Semua Bab Behind The Mask : Bab 131 - Bab 140

Zara's POV After four relentless days of their twisted games, I was in my room one evening, half-asleep, when a knock shattered the silence. Midnight. No one ever came by at this hour. At first I thought it was Mr. Everhart.I hesitated, then opened the door.A masked man stepped in, or rather, his enormous belly did before the rest of him followed. The scent of whiskey and expensive cologne mixed unpleasantly in the air.“What is it?” I asked flatly, already irritated.He shifted from foot to foot, stammering through meaningless small talk until I snapped.“Spit it out.”His breathing grew heavier behind the mask. “To be honest… I’ve wanted you since you were a child,” he said, his voice trembling with a sick excitement. “You’re so, so beautiful. I can’t help it… you’re my biggest fantasy.”My blood turned to ice.“Since I was a child?” I asked, my tone dropping to a dangerous calm. “Are you a pedophile?”“No! No, of course not!” he stammered. “That’s why I waited. Until now. You’ve

Zara's POV One lazy evening, my burner phone buzzed with Raina’s name flashing across the screen. I hesitated for a moment before answering, already sensing the storm in her voice.“I swear to God, Zara,” she snapped the moment I picked up, “if you don’t come see me today, I’ll show up at your house, I don’t care what happens.”“Calm down,” I said with a light chuckle, pretending not to hear the edge in her tone.“I even started hanging around Dominic’s place thinking I might bump into you. Why are you ghosting me?”“I’ve just been… busy,” I said, laughing again, too lightly for someone who was telling the truth.“Please, just come over. Today,” she insisted, her voice softening a little.“Okay, okay. I’ll see you soon,” I promised.The Order’s meeting wasn’t until nightfall, so I had a few hours to spare. I stopped by Dominic’s place in my car.“Long time no see,” he teased, leaning against the doorframe.I smiled. “Do I still have gas?”“Always,” he said with a grin.“I’ll see you

Zara's POV I spent the rest of the day with Sterling, trying to mend what was once fractured between us. When I got home, I reached for the journal again. I used every decoding trick I knew, tracing the symbols, whispering the words I’d once cracked effortlessly as a child, but this time, they blurred. None of it made sense. I tried again and again until frustration settled in my bones. Finally, I dropped it with a sigh, the pages staring back like they were mocking me.The next few days slipped by in a blur of work and exhaustion. When I called Raina, she sounded genuinely relieved.“Glad to know you’re back on track,” she said. “I got in touch with Knox. He’ll be the one to pursue the case.”I thanked her quietly.Later, I reached out to Tessa and Nico, it’d been too long. They came over with their usual chaos and laughter, filling my house with warmth. For a while, everything felt normal.A week later, I visited Sterling again. He handed me a velvet box, the kind that made your

Zara's POV When I got home, I dragged myself into the bathroom and lined up the skincare products Tessa always insisted I use. My reflection looked like a ghost, dark circles, cracked lips, exhaustion written in bold across my face.I needed these black bags to disappear. I moved with slow care, massaging creams into my skin. I put on a sheet mask before slipping on the LED face mask Tessa had bought me, the kind that made me look like a sci-fi villain, and lay back in bed, soon enough I dozed off.When I woke up the next morning, I peeled it off, removed the sheet mask beneath, and blinked at the mirror. My skin was glowing again. Expensive miracles, I thought wryly. It was Monday morning, I looked alive enough to fool anyone. I went to work, stayed just long enough to sign documents and pretend to focus, then left early. The nap I took afterward felt like falling into a void.Evening came too soon, and I found myself at Sterling’s house, where warmth, laughter, and safety live.“T

Zara's POV “I’m sorry for being rude earlier,” Delacroix confessed, his tone softer now, stripped of the arrogance he’d worn like armor. “I figured that’s the best way for a woman to hate me and call off the marriage.”“Congratulations,” I said dryly, eyes fixed on the city view through the penthouse glass. “It worked.”He chuckled quietly. “I’m not actually that rude. I just... wear that mask to live up to my family’s expectations.”“I’m not your therapist,” I muttered, keeping my tone detached.He laughed, a light, tired sound that barely filled the silence, and disappeared into the bathroom. The faint sound of running water echoed as I sat on the couch, scrolling through my phone. Minutes later, Nico’s message popped up: Found them. Sending a list.When Delacroix returned, shirtless, with a towel around his neck, I handed him the phone.“These are potential matches,” I said. “You asked for help, so here’s your salvation.”He glanced through the list, his brows furrowing in thought