đ His Favorite Mistake
Chapter 4: A Storm Between Us
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The fire crackled quietly between them, its soft glow casting warm shadows across the room. Zara's fingers rested on her lap, fidgeting with the hem of her nightdress. She didn't look at Xander, not yet. If she did, she might cry againâand she hated that.
He'd seen her tears enough.
"I didn't come here to hurt you," he said finally, his voice lower than a whisper.
She turned her head just slightly. "But you did."
His lips pressed together, as if the truth tasted bitter. "I didn't expect you to matter."
Zara blinked. "Wow. That's⌠honest."
"It's the only thing I have left to give you."
Silence fell again. But not the hostile kind. It was heavy, almost fragileâlike they were both holding their breath, waiting to see who would break it first.
Then Zara asked, "Why didn't you just confront my father directly?"
Xander's laugh was hollow. "I tried. Years ago. He ignored me. Called me a liar. Threatened to sue my family into the ground if we 'spread rumors.'"
"Sounds like him," she muttered.
Xander's gaze flicked to her. "So you believe me now?"
"I believe Raina existed," she said quietly. "And I believe she loved him."
She looked up, eyes glistening. "But I also believe she deserved better than a revenge plan built on someone else's pain."
His jaw tightened. He had no argument for that.
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The next morning, Zara walked into the Voss Corporation building like she belonged thereâeven though every step she took made her stomach twist.
People whispered. Eyes followed her.
Not because she was the CEO's daughter.
Because she was the CEO's wife⌠and word was spreading.
Rumors. Scandals. The photo.
She marched straight into her father's old office. It still smelled like him. Still had the fake leather chair he used to scold her from.
She opened the drawer where he kept personal files.
Locked.
But Zara knew the passcode.
Her birthday.
Typical.
Inside were photos. Legal papers. Letters never sent.
And thenâanother file.
Labeled: "R.H."
Zara opened it slowly. Her fingers trembled. This time, the contents weren't just letters. They were payments. Silent transfers to an account under a woman's name: Clara Voss.
Raina's mother.
Monthly. Quiet. No names.
She read until her eyes blurred.
He knew.
He never forgot.
He just never claimed her.
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Later that evening, Zara confronted Xander again.
"I found the bank records," she said, tossing the papers onto his desk.
Xander looked up from his laptop. "So?"
"So he didn't ignore her completely."
Xander's jaw clenched. "He paid to keep her hidden, Zara. That's not love. That's guilt."
"Maybe. But she meant something. Or he wouldn't have kept paying."
He stood. "Don't romanticize it. He bought his silence. He didn't want anyone to know she existed."
Zara's hands curled into fists. "Maybe you're right. But you're not innocent in this either, Xander. You used me. And you hated me before you even knew me."
"And you walked into this marriage with your eyes closed," he snapped.
She froze.
"You knew it was a business deal," he said. "You didn't ask questions. You didn't want to."
"I thought I'd learn to love you," she said, voice cracking.
Xander's expression faltered.
For the first time⌠he looked sorry.
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That night, Zara couldn't sleep.
Again.
She stood at the balcony of her room, arms wrapped tightly around herself. The city lights below flickered like stars trying to break through a storm.
Everything was changing.
Xander. Her father. Herself.
A single tear slid down her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly.
Behind her, the door creaked open.
She didn't turn. "Can't sleep either?"
Xander stepped beside her, hands in the pockets of his gray sweatshirt.
"No," he said. "Your words⌠they stayed with me."
She glanced at him. He looked different in soft light. Younger. Not like the cold CEO she had married.
"Which words?"
"That you thought you'd learn to love me."
Zara sighed. "I was naive."
"No," he said, turning to her. "You were brave."
She blinked up at him.
"I couldn't see it then," he added. "But I see it now."
The wind rustled her hair, but she didn't move. Neither did he.
Then, slowly⌠he reached out. Brushed a strand behind her ear. His fingers lingered.
Zara's breath caught.
She didn't pull away.
Not this time.
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The next morning, everything changed again.
Zara walked into her office at Voss Corpâonly to find two men in black suits waiting inside.
One of them stepped forward.
"Mrs. Hall?"
"Yes?"
"We're with the Internal Affairs Division."
Her heartbeat spiked. "Internal affairs? For what?"
The man pulled out a document.
"There's been an investigation into your husband's company," he said. "We have reason to believe there's been embezzlement and hidden accounts linked to your father⌠and possibly, your husband."
Zara's legs nearly gave out.
"What?"
"We need you to come with us."
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To Be Continued...
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