"It went well. But Dad is in comatose. They're not sure when he'll be awake." Clarissa explained, her voice heavy with fear and then cracked with sobs.
Silence fell momentarily from Selina as her chest tightened. She forced herself not to be taken aback by the video of how miserable their father looked.
Still, she swallowed hard and struggled not to let bitterness overwhelm her at Zane's vicious act against the one she cherished and wanted to protect in return.
"I'm scared, Selina. What happened to Dad? Did you do this to him?"
Selina let out a long sigh, holding herself back. She couldn't break because it wasn't time for that. "It's up to you to believe me or not,"
"I don't believe you."
"Fine then." Selina gave a slow nod. "Nothing will happen to him. He's a strong man and will recover soon. Don't stress about it, and take care of yourself and him."
"You don't tell me what to do." Clarissa rebuked. "My mother and I will take good care of him. You should try to keep your distance."
"Don't be delusional; I'll listen to that." Selina countered, her tone calm. "Since there's nothing to say, I'm hanging up."
"Grandfather." Clarissa said quickly. "He wants to see you."
Selina's brows narrowed, perplexed. "What for?"
"Why do you sound so anxious? Scared, already?"
Selina scoffed, hearing her sister's taunt. "Why should I?"
"Anyway, no one can keep him waiting. You'd better come or you'll regret it."
"If he wants to see me for something important, I'll send the address to you," Selina replied firmly.
Then Selina ended the call sharply before Clarissa could say a word.
Selina stared at the phone for a moment, wondering what meeting her ex-grandfather wanted her presence for.
Just then, Selina felt her phone buzzing in her hands. She tapped into the new message, reading the brief, crisp context with disbelief shadowing her features.
{The Everett is planning to merge IRIS LUXE}
"What does this mean? Why would they?" She muttered in disbelief, wondering what her family was planning. "But who sent me this?"
Her perplexed eyes darted across the room, noticing there was no one close.
"Could this be from Dad's assistant? Why didn't Clarissa tell me about it? I can't believe this." She muttered, feeling the urge to approach Everett about this sudden, ridiculous decision.
She remembered her father's warning clearly not to let her ex-grandfather or anyone in the family take hold of IRIS LUXE as theirs. Not only that, but she must protect it at all costs.
But she couldn't let her desperation take the lead; otherwise, they would take advantage of it. Only wait for them to reply to her text.
Quietly, her thumbs move across the keyboard, typing the address to her sister.
Once her stomach grumbled loudly, Selina rose and dashed from the room with thick stockings that subtly shielded her feet from the cool tiles. She closed the door behind her with a soft click.
Descending the polished staircase, wavering but careful, she scanned the mansion for him. No one is in the living room. He must've left—as usual. After all, she mostly lived alone in this luxury house.
Stumbling into the dining room, Selina noticed the table was covered with an array of dishes. Her palm brushed against the porcelain lid that kept the food warm and protected.
It was clear the meal had been prepared not long ago, likely just in time for her. The housekeeper must have cooked for her—she often did, especially on mornings when Selina slept in after exhausting herself through endless work shifts.
Outside this cold and distant marriage, Selina had been a waitress, a cleaner, a warehouse worker, and even a window cleaner—always taking on whatever jobs she could find.
Only on Sundays could she afford a full day's rest. She had no one to rely on but herself, even if her father occasionally offered support—support that was often limited by her ex-grandfather's control.
Quietly, Selina pulled back a chair with a sharp screech and sat down. She lifted the lid, and the familiar, comforting aroma drifted up to greet her, making her empty stomach grumble in response. It was her favorite meal.
Without a second thought, she picked up her spoon and began eating, taking her time to savor each bite.
Fifteen minutes later, she'd finished. Resting for a moment, she felt her energy. But then a sound made her pause.
Selina turned her gaze toward the staircase across the living room. Footsteps echoed on the stairs—familiar, measured, and commanding—that announced that person's presence. Zane appeared, dressed in a casual shirt and oversized pants. Black, of course—his signature color.
She frowned; she'd expected him to be gone.
When their eyes met across the room, Selina lowered her gaze without a word. Anger flared hot and quick beneath her ribs—he was still the root of her pain—yet she swallowed it down, listening to the thunder of her pulse as it echoed nervously through her.
She hoped he wouldn't bring up last night.
But then something else slammed into her thoughts. Her expression twisted with unease as she recalled their encounter at the bar instead. Panic crept in—had he heard? If he had, it could only hurt her now.
Zane stepped into the living room, his long strides carrying him into the dining area until he drew closer beside Selina who was still seated before her empty plates.
He reached for a glass and a plastic jug of water, pouring it carefully before taking a small sip. Setting the cup down with a soft thud, his gaze fixed on Selina, who had her eyes cast elsewhere, deliberately avoiding him.
"I thought you would have run away after waking up."
From the corner of her eyes, she glanced at him, murmuring, "Why would I run away when the alliance is still standing?"
He let out a snort, sensing the simmering tension in the air.
"Because I harmed your father, and you might start seeing me differently. Perhaps as a heartless monster," he said. Then, his tone softened slightly with curiosity. "If I had made my intentions known from the beginning, you wouldn't have been here, would you?"
"Yes. I wouldn't have married you."
"And yet, here you are. Strange… Aren't you scared of me?" he pressed, forcing Selina to finally meet his gaze.
Her hands rested on her thigh, fingers curling over the fabric of her clothes. Hesitation lingered in her posture, the weight of his question settling in.
The thick silence convinced him enough, and with a subtle shake of his head, Zane turned away, irritated with himself for even caring about her opinion.
"I'm scared of you," she finally spoke, her voice soft yet edged with subtle uneasy, "but not much… and you're not a monster I should be frightened of, right?"
Zane froze at her words, slowly turning his head back toward her. "So… what would you do if I were? Send me behind bars, or stay far away from me forever?"
"I don't know yet," she replied.
He nodded once while something else crossed his mind.
"About last night—" he began, but Selina cut in quickly.
"Oh… about last night," she said, her tone strained with nervousness and uncertainty about what he meant to bring up.
Avoiding intimacy was safest.
"How much did you hear from the bar?" she asked, her voice tight.
"You mean, about making them regret?" he replied, raising a brow. "I can help you destroy those who hurt you and reclaim what's yours."
Selina let out a subtle sigh of relief. So he hadn't heard her disheartening confession. Her gaze slid sideways, avoiding his cold eyes.
"I don't need your help," she said, firmly rejecting his dangerous offer. "I'll handle this myself."
Zane tilted his head slightly, studying her. Was it only his presence in the bar she remembered?
What about her throwing up on him?
Their forbidden, passionate sex?
And… the bite?
His gaze fell to the injured finger, then slowly back up to her face, noticing what she was carefully avoiding.
He adjusted the thin, silver-rimmed glasses resting sharply on his nose.
"I'm curious how you'd cope with the scandal going viral on the internet. It seems some people are on a hunt for you hurting Hudson. You shouldn't roam around or leave the mansion for now," he said sarcastically, causing Selina to scowl instinctively.
How could he speak as if he wasn't the source of that problem? This young man was absolutely annoying.
"I won't take the blame. Get rid of those disgusting scandals about me. You should take responsibility for that too," she asserted.
Zane was speechless for a while, almost snorting at her command like a boss lady.
"And what if I want this scandal to linger? Ruin you more than you can imagine. Remember, we're enemies."
Selina straightened her spine and lifted her chin, keeping an unwavering stern expression, imitating his intimidating aura like a queen answering in a tedious yet commanding tone.
"Then you have the authorities to face. I won't take the fallout alone, Mr Zane. Remember, our marriage is an alliance that will mostly affect your company too. That means we'd be burned in this together." Her lips curled into a slight, daring smirk.