Chapter 49
Jessica wasn’t the type to easily trust or fall for someone. She wasn’t an emotional person,
after all.
Even when Derrick cheated on her, it took her a whole month to process it before she acted on it. She thought that had already been pretty rational of her.
Yet, with her marriage to Zachary, she had clearly rushed into it.
All it took was a few nights together, and she somehow ended up choosing this man wholeheartedly after those two dramatic incidents.
In her mind, she repeatedly asked herself the same question. What did a good match truly look like?
There wasn’t a clear answer, obviously, but Zachary somehow checked the boxes.
“What’s on your mind?”
Just then, Zachary stepped out of the bathroom in loose silk loungewear. His hair was still dripping wet, and a bit of fog clung to his rimless glasses, making it hard to read his emotions.
Jessica sat on the bed, daydreaming with a pillow between her arms. “Is there nothing you want to ask me?”
“There is,” he replied, tossing the towel onto the back of the chair.
“What is it?”
“Is two million dollars too low a budget for your wedding gift?”
“What?”
Before she could snap out of her daze, Zachary had already sat next to her, one arm resting casually behind her on the headboard.
“I left a card with Hazel today, just in case it wasn’t enough—”
“Hold on,” she interrupted him. “Do you really have nothing else to ask?”
Did he seriously not care who her friends were, or did he know nothing about them?
His side profile was sharp and clean, the kind that looked like it was sculpted by hand. The bridge of his nose sat perfectly behind rimless glasses, catching the soft, moody light in the
room.
Then, his lips pressed into a flat line as he turned to look at her. “I do.”
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She could feel how unsteady his breathing had gotten. She noticed the warmth of his body and the way his scent–clean soap mixed with something masculine–completely took over the air
around her.
His eyes dropped to the blanket covering her. “Are you feeling better?”
Jessica’s steady heartbeat raced out of rhythm. She chose to stay silent and slipped under the blanket, hugging the pillow like her life depended on it.
Wasn’t this man supposed to only have eyes on his career? Why was he letting a woman get
into his head like that?
Little did she know that later in the future, she would give in to the low groans he made in bed. Ultimately, she’d come to realize something–this man was equally good at doing business in
the office and in bed.
Once the switch flipped, it was game over. In fact, he didn’t just stop at home. He would sneak moments in the office, too. That was something Jessica hadn’t seen coming.
Everyone saw him as a restrained and aloof man. To that, she called it nonsense.
Nights had been the hardest in the beginning of their relationship, especially with someone so tempting lying next to the other. Zachary, in particular, hadn’t slept well for days.
The next morning, Jessica put on the custom coat Elsa had sent over the night before. It was loose at the waist, complemented with a unique neckline and color–blocked cuffs, which added just the right amount of flair.
Zachary stood at the door, his gaze lingering on her for far too long. “That looks like a piece from Madame Mayhem.”
She paused, then let out a shaky laugh. “I don’t think so.”
His gaze slowly moved from the coat to her clear, beautiful eyes.
She knew he was trying to decipher if she was lying. He was annoyingly good at that. Like a detective, he always caught the tiniest details that people tried to hide.
“I can’t be wrong,” he said confidently. “This piece was in her latest video.”
“Well, Elsa sent it to me. I don’t really know anything about it, except that I have to wear it.” She tugged at the collar awkwardly and added, “Maybe I’ll ask around later–to see if there’s news about Madame Mayhem.”
“It’s okay. We don’t have to put Elsa in an awkward position. We’ll find Madame Mayhem
Chapter 49
another way.”
Jessica secretly sighed in relief. “Okay.”
Just as they stepped out the door, they saw Susan waiting outside. “Morning, Mr. and Mrs. Jones.”
“Morning,” Zachary replied with a nod.
The three of them headed downstairs to the hotel restaurant for breakfast.
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