The MC President's Forsaken Wife (Zara and Knox) novel Chapter 117

Chapter 70-1

By the time the cartons are empty, Mayhem has asked Willow for his birth chart. He insists it’s for business purposes, but exactly nobody believes him.

“What time were you born?” Willow asks.

Mayhem frowns at Dad. “You know?”

Dad takes a sip of coffee. “Unfortunately, yes.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means your mother screamed for eighteen hours.”

Mayhem winces. “Could’ve left that part out.”

“You asked.”

“I asked for a time.”

“Three twenty-six in the morning,” Dad says.

Willow nods thoughtfully. “And the date?”

“January fifteenth, nineteen-ninety-two.”

Willow takes out her phone and begins typing. “Place of birth?”

“Right here, baby,” Mayhem says. “Local boy, born and bred.”

She adds it, then waits. He waits too.

“Well?” he asks.

“It takes longer than twelve seconds,” Willow tells him.

“You said you were a professional.”

“Surgeons are professional,” she replies tartly. “You’d still be concerned if one finished in twelve seconds.”

Jade nearly spits out her coffee and Mayhem grins. Willow curls one foot beneath her on the chair, accepts more tea from Jade and seems entirely content to sit in the middle of our family chaos.

Ss for me, I’m starting to understand why people lower their guard around her. It isn’t only that she’s warm, it’s that she pays attention.

When Dad speaks, she listens like every detail matters. When Jade mentions a difficult week at work, Willow asks what happened and remembers the name of the person involved. When Mayhem jokes, she gives it back without taking it personally. And when I go quiet, she doesn’t force me to fill the silence.

Eventually, she places her cup on the table. “There’s something I’d like to say.”

The shift in her voice makes all of us look at her.

1/3

Chapter 70+

Dad sits straighter. “All right.”

Willow folds her hands together. “I know there are family businesses.”

I glance at Dad, but he gives nothing away.

“And I know that my arriving may complicate things,” Willow continues. “I think it’s important that you know that I don’t want to take over anything. Or take anything away from you.”

Dad studies her. “No one said you did.”

Claim

“I know.” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “But I imagine you’ve wondered. I mean, if I were all of you, I would have. The thing is, I don’t know anything about garages, construction, or motorcycle clubs.”

Mayhem takes a breath, and she raises one finger. “Please don’t explain motorcycle clubs to me again. I’m begging you.”

“I was only going to clarify.”

“You drew a hierarchy on a Chinese restaurant napkin.”

“It was educational.”

“It had flames.”

“Just for emphasis.”

I smile and Willow turns towards me. “I really admire what you do, Zara.”

The statement catches me off guard. “What?”

“With the motorcycles,” she clarifies. “You can take something apart, understand what’s wrong, and put it back together again.”

“Yeah, usually.” I grin. “I do get stumped every once in a while.”

“Not for long, though,” Dad says proudly. “Zara always gets there in the end.”

“I can’t even change a tire,” Willow tells us.

Mayhem looks appalled. “You can follow the movement of Saturn, and name a bajillion plants, but you can’t use a jack?”

“I have roadside assistance.”

“That’s surrender.”

“That’s delegation,” she corrects him.

Jade laughs aloud. “She’s got you there.”

Willow smiles, then looks back at me. “I mean it. You have real skill, one that I’ve never learned.”

Something in my chest tightens, and I look down at my tea. “Thank you.”

“And Mayhem…” She glances towards him. “You clearly understand the business side of things.”

2/3

Chapter 10

Comments