His Last name, My Secret

Unspoken Emotions

Chapter 4

Zia glanced at her wristwatch beside the table. It was already four in the afternoon yet she was still in the laundry area, struggling to finish washing the comforters coming from Hunter's room.Earlier, while she was washing the dishes, Hunter had approached her and ordered that by the time he returned, his comforters should be clean.Zia froze but nod to her cold husband without telling any words.

For the first time in her life, she was able to go upstairs to clean and change his beddings.His room reflected him perfectly.A cold, colorless, and seemingly just as unwelcoming as his personality.

She had been doing the laundry for hours, and her body ached from lifting the heavy comforters.She had finished washing most of them; only two were left.Annoyed, she decided to leave them for a moment and headed into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Zia turned to YouTube apps for help, searching for cooking tutorials.She feared Hunter might have dinner at home tonight, and she didn’t want him getting angry again if there was no food ready in the table just like what had happened that morning.The truth was, she wasn’t very skilled at housework; back home, they always had helpers around.That’s probably why everything she was doing now felt so new and overwhelming to her.

She browsed for simple recipes she could prepare for dinner.In the end, she decided to cook beef steak.She checked the fridge to see if there were any ingredients available, but her heart sank when she found only canned goods and some frozen food.She hadn’t noticed it earlier because she had only eaten bread the whole day, and she had been too busy to even think about preparing a proper meal and it felt like she was constantly racing against time.

She started searching for something she could cook for her husband.A soft smile played on her lips at the thought of the word husband.If only Hunter weren’t so cold and distant, perhaps she could have allowed herself to truly fall for him — not just because of his devastatingly handsome face, but because he carried an effortless power and wealth that seemed to draw people in like a silent command.It didn’t surprise her that countless women likely still lingered around him, hoping for even a sliver of his attention.

Hunter had it all — power, looks, and an undeniable magnetism.

He was striking, towering well over six feet, his presence alone could fill any room.

There was something deeply masculine about him, something rugged yet refined, the kind of man whose broad chest seemed to silently promise safety and strength.

His thick, perfectly shaped brows framed a sharply cut face, with a proud, aristocratic nose and a mouth that could tempt even the most guarded heart, his lips so full and red, they looked almost sinful.And then there were his eyes — those deep, almond-shaped eyes that seemed to see right through you, a single glance enough to steal the air from your lungs.

Without thinking, Zia’s fingers brushed lightly over her lips, recalling the kiss he had stolen earlier.Heat rushed to her cheeks, her heart quickening at the memory, as if the ghost of his mouth still lingered against hers.

She could still feel the searing warmth of his touch, and though she knew she had been shaken to her core, she was also painfully aware that to Hunter, that kiss likely meant nothing at all.

A small, wistful sigh escaped her lips as she adjusted the oversized shirt hanging loosely on her frame.Zia knew she was beautiful but it was a quiet, understated beauty, the kind that might catch a second glance, but rarely commanded a room.

At 5'7", she barely reached Hunter’s broad shoulders.Her skin was pale and flawless, her figure softly alluring, curves hidden beneath layers of modest, flowing skirts and simple dresses.To most, she appeared outdated, almost invisible — a woman who chose to hide rather than flaunt her charms.

She took a deep breath before turning around and heading to the sink.

There, she washed the pork belly she had taken from the fridge and set it aside to soak so it would soften.

She had some basic knowledge of cooking, thanks to the times she had watched their nanny in the kitchen, but she had never actually tried cooking herself.

Now, the thought of regularly preparing meals for her husband made her nervous.

After letting the meat soak, she left it for a moment and went back to the laundry area to remove the finished comforter from the machine and load another one.

Zia could already feel the stinging pain in her hands, likely from the laundry powder, but she ignored it.She would rather endure the discomfort than be scolded by Hunter.

It was already past eight when she finally finished her tasks. Exhausted to the bone, she decided to rest for a while in her room while waiting for her husband to arrive.

Hunter, whom she had been waiting for all evening, was still nowhere to be found. The food was ready, waiting only to be reheated when he arrived, but hours had passed and still, there was no sign of him.

With a heavy yawn, she collapsed onto her bed, and the moment her back touched the soft mattress, she drifted into sleep.

She hadn't even been asleep for an hour when the sound of a car engine stirred her.

Quickly, she pushed the curtain aside and peeked out the window. Luckily, her room was on the ground floor, and she could easily hear and see anyone who arrived.

Her heart hammered against her ribs when she spotted Hunter stepping out of his car. Without thinking, she hurried out of her room to greet him.

But just as she was about to reach the front door, it swung open — and her world stopped.

There he was, kissing another woman.

Wide-eyed, she stumbled backward and quickly hid against the wall, her heart shattering into pieces.The woman was tall, slender, with fair skin, everything Zia wasn’t.

"Oh babe, let's go upstairs," the woman purred, giggling when Hunter effortlessly lifted her into his arms.Zia could only watch as the two ascended the stairs, her hands trembling and her vision blurring with unshed tears.

She wiped her cheeks furiously, but the pain gnawed at her chest, deeper and fiercer with every passing second.She didn’t understand why it hurt so much — after all, they had both agreed their marriage was nothing more than an arrangement. A formality.

But legal or not, before God and the law, she was still Hunter’s wife.And tonight, she felt every ounce of that betrayal carve itself into her soul.

She clamped a hand over her mouth when she heard the woman’s shameless shriek from upstairs.Moments later, their voices faded, leaving only silence and Zia’s ragged breathing.

She didn’t know what to do, whether to chase after them and confront the truth she already knew, or to stay frozen in place and pretend she hadn’t seen anything.

Her throat burned with thirst, so she stumbled toward the kitchen, grabbed a glass, and gulped down water as if it could wash away the ache in her chest.She leaned heavily against the sink, closing her eyes to steady herself.

But the stillness offered no peace.

Something inside her itched, urging her to climb the stairs and find out more — as if knowing the full extent of the betrayal would somehow hurt less.

Against her better judgment, she crept up the staircase, each step a battle between fury and heartbreak.

She reached the door of Hunter’s room. Silence.

Were they inside? she wondered, reaching for the doorknob.

Just as her fingers brushed the handle, she heard it — a moan.

"Oh s**t, Hunter, that's it... I'm craving more... uhhhh," the woman whimpered, her voice dripping with lust.Zia stumbled back as if she had been slapped.Virgin though she was, she knew exactly what those sounds meant.

And when Hunter’s own low, filthy groans joined the woman’s, Zia’s heart splintered beyond repair.

He was cheating on her.

Biting back a sob, she turned and fled downstairs, slamming her bedroom door behind her.The tears she had tried to hold back poured freely now, soaking her cheeks and her pillow.She felt humiliated, discarded — broken in a way she had never known was possible.

She couldn’t stay.

She wouldn’t stay.

She refused to be a silent witness to her own degradation.

Without wasting another moment, she changed into the first clothes she found in her closet— a simple shirt and a pair of shorts — and stepped out of her room with nothing but determination in her chest.This is not right, she needs to stay away before it's too late.

Her decision was final.

Tonight, she would leave Hunter’s house and with it, the pieces of the heart he had so cruelly shattered.