The MC President's Forsaken Wife (Zara and Knox) novel Chapter 105

Chapter 65-2

He doesn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looks at me in that infuriatingly observant way of his, like he’s putting together a puzzle.

“You’re exhausted,” he says.

I instinctively straighten. “I’m fine.”

“That’s not what I said. It’s also not the truth.”

I look away. “I didn’t sleep very well.”

“I can tell.”

I take another sip of Coke. “You’ve become annoyingly perceptive.”

“I’ve always been annoyingly perceptive.”

“That’s accurate.”

A tiny smile flickers between us, the first easy one we’ve shared in days.

His expression softens. “Is it the chemo on Friday?”

I stare at the label on the bottle, not at all surprised that he remembered my treatment schedule. “Partly.”

He nods once. “And partly not.”

“No.”

Another pause. “And Willow?”

I lean one hip against the bar. “I don’t know.”

He waits, he doesn’t rush to fill the silence. He knows I’ll talk if he gives me enough time.

“I keep thinking she seems…” I search for the right word. “…lovely.”

“I know.”

“And then I feel stupid for thinking that.”

“Why?”

“Because Knox seemed charming once.” I let out a humorless laugh. “I mean, I trusted him, and I was way wrong.”

“That wasn’t your fault.” His voice is calm. “A lot of people have been taken in by that asshole. Even your father and brother, to a certain extent.”

“Yeah, I know, but…” I sigh. “Knox taught me that people aren’t always what they seem, but I don’t want to be suspicious of someone who might be family. I also don’t want to be naïve.”

13

Chapter 652

“You don’t have to be either of those things, Zara.”

Finally I look at him. “You think?”

thing

Clarm

“You don’t have to decide anything today, baby.” His eyes hold mine. There’s no timeline about getting to know Willow, and deciding how you feel about her.”

Something inside me loosens, just a little. “I’ve been trying to convince myself of that all day.”

“How’s it going?”

“I’d give it a two out of ten.”

He smiles. “I was going to say a three.”

“Optimist.”

“I have my moments.” The smile fades, replaced by something more thoughtful. “How’s your Dad, anyway? With the maybe-daughter coming out of the woodwork all of a sudden?”

I think about yesterday, about the photograph, about the look on Dad’s face.

“He keeps pretending he’s fine,” I say.

“And?”

“And nobody’s believing him.”

Locke nods slowly. “I imagine he’s grieving.”

The word surprises me. “Grieving?”

“For the thirty-five years that he never got to have with his child.”

I blink, because I hadn’t thought of it like that. But Locke is right, of course he is. I stare down into my bottle.

“That hadn’t occurred to me,” I say. “I guess I was all wrapped up in my own feelings about it.”

“That’s pretty normal when people get a shock.”

The silence that follows isn’t awkward. It’s comfortable, and familiar. It’s the kind we’d always been good at before everything became so weird and complicated.

He drums his fingers lightly against the closed laptop. “Can I ask you something?”

I already know what he’s going to say, but my stomach knots anyway. “You can ask.”

His eyes never leave mine. “Can we talk?”

And I know he doesn’t mean about Willow, or about work, or even about cancer. Locke wants to talk about

I hold his gaze for a long moment. Three days ago, I’d have said no. Even yesterday, I’d probably have walked away. Now, though… now all I can see is the man who’s quietly sat beside me for ten minutes,

2/3

Chapter 65-2.

asking nothing of me except honesty

+ let out a slow breath. “Okay.”

Clam

Relief flickers across his face so quickly that I almost miss it. He picks up his laptop and tucks it under one arm before nodding towards the quieter seating area at the far end of the bar.

“Sit with me?”

For just a heartbeat, I hesitate. Then… I do.

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LUCK DRAW >.