Chapter 8
Zara’s POV
The lights from the camera flashes hit me like lightning as Leo and I stepped out of the ballroom. The air was heavy outside with the roar of paparazzi, like flies circling abandoned food. Microphones were thrust into our faces as their voices screamed over one another.
“Miss Zara, why did you hide your identity? “
“Why now, why did you choose this moment to reveal yourself?”
“Who is this man beside you?”
Leo didn’t flinch. He raised his brow. Calm and settled, he reached down and entwined his fingers with mine. His hand was warm, steadying me as I tried to maintain my poise. He held my hand up like a trophy, intentionally letting my sparkling diamond ring glint behind the lights.
“Yes, we are engaged”. He said with a soft, confident smile.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd with camera lenses zooming in on my finger. Reporters leaned in with renewed energy.
“What about your modelling career?” A voice asked out of nowhere.
Everywhere became silent. I stiffened. My breath was caught in my throat. That one question sliced deeper than the rest. Leo couldn’t help but notice my bright face go dim. He placed one hand on my back to lead me away from them like a bodyguard would do.
“She’s not taking any more questions,” he said, his voice highly protective—almost threatening. We moved swiftly, his arm guiding me like a shield.
But just as we were escaping from the media, we were met with two familiar faces. Zane and Elora.
Elora's eyes sparkled with disgust and hate as she walked up to me. She was dressed in crimson–her funny attempt at screaming power and possession.
“Did you come to the event on purpose?. How much did you pay the host to put on a show for you?”
“Heiress to Smith Holdings? B*llsh*t.”
“You just wanted to get close to Zane, didn’t you? You’re already divorced. How dare you try to steal him back from me?” Her gaze darkened.
I shook my head slowly and smiled coldly at her. “Elora, the whole world knows you’re the mistress who came between me and my ex-husband. Have you had a good time lately?”
Her face dimmed slightly, but I pressed on.
“And you’ve been married for how long? Three years?. Be careful. Zane tends to be done with his women after the three-year mark.”
She looked from me to Zane and back to me, her eyes narrowing.
“He just might be f*ck*ng someone close to you.” I continued in mockery, elated to see the uneasiness that flooded her face.
She lunged at me with fury etched into every line of her face, but was stopped mid-way by Zane, who had been quiet the whole time as though he was still taking in the whole information. Exactly what I wanted to see. The shock on his face. The disbelief. The realization of what he had lost.
“Elora, enough,” he said, his voice low.
Leo finally stepped in, his voice low and controlling. “Zara, let’s not waste our time here, especially on people who are not worth it.” He gave Elora and Zane a glance sharp enough to cut through steel.
But before I could walk away, Zane grabbed me by the hand and shoved me into a corner away from Leo and Elora. We ended up against a stone wall away from the public eye.
I yanked my arm back from his grip. “Don’t touch me.”
“Why did you lie to me?” His voice, angry, but beneath it, I could hear hurt.
“Lie to you?” I echoed, folding my arms.
“ You were an heiress all these years, and you hid it from me, your husband.”
I stared him down. “Ex-husband. Let me correct you. You’re my ex-husband, Zane.”
He rolled his eyes and looked around, as if my words stung him.
“But it doesn’t rule out the fact that you deceived and betrayed me.” He looked me in the eye as though he would find pity in them for him.
The audacity!
“What? Betrayed?. How dare you talk about betrayal?” I thundered at him.
His face went pale.
“After everything you did to me. You got a f*ck*ng sl*t pregnant even before divorcing me!”
“You drained me of everything I had. My career, my strength, my pride, my blood, my child.” Tears began to stream down my face as I let out these words.
His eyes widened. “Child?” “What child?”
“Did we have—” His lips parted as he shook his head in denial.
His hand fell to his side. “Zara….I-I-I didn’t know. I swear I—”
“Save it,” I cut in.
I turned away, walking back toward the inviting glow of the ballroom and Leo, waiting for me like a silent knight. In my steps, I paused and glanced back at Zane. “And just so you know, your happy days are coming to an end. Brace yourself.” I said with a tone of finality, turning back to where Leo was, leaving Zane dumbfounded.
By the time we got to the black car waiting in front og the lobby, Leo swiftly removed my arms from his whilst avoiding my eyes. “Sorry we had to act so much. It won’t have to be like this every day. We could pick out days we have to meet so we can take pictures and look close enough to make the world believe this”. He said, his cold and grounded.
I was quiet from a lack of words to say. Was all that acting? The subtle looks he gave me. The holding of hands and helping me get through the emotional rollercoaster that the night came with. I even started to believe the lie we were trying to sell. How could that just be for the camera?
Everything in me wanted to confront him, but he was right. This was only an alliance that would come to an end when we achieve our goals. I just had to bear this coldness and unsteady behaviour of Leo till then.
“Okay”. I replied coldly, my voice low.
The car door was shut, and the tinted windows sealed us from the world. The silence between us was loud as we drove off.
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