The MC President's Forsaken Wife (Zara and Knox) novel Chapter 291

Chapter 144-1

The scent of rich, dark coffee brewing and sizzling butter fills the spacious, quiet kitchen of the penthouse.

It’s five minutes to ten on Tuesday morning. Locke left for the clubhouse before seven, leaving me in the peaceful solitude of our high-rise home.

I’ve already turned out a towering stack of golden-brown buttermilk pancakes, keeping them warm under a tent of aluminum foil while a fresh pot of dark roast drips quietly into the glass carafe.

The soft, low chime of the private elevator intercom breaks the morning quiet.

I step over to the wall unit, pressing the talk button. “Jade?”

“It’s me,” her voice crackles back through the speaker, crisp and cleared even from the garage level far below. “Let me up before I freeze down here.”

I hit the release, and forty seconds later, the private elevator doors slide open.

Jade steps out onto the polished flooring, looking effortlessly stunning as always. She’s wearing oversized sunglasses pushed up onto her wavy hair, a sage-green sweater off one shoulder, and slim dark pants. Her makeup is on point, her boots are heeled, and her earrings are dangly and dramatic.

But there’s a visible tension running through her body.

“Morning,” I say warmly, stepping forward to wrap her in a huge hug. “Looking gorgeous, as always. You do show me up, huh?”

“Bullshit,” she says, holding onto me a beat longer than usual before pulling back with a small, strained smile. “You’re drop-dead hot, girl.”

“Bah.”

She takes a deep breath, inhaling the air of the apartment. “God, it smells incredible in here. Please tell me those are actual pancakes and not just scented candles.”

“Fresh off the griddle,” I say, taking her bag and leading her into the bright, open kitchen, “Grab a seat at the island. Coffee’s hot, maple syrup’s real, and nobody’s here to bother us.”

Jade slides onto one of the tall leather barstools, setting her hands flat on the cold countertop. I pour two oversized ceramic mugs of dark roast, slide one toward her alongside a small pitcher of cream, and set a full plate of pancakes in front of her.

“You’re an angel, Zara,” she says, picking up a fork and drowning the pancakes in syrup. “Like, for real.”

She cuts off a small piece, but then she just pushes the food around the plate, her fork tracing repetitive patterns through the amber syrup. She takes a slow, delicate sip of her coffee, her eyes fixed on the steam rising from her cup.

She looks completely on edge. The usual quick, sharp, vibrant energy she brings into every room is replaced by a heavy, restless stillness.

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Hean back against the counter opposite her, cradling my own warm mug in both hands, watching her quietly.

“Jade,” I say. “You barely touched your drink yesterday at the garage, and now you’re staring at that fork like it owes you money. What’s going on?”

Jade freezes, her fork hovering over the plate. She lets out a long, heavy exhale through her nose, shoulders slumping as the defensive posture she carries so well finally crumbles.

“It’s Mayhem,” she admits softly, her voice carrying a raw, raspy edge that tells me she hasn’t slept much. She rubs her temple with two manicured fingers. “He’s… he’s out of his mind with rage right now, Zee. Completely off the wall.”

“Why? What happened?”

“Cobra happened. Your Dad decided to not to ambush Knox’s third chemical truck.”

“I know. Locke told me.”

“Mayhem is absolutely furious about it,” Jade says. “He feels totally betrayed by his Dad. He thinks Cobra’s backing down, that he’s stalling, that he’s letting Knox slide when the club should be putting boots directly on his neck. He’s just completely consumed by it.”

She wraps both hands around her mug, seeking comfort in the heat.

“And the absolute worst part, Zee?” Jade whispers, her voice dropping into a tight, strained confession. “Secretly… I agree with your Dad. I think Cobra made the exact right call.”

I stay quiet, letting her get it out.

“The club already hit two of Knox’s shipments, and stole two full loads of high-grade chemicals right out from under their noses. That’s a massive win, and it set Knox back hundreds of thousands of dollars in supplies. Millions in drug sales.”

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