Chapter 26
26
Hunter shook his head with a sigh.
Tm just tired. With Ares or leave, Iâm finding work difficult.â
He lied even though his daughter Stacy has substituted him remarkably.
The truth was that he didnât want Zara to know he was missing his wife. Ah! Now exâwife.
âIf thatâs what you want me to believe⦠Zara smiled softly, innocently that made Hunter chest constrict. âThen itâs okay. I believe it
He kept staring at her for a while. She was so serene and innocent. He wondered how could god be merciless to make Zara fall in the hands of people like her inâlaws and husband? Clearly, she didnât deserve whatever she went through.
That being the case he wished to give her what her husband couldnâtâ¦. A happy life with a happy husband.
However, now as he looked at her and thought about being a good husband to her, his thoughts went back to Claire. A happy life with a happy husband was what she also desired.
Her eyes twinkled with light that reached his heart, causing it to skip a beat.
âTim glad you came, Hunter, or else I thought Iâll have to endure my time in the hospital alone with no one to visit me.â Zara looked down as she hugged her arms. Being alone is⦠Very depressing. My mind kept going back toâ¦
âHey,â Hunter touched her arm, feeling bad for not coming earlier, and for not visiting her for a longer time. âI told you to forget it, didnât I? It was just a bad nightmare. It didnât happen to you, okay?â
Zaraâs mouth began to tremble. It seemed like she was slipping into a panic attack. Hunter pulled her to his chest and kissed her hair. She calmed dowIL.
âYou are not alone, Zara. I am with you. I will always be with you Hunter assured her as he didnât want her to feel lonely.
âNow
of
back to your room.. Iâll go have a word with the doctor can see your face looks fine now. Letâs see if youâre fit to leave the hospital now.â
Zara nodded in a yes and wiped her face with both her hands. She requested Hunter to come to her soon. As soon as she turned around, the redness of her face intensified as her lips hardened into a thin line. The tears vanished from her eyes and exasperation spread across her face.
Coming back to her room, Zara let out an irritated shrick. She made sure it was not loud, but it was loud enough to help make her feel somewhat better as she had no other way to pour ber anger.
âDamn itâ She cursed and walked towards the window.
âHe doesnât realize but heâs falling for his wife. Maybe he has already fallen. I canât risk losing after coming this far!â She muttered between her clenched jaw.
Then her mouth eased into a smirk as she curled a strand of her hair around her fingers lazily.
âWho said Iâm losing? Claire has dropped her weapons and accepted her defeat. Sheâs signed the divorce papers already. What I need to do to make it happen once and for all. They have separated physically. I need to make it lawfully too.
Looking down at the window, she fluttered her eyes. She was on the twenty eighth floor, and the hospital building was thirty five floors tall. Should someone fall from this height, they would be a crushed pulp due to gravitational force.
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âI think I know what I have to do now.â She told herself and exited her ward.
Does that mean that I can take her home? Hunter asked as he looked at the doctor.
âHer reports are all positive. I must say that sheâs a strong woman that even after going through so much, sheâs still healing at a commendable rate. The threats of PTSD are less, and if you keep her away from agents causing it, she can take a leave from the hospital now. But since sheâs a rape victim, the hospital will arrange a therapist for her to make sure thereâs no delay in her healing process. The doctor said with a smile.
For the first time in these two days, Hunterâs lips turned upwards too. He shook hands with the doctor and left his cabin. âZara will be happy to know sheâs being discharged. He told himself on his way to her room.
Much to her astonishment, the room was empty. His body became aware of approaching danger as he went on high alert. Hunter started looking for her.
He came to the preceding floor to make his interrogation. He asked the ward boys and nurses whether or not they saw Zara. The fourth nurse that he came across enlightened him, saying, âDo you mean the young woman with scratch marks on her
âYeah, thatâs my patient. Where did you see her?â Hunter replied urgently.
The nurse twisted her lips thoughtfully and said, âI saw her in the elevator when I was going upstairs to the thirtieth floor. When I was pressing the button to my floor, I saw the top floorâs button already pressed. Since there was no one beside us two in there, thatâs the only place you may find her at⦠The terrace.â
Color blanched from Hunterâs face at the mention of terrace. He didnât care to thank the nurse as he darted inside the elevator that just opened. He restlessly pressed the button of the top floor. He came up after what felt like a month and threw the door of the terrace open recklessly as he started looking around for Zara
The terrace was wide and big. He moved further until he was on the opposite side, near the parapet wall. His stomach dropped to his feet as he observed the scene in front of his eyes.
âZara, no!â He yelled, preventing her from pushing herself down
She was standing on the parapet wall. Turning her head over her shoulder, Zara bore her wet eyes with Hunterâs.
âI donât want to be a home wrecker. I donât want to put distance between you and Claire.â Zara sobbed, her voice heavy.
Hunter was a good few feet away from her. He protectively lifted his hands in front of his chest as he gestured to Zara to calm down.
âCome down, Zara. Weâll talk about it. He tried to take a step further but Zara moved on the parapet wall fearfully.
He froze. To make the situation worse, the winds started blowing violently. Hunter was afraid that the force of the wind might take her down. Not to include that she had lost a good amount of weight too.
âTrust me there was nothing between me and Claire. I hardly liked her. Please come down. Give me your hand, Zara.â
âCive you my hand.â Zara chuckled. âI know you, Hunter. If I give you my hand then you will never let me separate from you. You will never leave me alone and I canât afford that.â
Zara,
âThis care and attention belong to Claire. You shouldnât waste your time on me, Hunter. I⦠I donât deserve any of this. I⦠I amâ¦â Zara gulped as her eyes streamed constantly. âI am dirtyâ
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Chapter 26
His accusing gaze was riveted on her. Hunter huffed as he shook his head, âDare you say that, Zara. If youâre anything then itâs that you are mine.â
Tm⦠Iâm just a widow, Hunter. My husband died, my inâlaws sent men to damage me eternally, I⦠I donât like to see you divorcing Claire. Thereâs no better use of me left in this world. I better. I better die. Zara said while looking down.
Hunterâs mouth grew dry like sandpaper. His heart was in his throat and fingers twitched anxiously. He needed to work calmly and get his way with her.
âDonât think about that, Zara. Who told you youâre useless? You are talented. You are kind. The world needs people like you.â Hunter said, his voice very scratchy and slightly edged with tremors.
Zara looked at him with teary eyes, âI donât want to live this life knowing that I am not wanted. My inâlaws-
âFor Godâs sake, forget them. Theyâre better off dead for you. And who told you youâre not wanted?â He eyed her sternly now. âI fought the world and took everyoneâs hatred only because I want to be with you. I want you, Zara. Youâre the only person 1 have ever wanted.â
A part of his heart trembled as he said that. Hunter didnât like the taste of his last few words. But if they could save her from falling, heâd repeat it over and over again.
Zara, the doctors are impressed with your recovery. You have done a wonderful job. There are victims who need inspiration from people like you. Donât do this. You donât want to do this. I want you, Zara. I⦠Love you.â He whispered the last three
words,
Zara turned around to face him, still on the parapet wall.
âYou love me? Do you really?â
âHell, 1 do! Itâs just you. Always you. It has been you all the time. Hunterâs voice was a caress of a ghostly murmur.
Zara blinked her tears, âBut Claire⦠Yâyou, you miss her. Hunter You miss your wifeâ
âI told you it wasnât like that. Taking care of business while youâre in the hospital has taken a toll on me. Itâs been hard to cope with. I swear I didnât⦠Hunter gulped a knot. âI didnât even think about her at all.
âIf anything then itâs been you in my mind Hunter moved towards her slowly.
When he was a step away from the parapet wall, he held her wrist and yanked her on his chest. Zara gasped, but then she put her hands around his neck and sobbed.
âI⦠I never stopped loving you even after I was married, Hunter⦠I couldnât⦠I just..
Hunter caressed her hair as he hushed her to calm downL
âHâhe was never p good to me. Hâhe never saw me as a wife. I⦠I was just his easily accessible p*ssy. I donât want to be that, Hunter. I donât want to be anyoneâs easy f*ck.â She cried in his arms.
I wanted to be someoneâs woman, Someon
wife. Bâbut he⦠He crushed my dreams under his footâ
âThatâs okay. Thatâs okay, baby. Itâs all in the past. Donât think about it.â
âI never wanted to be a second woman, Hunter. I never wanted to stay in the shadows as someoneâs secret wife.
Those words made him take a deep breath. Then without thinking, he announced.
âYou will not be a second woman, Zara. You wonât be my secret. Ell marry you. Iâll marry you and give you all you wantedâ
Zara inwardly grinned to herself. This was her plan to get those words out of his mouth. If he said that, no force of this
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Chapter 26
world could prevent it from happening.
âI want that to be true⦠But Claire?â Zara pulled away from the hug to look at him.
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Hunter gazed at her with eyes devoid of shine as he said, âJust like Clifford for you, Claire is in the past for me. Itâs you and me. Just you and me.â
Theâ¦
Hey, sorry for the sudden leave. Personal life and celebrations happened and I didnât have time to even open my laptop and leave a message to you guys!
Worry not, though. Updates resume from today and theyâll be frequentð
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