The MC President's Forsaken Wife (Zara and Knox) novel Chapter 265

Chapter 133-1

Clas

“You weren’t stupid, baby” Locke reaches up, gently brushes a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “He just knew exactly what buttons to push.”

“Every single one,” I say. “And God knows, I tumbled right into it. Headfirst, zero hesitation, swept up in an absolute whirlwind courtship that left no room for me to breathe or think clearly. I was twenty-three, completely naive, and convinced that my teenaged dream was finally coming true.”

Locke stays quiet, letting me lay out the full picture of those crazy months.

“He showed up at my office building with bouquets of sunflowers because he remembered I liked them,” I say. “He sent sweet, attentive texts every morning before I even woke up. He took me to quiet, high-end restaurants where he’d hold my hand, look at me with sheer intensity, and talk about a future together.”

I shake my head at how blind I had been.

“If I complained about a bad day at work or mentioned a headache, he showed up at my apartment door with hot soup and tea,” I say. “He listened to me talk about my dreams, and my life, validating every single thought. He spun a complete, flawless fantasy that made me feel cherished, adored, and really wanted for the first time in my entire life.”

Locke lets out a low, guttural growl that vibrates deeply against my back. “I don’t like how this is going. Zara.”

“Yeah, no,” I say, feeling the absolute truth of it all now. “Turns out Crusher had ordered Knox to find a leverage point on Dad, because the Skulls were locking down all kinds of construction projects and transport routes. And Knox knew that Dad’s Achilles’ heel was me.”

“There it is.”

“Yep. Knox knew that Dad loved me, and if Knox wrapped himself around Cobra Callahan’s daughter, he’d have an unshakeable foothold inside our club’s territory.”

Locke’s eyes darken further as the pieces lock together. “And then Crusher died.”

“Right in the middle of Knox courting me,” I say. “Crusher had a massive, fatal heart attack in the Howlers’ clubhouse. Just dropped dead, right there on the floor.”

Locke raises an eyebrow. “And Knox stepped up.”

“Just like that, Knox inherited the President’s gavel at twenty-eight years old,” I say. “He inherited a sinking ship because Crusher had bled the club accounts completely dry with reckless spending and failed smuggling runs. So Knox sat in his new office, looked at the numbers, and calculated his next move.”

“Marrying you.”

“It was an absolute goldmine,” I say. “Marrying Cobra’s daughter forced an immediate truce between the clubs, legitimized his new presidency, and opened the door directly to Dad’s money and logistical networks. It was the ultimate power play wrapped up in a romantic bow.”

Locke lets out a slow, terrifying exhale, the heavy muscles in his neck straining with suppressed rage. “And you had no idea what he was setting up.”

1/2

Chapter 133

Clam

“None,” I say. “I was almost twenty-five, deeply in love, and completely blind. After a whirlwind romance where he never let me catch my breath, I was standing on an altar marrying him, having no clue that he was putting on the performance of a lifetime… right up until he slid the ring onto my finger.”

Locke shifts beside me on the sheepskin rug, his massive body rigid as iron while his touch remains fiercely tender.

“And after you got married?” he asks. “What happened when the performance ended?”

I let out a long, shuddering breath, staring deeply into the flickering embers of the hearth as the bitter, uncomfortable memories flood back into my mind.

“The mask didn’t slip slowly, Locke. It shattered almost immediately,” I tell him. “The second the ink was dry on the marriage license, the dream man vanished like he’d flipped a light switch.”

Locke doesn’t interrupt, but his chest expands in a deep, measured breath beneath me.

“We never slept together,” I continue softly. “Not on our wedding night. Not ever. The only physical affection Knox gave me on our wedding day was a brief kiss on the cheek on the altar.”

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