Love above all

Distressed

Sleep did not come. Zara spent the night wrapped in a silk duvet that offered no warmth, staring at the ornate crown molding until the grey light of dawn bled through the heavy velvet curtains. She felt like an imposter in her own life. Every piece of furniture, every expensive vase, every thread of her clothing was a reminder of the "contract" Kate had mentioned. She was a guest who had overstayed her welcome because she hadn’t paid the entrance fee: a child.

By the time the sun had fully risen, Zara had reached a breaking point. She needed to see a friendly face. She needed the smell of roasted beans and the chaotic energy of Blue Pandora.

She dressed quickly in a simple navy sheath, skipping the heavy jewelry Kate usually insisted she wear. She slipped out of the house before Harrison or his mother could descend for breakfast, driving her car with a sense of urgency that bordered on desperation.

The "Daily Grind" was bustling when she arrived. The familiar jingle of the bell felt like a lifeline. Behind the counter, Blue was mid-laugh, handing a muffin to a customer, her blue hair now faded to a soft periwinkle. When her eyes landed on Zara, the laugh died instantly.

"Z?" Blue stepped out from behind the counter, ignoring a businessman’s impatient cough. She grabbed Zara’s shoulders, her eyes scanning her friend’s face. "You look like you’ve been haunted. What happened?"

"I just needed a coffee, Blue," Zara whispered, her voice cracking. "Just a coffee."

Blue led her to a secluded corner booth, the very one where Kate Gates used to sit and weave her webs. "Spill it. And don’t give me that 'everything is grand in the palace' crap. You’ve lost weight, and your eyes look dead."

Zara broke. In the safety of her best friend’s presence, the words poured out—the doctors, the threats, the conversation she’d overheard in the study. She told her about the name she’d heard: Susy Bricks.

"Susy Bricks?" Blue’s face contorted in a sneer. "The socialite? She’s a shark, Zara. Her mother, Angela, is even worse. They’ve been trying to climb the Dior and Gates social ladders for years. If Kate is talking to them, she’s looking for a way to trade you in for a newer model."

"Harrison said I was a burden," Zara sobbed, wiping her eyes with a paper napkin. "He doesn't even look at me anymore, Blue. It’s like I’m a ghost in my own house."

"You aren't a ghost, you’re a target," Blue said fiercely. "Listen to me. You need to start looking for a way out. Before they take your dignity along with everything else."

Zara left the cafe feeling a strange mix of strengthened and terrified. As she drove back toward the estate, she decided she wouldn't play the victim today. If Harrison was going to treat her like a burden, she would at least find out exactly what kind of "burden" he was looking to replace her with.

Instead of going straight home, she detoured toward the high-end shopping district where Harrison often spent his "late office hours." Her heart was in her throat as she cruised the streets, her eyes scanning the outdoor bistros and luxury boutiques. She felt like a spy in a life she was supposed to own.

Then, she saw it.

Harrison’s silver Bentley was parked outside The Gilded Lily, an upscale restaurant known for its discretion and astronomical prices. Zara pulled her modest sedan into a spot a block away, her hands shaking so hard she could barely turn the ignition off.

She walked toward the restaurant, her heart thumping. Through the tinted glass of the terrace, she saw him. Harrison was sitting at a corner table, a glass of scotch in his hand. He was laughing—a genuine, deep laugh she hadn't heard in months. Sitting across from him was a woman who looked like a poisonous tropical flower. Her hair was a vibrant, artificial blonde, and her dress was a daring shade of scarlet that screamed for attention.

Susy Bricks.

But it wasn't just a lunch. As Zara watched, Susy reached across the table, her fingers—manicured to sharp points—sliding up Harrison’s arm. She leaned in, whispering something into his ear. Harrison didn't pull away. He leaned into her, his hand covering hers, his thumb stroking her skin with a familiarity that made Zara’s stomach turn.

Then, Susy pulled something from her designer handbag—a small, sonogram-style photo. She slid it across the table toward Harrison.

The change in Harrison was instantaneous. His face transformed from amusement to a look of pure, unadulterated awe. He picked up the photo, his eyes wide, a triumphant smile spreading across his face—the same smile he had worn when he proposed to Zara in the rose garden. He stood up, walked around the table, and kissed Susy deeply, right there in the middle of the restaurant.

Zara stumbled back, the world spinning. The "quiet womb" Kate had mocked wasn't the problem—the problem was that Harrison had already started a legacy elsewhere.

She fled back to her car, the image of the sonogram burned into her retinas. She drove home in a trance, her mind racing. She was being replaced. Not just as a wife, but as the mother of the Gates heir. The plan was clear now: they would push her out, use her "failure" as grounds for a quiet divorce with no settlement, and bring in Susy to provide the child the family demanded.

When she entered the mansion, the air felt even heavier than before. Kate was standing in the foyer, adjusting a vase of lilies. She looked up, her eyes cold and calculating.

"You're late for your afternoon tea, Zara," Kate said, not even looking at her face. "And you look disheveled. Have you been crying again? It’s truly becoming quite tedious."

Zara looked at her mother-in-law—the woman who had hunted her in a cafe, who had promised her a family, and who was now presiding over her destruction.

"I saw him, Kate," Zara said, her voice surprisingly steady, though it was cold as ice.

Kate paused, her hand frozen on a lily stem. She turned slowly, her expression unreadable. "Saw who, dear?"

"Harrison. At The Gilded Lily. With Susy Bricks." Zara took a step forward, the fire of the Apex family finally flickering to life in her eyes. "And I saw the photo. Is that why you've been torturing me? Because you already have what you want?"

Kate didn't flinch. She didn't offer an apology or an explanation. Instead, she let out a slow, chilling smile. She walked toward Zara, her heels clicking like a countdown on the marble.

"So, the little mouse has grown whiskers," Kate whispered, stopping just inches from Zara’s face. "Yes, Zara. Susy is pregnant. With twins, actually. My son is finally fulfilling his duty. Which leaves us with the problem of you."

"I'll tell everyone," Zara threatened, her voice trembling. "I'll tell the board, the press—"

"You'll tell no one," Kate interrupted, her voice dropping to a deadly low. "Because if you do, I will ensure that the 'kind' Apex family loses everything. I know about the mortgage on their house, Zara. I know about Timothy’s struggling business. One phone call from me, and they’re on the street. You want to be a hero? You’ll sign the papers we give you, you’ll take the pittance we offer, and you’ll disappear."

Kate leaned in closer, the scent of her expensive perfume cloying and suffocating. "Or did you think love was enough to protect you from us?"

Zara felt the walls closing in. She was trapped between her own survival and the safety of the only people who had ever truly loved her. She looked up at the grand staircase, where Harrison was now standing, watching the scene with a cold, detached indifference, as if he were watching a movie he’d already seen.

"Is this what you want, Harrison?" Zara screamed up at him. "To throw me away like trash?"

Harrison didn't move. He simply adjusted his cufflink and spoke with a chilling calm. "Trash is only useful until it starts to smell, Zara. You should have just given me a son when you had the chance."

As Zara stood in the center of the cold, magnificent hall, surrounded by the people she had once called family, a realization hit her like a physical blow. She wasn't just fighting for her marriage anymore; she was fighting for her life.

But as she looked at the front door, the only exit from this nightmare, she realized she had left her phone and car keys on the console table—and Kate was standing right in front of them.

Would Zara be able to escape the mansion tonight, or was the "process" Kate mentioned about to become much more physical?