LOGINEverything Gion had told him kept replaying in Zayne’s head. Fragments of memories about Dani Watson—that eccentric detective—suddenly started making sense now. No wonder Dani always mentioned having connections that could help him whenever they met.Now Zayne was sure the person Dani had been referring to was Dante.Crossing one leg over the other as he sat in the garden chair, Zayne called the detective back.“Hello, Mr. Kensley?” Dani’s voice sounded friendly and upbeat. “What’s up? Need something?” he asked one question after another.“I just wanted to ask you something,” Zayne said, biting his nail for a moment before taking a deep breath. “Do you know Dante?”“Dante?” Dani repeated in confusion. “Dante Rudliego?”“Yeah, maybe,” Zayne answered since he himself didn’t know the man’s last name. “He’s a former detective.”“Yeah, that’s him. Why? Are you having problems with him?” Dani asked openly, not even trying to hide the fact that he knew Dante personally.“Is it true he helped
“He’s here,” Gion said quietly from the doorway of the office.“Let him in.” Zayne didn’t even bother looking up, but his jaw tightened the moment the door opened.Dante walked in. Zayne’s eyes swept over him with a judging look. Dante looked cleaner compared to the last time they met, but the exhaustion beneath his eyes was impossible to hide. His hands were rough. His skin had darkened under the sun.The last time Zayne saw him, the man’s beard had been fairly long. Now, even though his clothes still looked cheap, he seemed neater and more put together. Zayne took off his glasses and motioned for Dante to sit on the sofa.The door opened again as Gion walked in carrying two cups of hot coffee. He glanced briefly at Dante before placing one of the mugs in front of him.Zayne closed his laptop and rose from his seat. “I hope my invitation didn’t interrupt your work,” he said calmly as he sat down across from Dante.He studied him for a moment before gesturing for him to drink.Dante t
“When are you finally gonna give us your address, huh?” Zayne asked while lying beside Elmy. “We wanna see your kid too, Bastian.”Elmy nodded while looking at Zayne’s phone screen, which showed a wide grassy field. Sebastian was sitting casually on the grass while Amelia held Nana in her lap—a cute baby girl with emerald eyes. The baby was busy playing with her tiny fingers.“Maybe later, after your baby’s born,” Sebastian replied. No one knew how much longer he planned to keep his location a secret.“That’s still six months away,” Zayne said while rubbing Elmy’s stomach.Elmy’s gaze softened. Zayne had truly kept his promise all day today. He hadn’t gone to the office at all. Normally, Dean would stay close to her, but today the man had completely disappeared from sight. Even the four bodyguards who usually stood guard weren’t around.“Just wait,” Sebastian replied with a chuckle. “Six months will fly by, trust me,” he said like someone who already had plenty of experience.Sebastia
Elmy knew her demands were exhausting Zayne. But she couldn’t help it either. There was this invisible urge that made her say those things so easily, no matter how fickle or unreasonable she sounded to him.After leaving their room, Elmy chose to sleep in the guest room instead. She curled up on the bed, gently rubbing her stomach.“I’m sorry, honey. We’ll go to the zoo tomorrow, okay?” Elmy whispered softly while caressing her belly.Faintly, she heard the door creak open. Zayne’s footsteps followed soon after, along with the mattress dipping behind her.Zayne’s arms wrapped around her from behind, instantly calming her down, though she was still upset about how he had snapped at her earlier.“Why are you here? Go back to your room.”“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you earlier. I honestly didn’t expect your mood to change that fast,” Zayne said weakly.His warm breath brushed against her neck before soft kisses replaced it, making butterflies flutter wildly in Elmy’s stomach.
“Still mad at me?”Zayne walked slowly behind Elmy. When she didn’t respond, he moved to her side, glancing at her face and quickly concluding that his wife was definitely still upset with him. Elmy pouted.“Sweetheart…”“Go talk to a wall.”“It won’t answer me,” Zayne replied. “Talking to you is better.”Elmy shot him a glance before clicking her tongue. Ever since getting pregnant with their baby, she’d become more sensitive, and things only got worse after Zayne brought four bodyguards into the house. Even though she’d protested, Zayne still couldn’t bring himself to leave her unprotected.“Go away. I don’t wanna see you,” Elmy said before standing up and loudly calling for Dean.The man came over, briefly glancing at Zayne with an awkward expression. “Yes, ma’am? Do you need something?” Dean asked.“Take me out somewhere. Staying at home all the time is suffocating.”“Of course.”“I can go with you,” Zayne chimed in, only to be met with Elmy’s flat stare. She simply raised one eye
“You’re not joking, right, baby?” Zayne asked. His chest ached from the overwhelming happiness he was trying so hard to hold back. Standing by the bathroom door, Elmy looked at him with red, watery eyes, like she still couldn’t believe what she was seeing either.When he picked up the three pregnancy tests, Zayne could clearly see the two blue lines filling the small result window. Unable to hold himself back anymore, he rushed toward Elmy and lifted her into his arms, hugging her tightly while covering her cheeks with kisses.“You’re really pregnant?”“Yes, Zayne.”Zayne spun her around in his arms. Elmy’s laughter echoed through their new bedroom. He stopped by the bed and pulled her down with him onto the mattress. They stared at each other before laughing again, both with teary eyes.“This feels like a dream.”Elmy reached up and pinched his cheek hard. Zayne winced before laughing again. “Turns out it’s real.”“I’m going to the hospital tomorrow to get checked,” Elmy said.The mo
Zayne’s head felt heavy. A throbbing ache pounded through his skull. His eyes blinked open as sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains. His hand reached toward the other side of the bed—empty. Slowly, Zayne turned his body and found the room completely quiet. Elmy wasn’t beside him.“Argh,
Dennis returned quickly. He placed the napkin back on his lap and resumed eating his meal. “Where were we earlier? Ah, the fashion week I attended,” Dennis said enthusiastically.Still frozen by Zayne’s earlier words, Elmy secretly glanced at him. Zayne was busy playing with his knife, completely u
“You could take another day off,” Sebastian said casually.Elmy, who was sitting on the sofa flipping through a fashion magazine, immediately shook her head. “No. I don’t like leaving my work unfinished.”“But you’re not okay,” Sebastian said quietly. Elmy turned to look at him. He was pressing his
Zayne dreamed about kissing Elmy. Holding her body, even exploring her in the most primal way. It felt real. Warm and soft. Deep down, he wanted to feel it again.Awareness slowly pried his eyelids open when he felt soft breaths brushing against his neck. Warm. Short. Uneven.For a moment, Zayne pr







