried so hard to bury. I wanted to speak to him about it, but I knew it wasn’t the time yet. His father might have left out of love for him, but he had every right to be angry.My chest still ached for him because no child should ever go through what Leo went through. This made it easier for me to forgive him for not immediately telling me his true identity. Now, I could see that it was truly complicated.Leo forced a smile when he caught me glancing at him. “Enough of this tense air. How about we go to the hospital for your checkup?” he placed his hand on my belly, “let’s make sure my baby is doing fine.”I understood him instantly. He needed a distraction. I nodded. “Let’s go.”****The doctor smiled as I lay on my back for a scan. Leo sat by my side, holding my hand, his th
Leo’s POVIt’s been a week since Zara finally allowed me back into her life. A week since she chose to learn to trust and love me again. And that’s all I needed to get by these trying times of taking out Brad Wesley. Kelvin and I had been working behind the scenes to regain our supporters and gain new ones, and that has worked out so far. Today, we were going to end Brad Wesley’s reign once and for all.The morning air was cold, yet my veins burned hot with anticipation as I walked into Wesley Group hand in hand with the love of my life. The board had gathered, investors were on edge, directors were sweating, and for the first time in forever, Brad Wesley was about to face consequences he couldn’t bury.Zara’s hand brushed against mine while I sat, waiting. The gesture was small, but it grounded me. Kelvin sat to my left, a stack of damning files and digital evidence ready to be used against Brad if there was a need for it. Brad thought he still had everything under control, but that
Leo’s POVThe boardroom was filled with murmurs and rustling of papers as directors debated expansion and launch. I sat at the head of the table, but my mind was far from the meeting. All I could think of was her. Zara.I had checked my phone at least twenty times since the meeting started just to catch a glimpse of a message from her. The double clicks turning blue had given me hope, but it was dashed when she didn’t reply to any of them.Her silence afterwards crushed me anew. She wasn’t ready to hear me out. That I knew. But I feared that she never would be.I tried to bring myself back to the meeting multiple times, but my mind was far gone. I considered visiting her father’s house. I had called Mia to ask where she was, but she didn’t know. Her father’s house could be the other place she’d go to.Would she open the door if I knocked? Would her father find out all about us and hate me, too?The meeting finally ended, and we all filed out. That was when I saw who took the breath le
Zara’s POVIt’s been three days since I packed up my bags and left Leo and dragged them back into my father’s house. Three days of hollow silence, of blame, disappointment in myself for letting someone into my heart again. I didn’t call Mia to break the news. I couldn’t. I was too ashamed to let her know I had fallen into a man’s trap again. And not just any man; a Wesley.My gut had suspected him right from the start, but I never could have imagined he was Zane’s brother and Brad’s son. My mind kept flashing back to the first time he confessed his love for me, to the park with Lucas, to our picnic date, to the burning stares he gave me. Were they all fake? Why did he put in so much effort into deceiving me further when I already agreed to an alliance? Did he just want to be wicked?I lay on my bed, curled into a ball as my face pressed into my tear-soaked pillow. The sobs were unending. My father might have noticed the dullness and heavy eyes, but I had lied that I was sick and jus
Zane’s POVFor the first time since I was dragged into this hellhole, I didn’t feel like a caged man, but rather, I felt like the one holding the leash.I sat at the edge of my bunk, the metal frame creaking as I adjusted. I stared at the bar gate, waiting for the guard to swing it open. I had bribed a guard earlier to grant me a chance to get this call through. I emptied my stash just so I could make this call, and it would be worth it in the end. That I was sure of. Immediately he slid it open gently, I nodded and went out instantly, my pulse steady. I picked up the receiver and dialed the one person who could actually get me out of here. Brad Wesley. “Hello, father,” I teased when he picked up the call.“Why are you calling me?” he hissed, his voice sharp and authoritative.“Because,” I said slowly, “I would hand you the biggest nightmare of your life if you don’t do as I say.”There was silence on the other end, which stretched for far too long. Then his laughter broke it, loud