The MC President's Forsaken Wife (Zara and Knox) novel Chapter 276

Chapter 137-1

Charm

The elevator doors stide shut with a quiet, pneumatic hiss. Five minutes later, through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I watch Locke’s broad, leather-clad back drive off into the distance.

He’s headed to the clubhouse on pretty short notice. Dad called an emergency meeting, and whatever it’s about, refusal wasn’t an option.

Before he walked out the door, Lockes pulled me into his chest, resting his forehead against mine for a quiet beat.

“Good luck with Willow, baby,” he murmured. “If she gets weird or says anything that upsets you, you call me straight away.”

I trace my thumb over the rim of my empty mug now, feeling a quiet bloom of warmth at the memory. I glance up at the wall clock on the kitchen island.

It’s 12:58 PM.

This morning, Willow texted and asked if 1:00 this afternoon was a good time for her to call, and I agreed. I’m feeling tense as the clock ticks closer, a bit anxious and thinking that maybe I’ve made a mistake.

Bang on cue, at exactly 1:00 PM, the screen lights up, buzzing softly against my palm. I hesitate, and think:

You don’t have to answer, you know.

Then I take a breath, and pick up my phone.

“Hello?” I say, keeping my tone calm and receptive.

Silence hangs on the line for a short beat, static humming across the frequency. Then, a low, raspy intake of breath comes through the speaker, followed by a soft, hesitant exhale.

“Zara?”

The voice is unmistakable. It’s softer than I remember, and carrying the same airy quality; that underlying melodic cadence belongs to only one person.

“Willow,” I say, leaning my hip against the edge of the counter. “Hey. Right on time.”

“The universe moves in really mysterious, beautiful patterns when you stop fighting the current, Zara,” Willow murmurs softly, her voice trailing off like feather-light smoke. “I wanted to make sure our energetic lines crossed at the exact right moment today. One o’clock felt like the cleanest portal for us to bridge the gap.”

I suppress a faint sigh, feeling almost fond of her nonsense. I think back to that one Chinese food family dinner, and the alpaca farm, and her learning medicinal plants in Asia, and the aura clearing. Surely clean portals are classic Willow.

“It’s good to hear your voice, Willow,” I offer gently. “It’s been a little while.”

“I know,” Willow says. “That’s the whole reason my spirit has been so heavy lately. The residual energy from the last time we saw each other has been sitting like a dark stone right in the center of my heart chakra. I

72

Chapter

haven’t been able to clear my field because of the karmic debt between us.”

She pauses, takes a deep breath.

“I wanted to call because need to project a sincere, unreserved apology into your space,” she says. “I walked into your life carrying so much ungrounded, chaotic frequency. allowed myself to become an instrument for a very toxic, destructive energy”

Clam

I stand perfectly still in the middle of the living room, waiting for a specific name to drop. I wait for her to bring up the past, or mention the club, or ask about Locke.

But she doesn’t.

No specific names are mentioned. Not one. She speaks only in sweeping, broad strokes of dark energy, toxic influences, and heavy spirits. It’s subtle, yet masterfully executed: addressing the elephant in the room while completely stripping it of concrete identifiers.

“I stood in your home,” Willow says. “And I acted out of spiritual confusion, rather than sisterly love. And I am so, so sorry, Zara. I am so sorry for the energetic harm I brought to your doorstep, and into your home.”

The defensive edge around my ribcage begins to soften just a fraction. Hearing her acknowledge the toxicity of what happened – without deflecting or playing the victim – is a strange, unexpected relief.

“Thank you for saying that, Willow, truly,” I say softly, walking over to the sofa and sitting down. “It takes a lot to admit that. It was a hard time for everyone, and… I really appreciate you reaching out.”

Comments

E

Vote

314

LUCK DRAW >

22