The MC President's Forsaken Wife (Zara and Knox) novel Chapter 118

Chapter 70-2

He looks surprised. “Clearly?”

“You asked five questions about my pricing structure for astrology consultations over dinner.”

Dad laughs, and Willow looks at him now, “And you built all of this.”

Dad’s expression changes. “The club wasn’t just me, and neither were all the businesses.”

“No,” she says gently. “But people look to you.”

Claim

He doesn’t know what to do with that, I can tell, but praise has always made him uncomfortable. Praise from Willow seems almost painful, though. Maybe he’s wondering how to take a compliment from the daughter he didn’t raise.

“I don’t have any of that,” Willow continues. “No business sense, and even less mechanical skill.”

Mayhem leans forward. “What do you think you have then?”

She looks at him. “I’m excellent at interpreting planetary transits.”

He nods solemnly. “Always useful in a recession.”

“And I can cook. I make a mean vegan lasagne.”

“That’s an oxymoron,” Mayhem objects.

“It really isn’t.”

Dad raises one hand. “Before this becomes another argument about vegan cheese…”

“That’s not cheese,” Mayhem mutters. “Has no goddamn business even being called cheese.”

Dad ignores him and looks at Willow. “What would you like to do?”

She looks confused. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you could stay with me for a while, here at the house,” Dad says hesitantly. “Or we could help you find something in the city. You could be involved in business, if you want.”

Willow opens her mouth.

“Or not,” he adds quickly. “You could start something of your own. Something brand new, and we could help you. All of us.”

Willow’s eyes shine, and she lowers her gaze to her hands. For several seconds, she doesn’t speak, and the silence goes on for so long that it feels fragile.

Finally, she says, “I don’t know.”

Dad nods immediately. “That’s fine.”

“I’ve never had…” She pauses. “I’ve never had people ask what I wanted before.”

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Chapter 70

Nobody moves, her confession somehow both heartbreaking and beautiful.

“I think I’d like to stay nearby.” Willow takes a slow breath. “Not in the house, but somewhere close to you guys. I guess in the city?”,

“As long as you like,” Jade says. “And anywhere you want.”

Willow gives her a grateful smile. “And maybe I could help.”

“With what?” Dad asks.

She thinks, then looks directly at me. “With you, Zara.”

I blink. “Me?”

“If you’ll let me, I mean,” she says hastily. “Only if you want.”

Mayhem turns towards me. “You’ve got an assistant.”

“For what?”

“Being a pain in the ass.”

“Shut up.”

Willow’s expression remains gentle, and she ignores our usual sibling bickering. “I mean with whatever’s happening with your health.”

Immediately, all the warmth leaves the room, and nobody speaks. We all freeze, staring at her in utter

shock.

“I’m sorry,” Willow says quickly. “I’m not asking for details.”

I force my fingers to loosen around my cup. “How do you know anything’s happening?”

“You’re tired, and your aura is weak.” She hesitates. “You moved food around your plate instead of actually eating much. And – well. And everyone watches you when you think they aren’t.”

Dad looks down, and Jade goes stock-still. Mayhem looks like he’s torn between rage and being deeply impressed. As for me, I can’t breathe properly for a moment.

Willow’s face fills with concern. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“Then what are you offering?” I ask.

My voice sounds sharper than I intend, but doesn’t flinch.

“Support,” she says.

“What kind?”

“I do energy work. Reiki. Meditation. Breath work. Sometimes sound healing.”

I stare at her, and she keeps going, entirely sincere.

“It wouldn’t replace medicine.” The words come quickly, as though she needs me to understand. “I would

2/3

Chapter 70-2

never suggest that. But energy work can help with fear, and pain, and exhaustion. Sometimes it helps. people feel like their body belongs to them again.”

The words hit harder than they should.>

My body.

The thing doctors measure. The thing Knox threatened. The thing everyone watches.

“I’m not claiming I can cure anything,” she says. “I just thought…” Her voice falters for the first time all evening. “I thought maybe I could sit with you sometimes.”

Nobody at the table moves, and Willow looks embarrassed now.

Chum

“I know we’ve only just met,” she says, and her eyes are open, kind, completely without calculation. “And I absolutely don’t need you to tell me what’s wrong, and I know that you already have people around you, supporting you. I just don’t want you to go through it alone at all, ever, so I thought I could be… like part of the team…”

She stretches one hand towards me, but doesn’t actually touch me. Instead, she rests it on the table, palm-up, and waits. My throat closes, because she says it all as though it’s simple. As though she hasn’t walked into a family already held together by fear, secrets and people trying too hard to protect me. As though offering herself costs her nothing.

I look down at her waiting hand. The hand of the sister that I didn’t know existed, the hand of the stranger who has been here less than a week, the hand of the woman who sees too much without being told anythi

And the most frightening part isn’t that Willow knows I’m sick. It’s that she already cares enough to be afra id for me.

Without another second of thought, I take her hand.

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