The MC President's Forsaken Wife (Zara and Knox) novel Chapter 138

Chapter 80+

Chapter 80-1

Claim

Locke’s palm rests against the bare skin beneath the oversized t-shirt I’m wearing. It’s simply there, warm and heavy at the base of my spine, anchoring me against him while a relentless snowstorm blankets the penthouse windows.

Outside, the world is muted into shades of slate and white, wrapping the bedroom in a hushed, almost suspended atmosphere. The room is kept dim, illuminated only by the soft, gray light filtering through the glass, and the thick blankets are tangled loosely around our legs.

On the bedside table, everything is arranged with surgical precision: a tall glass of water, my medication, and a sleeve of crackers that I currently refuse to touch. The small plastic bucket sits on Locke’s side of the bed, positioned exactly where he can reach it without having to shift his weight or disturb me.

Everything I could possibly need is already within arm’s reach – that’s just who Locke is. He anticipates every discomfort, prepares for every contingency, and notices every subtle change in my breathing before I can even register it myself.

But during the quiet drive from Jade and Mayhem’s house back to the penthouse, as I stared out at the passing streetlights, a heavy truth settled over me. There’s something missing between us, something vast and unspoken.

“I’ve been thinking,” I say into the quiet space, deciding it’s better to just rip off the band-aid rather than let the tension fester. “The truth is, I barely know you.”

Locke shifts slightly beside me, clearly startled by the sudden declaration. “That isn’t true, baby. You know

me.”

“I know the man you are when you’re in this room with me,” I clarify, propping myself up on one elbow so I can look directly into his eyes. “That isn’t the same thing as knowing what made you this way. I mean, you know practically every intimate detail of my life. You know about Knox, the disaster of my marriage, my father, my brother, and the cancer. You know what I drink when I can’t sleep, and you know precisely how I behave when I’m frightened.”

“Yes,” he replies softly, his mouth twitching with the ghost of a faint smirk. “Badly.”

“Locke,” I say.

“You become intensely argumentative.”

I’m always argumentative,” I counter.

“More so when you’re terrified,” he insists gently.

I glare at him, refusing to let his quiet amusement derail the conversation. “You knew who I was long before we ever actually met.”

“I knew your name,” he says softly, his thumb tracing a small, slow circle against my spine. “That’s true.”

“No, it was more than that,” I correct him, shaking my head. “You’re part of the club’s inner machinery. My father is the President and Mayhem is the Vice-President. You knew far more than just a name on a page.”

He sighs, the tension returning to his shoulders as he surrenders the point. “Okay, okay. You’re right. I knew

Chapter 80+

you were Cobra’s daughter. I knew you had married outside the safety of the club, and that the entire arrangerment was pure business for everyone involved except for you. For you, it was love.”

Claim

“So you see my point,” I say, pressing my advantage. “You had a complete map of my life before I ever laid eyes on you, and you’ve learned more since then.”

“Okay,” he repeats slowly, watching me with an intensity that usually makes my pulse race. “Tell me what this means to you, baby.”

“Well… I think one of the main reasons I reacted so intensely with Willow is because you hold every single map to my weak places,” I say, my voice dropping to a softer, more vulnerable register. “You know all my hurts, all my deepest anxieties. Meanwhile, I don’t know where a single one of yours is located.”

Locke says nothing, his expression turning into an unreadable mask as he absorbs my words.

“I trust you with my life,” I continue, feeling the sting of tears behind my eyes. “But sometimes trusting you feels like standing in a completely dark room. I know you’re in there with me. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you’ll protect me and that you’ll never hurt me. But I can’t actually see anything around you.”

Comments

LUCK DRAW >

Vote