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Chapter 28
~Snow’s POV~
With everything that had happened so far, I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news, I rushed out first without thinking, to find her.
The day had been filled with awkward tension and I didn’t bother to check on her until the call came in. I figured she’d be anywhere doing what women do until that call.
And for the first time in forever, I felt my heartbeat increase like never before.
Was she doing what some women did?
Was she cheating on me?
She wouldn’t dare, I thought.
I drove fast to the hotel to meet her and heaven knows whichever unfortunate poor bastard was screwing her.
My heart finally relaxed when I discovered it was only rumours and no one but when she mentioned Zoe, I froze. I acted tough but she wouldn’t drop the matter.
How could I tell her that everything Zoe ended when I met her? Although I never loved Zoe, we only fucked on a few occasions after our first friends-with-benefits stuff.
But I quickly realised she couldn’t handle it. With Zoe, she always wanted more. I regretted agreeing to her idea when she confessed her feelings to me.
I shouldn’t have gone along with it.
And now, she refused to pull away. I sighed as I glanced at Zoe from the corner of my eyes. She was stubborn I’ll give her that but I liked it either way.
We arrived home and I headed straight for my private elevator, muttering a half-hearted "Behave" under my breath but just as I reached the doors, her sharp voice made me halt.
"We’re not done, Snow. You can’t just walk away."
I froze, feeling a surge of both irritation and... something else. I turned slowly, eyes narrowing as I met her unrelenting gaze. "I’m not walking away, Zara," I replied coldly. "I’m avoiding pointless arguments."
Her lips curled into a smirk. "Pointless? You think this is pointless?" She took a step closer, her voice low but fierce. "You really think I’m going to sit here and pretend everything’s fine while Zoe’s constantly in the picture?"
I tucked my hands in my pocket, refusing to back down. "There’s nothing between Zoe and me anymore. You know that."
She scoffed, her eyes flashing with frustration. "Do I? Because you sure as hell haven’t done anything to make that clear." She paused, her voice hardening. "You’re hiding something."
I clenched my jaw, my patience was wearing thin. "What I do and who I deal with is none of your concern, Zara. Don’t forget our arrangement."
Her eyes narrowed and the heat between us escalated. "Oh, right—the contract." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "The one I signed without reading every damn word ’cause I trusted you."
Trust? That caught my attention. Of course, she didn’t.
"You should’ve been smarter than that," I said coolly, watching her eyes widen. She felt insulted but it was true.
She hadn’t realized the full scope of what she’d agreed to. And now... now it was time for her to understand.
I stepped closer, towering over her, my voice dropping lower. "You signed more than just a marriage certificate, Zara. You signed away control."
Her brows furrowed in confusion, and I continued. "Clause 10, subsection B: you agreed to handle all appearances and duties as my wife, no matter the circumstances. That includes both private and... intimate matters."
Her breath hitched slightly, but she tried to mask it with defiance. "Intimate? What the hell are you talking about?"
I smirked, letting my words settle in. "Till now you didn’t read the fine print, did you?" I circled her like a predator. "Clause 12: At any time, should I find your... behaviour unsatisfactory, I have the right to dictate certain... boundaries."
Zara’s eyes flared with anger, but I could see the confusion behind them. "Boundaries? What kind of boundaries?"
I leaned in closer, my lips almost grazing her ear as I whispered, "The kind that gives me full control of your schedule—both inside and outside the bedroom."
Her breath hitched, and I felt a spark of satisfaction. She had no idea what she’d signed up for.
"You bastard," she breathed, but there was a tremble there. She was angry, yes, but the fire between us... it was undeniable.
I straightened, my eyes boring into hers. "I told you this wasn’t a game, Zara. If you want to play the part of my wife, then you play by my rules. You agreed to this the moment you signed."
She stared at me, her fists clenched at her sides. I could feel her defiance, her resistance, but I could also feel something else—something that stirred between us, like a sexual tension that neither of us could deny.
"Then I’ll make sure to win this game," she spat back.
I chuckled darkly. "Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into."
She took a step forward, her chin tilting up. "And you have no idea who you’re dealing with, Snow."
The challenge in her voice sent a thrill through me. I liked this fire in her. But it didn’t change the fact that I held the upper hand. I always did.
I let Glacier push forward, intimidating her with my aura. "You’re mine, Zara," I said dangerously. "In every way that matters. The sooner you accept that the easier this will be."
I held her chin, my cold stare burning into hers, proving my point.
Zara smacked my hand away. The effrontery.
She stared at me, her eyes burning with anger and... desire? Maybe. But whatever it was, I could feel it crackling between us.
"I’m not yours." But her voice wavered just enough to tell me otherwise.
I smiled. "We’ll see about that."
She turned abruptly, storming out of the room, leaving me standing there while my heart was pounding like it was about to burst from my chest.
And for the first time in a long time, I wondered if maybe—just maybe—this wasn’t a game I could win so easily but the thrill of the hunt was more than I could have asked for.
Just when I thought I was safe to go, I turned on my heels, my eyes landing on the same blue ones as mine.
My breathing hitched. I wasn’t expecting him.
"Storm?"
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