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Chapter 22
~Zara’s POV~
Everything stopped. My fork hovered in mid-air as Storm’s words sank in.
Daddy’s house.
Who is this strange woman?
It hit me like a ton of bricks—this boy had no clue who I was. And neither did Zoe, based on the look of utter confusion on her face.
Before I could respond, Zoe straightened, her face contorting into a mocking smile. "Oh, I see. You’re just one of those women, aren’t you? Playing house while the real family’s away and hoping to get into your boss’s bed."
I froze, her words slicing through me like a cold blade.
Anger surged in my chest, but I clenched my fists beneath the table, determined not to show weakness.
A simple smile that showed how unaffected I was by her remarks formed on my lips.
"I’m sorry but... You’re mistaken," I stated steadily despite the turmoil inside. "I’m not just someone who waltzed in here."
"Oh?" Zoe’s eyes flashed, her lips curling. "Then tell me, who exactly are you to my Snow? A lousy secretary or a..."
She lost me at... Her Snow. Those two words hit like a slap in the face and I almost choked on my breath. Before I could fire back, Storm’s curious eyes shifted between us, confused. "Daddy’s always with Zoe... but I’ve never seen you before."
Always with...
My heart tightened. I wasn’t prepared for this. None of this.
And just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, the front door opened and Snow walked in. His gaze swept across the room, landing on the tense standoff between Zoe, Storm and me.
He seemed taken aback for a split second, but quickly, his face hardened. I could feel his eyes on me, but I couldn’t even look at him.
"What’s going on here?" Snow’s voice was calm, but there was an underlying tension I could feel, like a storm waiting to break.
Zoe wasted no time, her smile sweetening as she turned to him. "Snow, darling, imagine my surprise when I walked in to find this woman," she spat the words like venom, "eating in our home."
Our home? Seriously?
I finally looked up at Snow, my gaze locking with his, hoping—praying—he’d set things straight. He stared back at me, something unreadable in his eyes before they flicked to Zoe.
Fine then. No help.
"Your home?" My smile broadened, which was something Zoe wasn’t expecting. "Look around, Zoe, this is my home. The only stranger in here is the unmarried woman playing house with someone else’s husband."
After saying that, I looked at Snow, daring him to say otherwise.
To my surprise, he did no such thing. Focusing on Zoe, he explained with more authority in his tone, "Zoe, calm down."
"Snow... Why should I calm down when your secretary is speaking rudely to me?"
I sensed something akin to anger flash in Snow’s eyes. "Zara is my wife."
The words hit the room like a bomb. Zoe’s face went pale, her mouth parting in disbelief.
Storm looked utterly confused, his innocent gaze shifting between us. "Wife?" he echoed, blinking up at Snow.
Zoe’s shock quickly turned to fury. "Wife?!" She took a step forward, her voice trembling with barely contained rage. "You married her? Without telling me?"
The room felt suffocating but before I could speak, Zoe’s sharp voice cut through again. "Is this some kind of joke, Snow? You can’t be serious. You and I—"
"Enough," Snow interrupted coldly. "This is not up for discussion, Zoe. Zara is my wife. Deal with it."
That should have felt like a victory. But it didn’t.
Not with Storm’s wide eyes staring at me. Not with Zoe’s venomous gaze searing through me.
And especially not with the uncertainty lingering between Snow and me.
Zoe didn’t miss a beat. She whipped around, eyes blazing as she scoffed. "Oh, I see. You’re the new project, aren’t you?" Her eyes scanned me up and down. "Good luck, honey. Snow has a habit of growing tired of his toys."
I straightened my back, already tired of this spectacle.
If Snow was fond of it... that was his cup of tea. "I’m not his toy," I spat. "And I think you should be the one worrying about being tossed aside seeing as till now, he never noticed or married you."
Anger flashed in her eyes as Zoe stepped closer, her face inches from mine. "Oh, sweetie," she whispered coldly, "you’re just a passing phase. When he’s done with you, I’ll still be here. Storm and I—we’re his real family."
The words should have hit a but I just didn’t care. Instead, I forced a smirk, tilting my chin up. "Then you have no reason to be threatened, do you?"
Before Zoe could respond, Snow stepped between us and towered over her. "That’s enough," he gave a deadly warning.
She shot me one last withering glance before grabbing Storm’s hand. "Come on, sweetie," she cooed, her voice sickeningly sweet now. "Let’s go."
Storm hesitated, looking up at Snow. "But Daddy—"
Snow held Storm’s wrist. "Zoe, no. The driver would take you home. You can see Storm at the appointed time before he leaves for school. Other than that, he ain’t going anywhere."
Zoe’s eyes flared in disbelief, but she knew better than to push further.
"Go with the chauffeur to your room, Storm," Snow said gently, ruffling his hair. "I’ll see you soon."
Storm gave me one last confused glance before allowing the chauffeur to lead him away. The door slammed shut behind them, leaving an unsettling silence in their wake.
Surprised by how things planned out, Zoe stomped her foot like a child and walked out, probably hoping for Snow to chase after her but he stood there, his back to me.
By the time everyone had cleared out, it was just us. The silence was unbearable.
Finally, I broke it. "Is that how it’s going to be?" My voice wavered. "I’m just... a phase?"
Snow didn’t turn around, his broad shoulders rigid. "Zara, it’s complicated."
I let out a bitter laugh, placing my hands on my waist. "Complicated? Try being blindsided by the fact that your husband already has a family!"
He finally turned, his eyes meeting mine with a steely resolve. "You knew what this was when we made the deal. Don’t act like this is a surprise."
"Don’t act like it’s not!" I shot back. "I might’ve agreed to this arrangement, but I didn’t sign up to be humiliated!"
There was strong tension between us filling the air charged with emotions neither of us were willing to acknowledge.
I expected him to say something. Anything to justify himself but he didn’t.
Instead what he said after some time made my heart clench.
"Do not expect an explanation from me, Zara."
"What?"
"I gave you a clause." He faced me, his eyes empty. "You should have read it. But no. Disclosing my personal affairs to you wasn’t part of the deal."
I gasped, completely taken back by his response. Just before I could speak, Snow tucked his right hand in his trousers pocket and walked away.
’The fuck!’ I mentally screamed. It was one thing for his woman to speak to me that way but for him...
It felt like all the connections and feelings I sensed earlier that day was just a fragment of my imagination and nothing...
I gritted, clenching my fists tightly.
I couldn’t stand there anymore. Not when my heart was breaking and my mind was a mess.
I had just been given another life but within a few days, I was back where I started.
Without another word, I took my phone and stormed out of the house, leaving Snow and all his complications behind.