All Chapters of Behind The Mask : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Zara’s POVSaturday morning, Raina’s name flashed on my burner phone.“Elena couldn’t trace the exact club,” she said without preamble.I exhaled. “We’ll get him eventually. I’m not pressed.” My voice was calm.Before she could reply, my other phone lit up. “Hold on, my PA is calling.”I picked the call. “Hey, Tess.”“Are you just waking up?” she teased.“It’s been a long week. What’s up?”“Mr. Everhart wants you to come home and attend an event with him tonight,” she said, her voice all brisk professionalism.“Do I need Nico?” I asked, already calculating my look.“Most definitely.”“Good. Call him, then meet me at the villa.”“On it,” she chirped, delighted to be useful, and hung up.I returned to the burner. “Hello?”“What’s happening?” Raina pressed.“Nothing urgent. Mr. Everhart wants me to attend an event with him.”Silence lingered on the line before she asked, “Zara, aren’t you scared he’ll find out you’re not his daughter?”I smirked to myself, staring at the ceiling. “I doub

Zara's POV I barely slept. Images of Cassian moving through my closet played on a loop behind my eyelids, each replay louder than the last.Morning came thin and gray. After breakfast I told Mr. Everhart I was leaving. Nana fussed over me like she always did, tucking snacks into my bag as if comfort could be packed in foil. I meant to return after seeing Sterling that night, but I couldn't wait.Back in my room I went straight to the closet. I searched carefully, at first, nothing seemed out of place, but the footage from the night before had burned into me, his hands grazing my jackets, lingering on the black ones I used for training. There was something about the way he handled them that felt like reconnaissance, not admiration.I paced until my nerves fizzed. I decided to leave the house, a date with Sterling, however ordinary, felt like an anchor. I dressed, slid into a simple dress, and reached for a jacket to throw over my shoulders.Normally I would have shrugged it on and le

Zara's POV The next day I slipped into Sterling’s house, sunlight streaming through his tall windows. I came early because I wanted to spend time with him. We spent the afternoon together. I never mentioned Cassian. From what I’d seen, he and Sterling weren’t close, and if I asked, Sterling wouldn’t know the parts of Cassian I needed to uncover. Better to keep that name unspoken between us.By Monday, I was back at work. The heavy wave of pending tasks had passed, only routine duties remained. Yet even in the silence of my office, my mind refused to stay still. Every thought circled back to Cassian. His movements, his secrets and his games.On Wednesday, Sterling appeared unannounced to my office. He carried his usual offerings, flowers, a box of something decadent, but his face was grave.“I heard Mr. Everhart closed the case,” he said without preamble.My heart tripped. “What case?”“The murder case on the island.” His jaw clenched.“What?” My voice rose sharper than intended. “Wh

Zara's POV By evening, I couldn’t fight the pull, I needed to see Sterling. His apartment felt like a safehouse against the chaos outside.He looked as shaken as I felt. Without a word, he poured two glasses of something strong and amber, the scent biting the air between us. He slid one toward me.“I just…” My throat felt dry. I lifted the glass, staring at the swirl of liquor before forcing the words out. “I find these deaths strange. Too strange.”Sterling leaned back. “There are a lot of strange things around you, Aria,” he said softly. “More than you realize.”The warmth of the drink slid down my throat, burning. Sitting there with him, his steady presence, the weight of his gaze, I almost forgot the world outside. Almost.Then my phone buzzed. A message from Dominic.‘Your husband is here’The blood drained from my face. I jolted upright, setting my glass down with a sharp clink.Sterling’s brow furrowed. “What’s wrong?”“Cassian,” I breathed. “He’s trailing me. He’s at my gym.”

Zara's POV I blinked at Nico, my mind scrambling. I had to be sure I’d heard right.“So… John? My husband’s secretary? He’s gay?” My voice cracked on the question.“Yes, baby,” Nico confirmed, casual, unaware of the earthquake he’d just triggered inside me.The room tilted as memories began to slam into me, piece by piece forming a picture I should’ve seen long ago.Back when I was still Zara, before I stepped into this body, Cassian never lifted a finger for me. Our relationship had always been empty, but I remembered one detail with blinding clarity, the day I accompanied him to a luxury dealership. He wasn’t buying for me. He was buying for John. A car for his birthday.John was always there, always. His shadow attached to Cassian’s every move. And yet Cassian couldn’t stand Nico or Tessa anywhere near me.The dots bled together with a sickening clarity.On the island, when he’d been asked that question “What would you change about your partner?” he didn’t say her, he said them. A