The Billionaire's Forsaken Wife

Chapter 21

ROOSEVELT’S POV

I sat in the back of the SUV, pulling Zyran’s suit jacket tighter around my shoulders as I shivered.

I watched him through the tinted glass staring at his phone screen.

Suddenly, his whole body went rigid.

The phone slipped from his fingers and he didn't even try to catch it. He just stared blankly into the dark night, looking like a man who had just been stabbed in the chest.

"Zyran?" I whispered, pressing my hand against the glass.

A security guard quickly picked up the phone and handed it back to him. Zyran took it slowly. He turned around and walked toward the car, his steps were heavy.

The car door opened, bringing a blast of air inside.

Zyran climbed into the back seat and closed the door. The driver immediately put the car in drive and sped away from the bridge, heading back to the mansion.

I looked at my husband. He was silent, his jaw was clenched so tightly that a muscle twitched in his cheek. His dark eyes were wide, staring blankly at the seat, in short he looked devastated.

"Zyran?" I asked softly, reaching out to touch his arm. "What was on the phone? Is Mina okay?"

The moment my fingers brushed against his sleeve, he flinched.

He turned his head to look at me. His eyes were red, glistening with tears. Before I could ask anything else, he pulled me across the seat.

He didn’t just hug me, he pulled me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around my waist. He buried his face into my neck, and I felt his chest trembling violently against mine.

"I am so sorry," Zyran whispered against my skin. His voice was broken, "God, Roosevelt. I am so sorry."

I was confused, he had already apologized on the bridge. Why was he crying again?

"It’s okay, Zyran," I murmured, gently stroking his hair. "We’re going home and we’ll fix this."

"I don’t deserve you," he choked out, holding me tighter. "I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I’m a blind fool."

He didn’t explain further. He just held me throughout the entire ride back to the estate, rocking me gently like he feared I would disappear if he let go. I rested my head against his shoulder.

We’re safe now, I thought, closing my eyes. The nightmare is over.

The SUV slowed as we approached the gates of the King estate.

I opened my eyes and looked out the window. My heart sank.

The driveway was not empty.

Three police cars were parked in front of our doors. Their red and blue lights flashed against the walls. Four officers and two detectives in plain suits stood at our front steps, talking to the head of security.

"Zyran," I gasped, sitting up straight. "The police are here."

Zyran lifted his head and stared out the window at the flashing lights. His eyes turned cold.

"Stay behind me," Zyran commanded. His voice was low and firm.

The SUV parked, and the driver quickly opened the door.

Zyran stepped out first and reached back to gently help me out of the car, holding my hand tightly. He positioned me slightly behind his back.

The two detectives spotted us and walked down the steps.

"Mr. King," the older detective said, holding up a gold badge. "Detective Miller, City Police, we need to talk to your wife."

My blood ran cold, and I squeezed Zyran’s hand.

"My wife is tired," Zyran said smoothly, his voice cold. "Whatever you need to say, say it to my lawyers tomorrow morning."

"I’m afraid this can’t wait, sir," Detective Miller replied, his expression turned serious. He looked directly at me. "Mrs. Roosevelt King, you are under arrest for first-degree arson and attempted murder of Mina Sterling."

I felt as though all the air had left my lungs.

"What?" I whispered, my legs suddenly weak.

"Attempted murder?" Zyran repeated, he said sounding calm.

"Yes, sir," the second detective said, stepping forward. He pulled out a clear plastic evidence bag from his coat pocket. Inside was a sparkling diamond tear-drop earring. "An hour ago, the Lakeview Penthouse was intentionally set on fire. The fire department found this diamond earring in the center of a fire. We have photos from the Charity Gala showing your wife wearing this exact jewelry."

I stared at the bag in horror.

My hand flew to my right ear—it was empty. I had lost my earring when I fainted in the dark alley.

I didn't even notice since these days, when that was literally the least of my worries with everything going on around me.

"I didn't do it!" I cried, stepping out from behind Zyran. Panic seized my chest. "I lost that earring outside the Gala! I haven’t been to that penthouse in weeks! You have to believe me!"

"Save it for the judge, ma'am," Detective Miller said coldly. He reached for his belt and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "Please turn around and put your hands behind your back."

He took a step toward me.

Before the detective could raise the handcuffs, Zyran moved.

He stepped in front of me, blocking the detective’s path. He stood tall, his shoulders tense, looking down at the two men with pure rage.

"If you take one more step toward my wife," Zyran said, his voice a low, terrifying whisper, "I will destroy your career, your pension, and your entire department."

The detectives froze, of course they know Zyran King. They understood he could ruin their lives with a single call.

"Mr. King, please step aside," Detective Miller warned, though his voice trembled. "We have physical evidence and we have a motive. The victim, Mina, is currently in the hospital with a cut on her face, and she claims your wife attacked her earlier today. This is a solid case."

"Your case is trash," Zyran spat.

He pulled out his phone and unlocked the screen,

"You want evidence?" Zyran said, shoving the phone into the detective’s chest. "Watch this."

Detective Miller frowned and looked down at the screen, while the second detective leaned in to see.

I stood behind Zyran, my heart racing. I had no idea what was on that phone.

The detectives watched the video in silence,

"Good God," Detective Miller whispered, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"As you can see," Zyran said, his voice dripping with disgust, "the woman pouring the gasoline is Mina herself. She dropped my wife’s stolen earring on the floor and lit the match. She burned down her own home to frame my wife."

I gasped, covering my mouth with both hands.

Mina burned down the penthouse? She planted my earring?

"This changes everything," the second detective stammered, quickly putting the plastic evidence bag back into his pocket.

"It proves my wife is innocent," Zyran growled, stepping closer to the men. "If she is crazy enough to burn down a building and plant false evidence, then she is crazy enough to lie about the hospital attack. My wife didn't touch her face. Mina did that to herself."

Detective Miller swallowed hard. He looked at me with sudden apology eyes and then back at Zyran.

"Mr. King, I am very sorry for this intrusion," Detective Miller said quickly, backing away. "We will redirect our units to the hospital immediately. We will arrest Mina Sterling for arson, destruction of property, and filing a false police report."

The detective turned to his partner, ready to head back to the police car.

"No," Zyran said sharply.

The detectives stopped and turned back. I looked up at Zyran, completely confused.

"Sir?" Detective Miller asked.

"You are not going to the hospital," Zyran said, crossing his arms. "You are not arresting her."

"Mr. King, she committed a serious felony," the detective argued. "She burned down a luxury penthouse."

"I own that penthouse," Zyran stated coldly. "It is my property. And I am choosing not to press charges for the damages."

"But she tried to frame your wife for attempted murder!" Detective Miller protested.

"And I have the video to prove her innocence," Zyran replied smoothly. "If you arrest Mina, there will be a public trial. The media will ruin my wife’s name. They will turn my marriage into a spectacle. I will not put Roosevelt through that."

Zyran looked away for a moment.

"Mina is a sick, broken woman," Zyran said quietly. "Sending her to prison won’t help her. This is my final act of mercy for the girl I grew up with. I am dropping all charges. But I will handle her banishment myself. She will never return to this city."

The detectives exchanged glances. They didn’t like it, but without the property owner pressing charges and with Zyran's powerful legal team poised to fight them, they had no choice.

"Very well, Mr. King," Detective Miller sighed, putting away his notebook. "Have a good night."

The police officers walked back to their cars, sirens off, driving out of the driveway and leaving the mansion quiet once more.

I stood frozen on the steps, my mind racing.

He let her go. Despite everything she did, despite her attempt to frame me, he used his power to save her.

Zyran slowly turned to face me.

The billionaire mask slipped away, revealing a man filled with pain and regret. His eyes broke my heart all over again.

He didn’t say anything, he just reached out, took my hand, and gently led me inside the house.

Zyran locked the doors behind us.

The moment the lock clicked, he let go of my hand. His shoulders slumped,

He sank to his knees.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed his face against my stomach.

"Zyran," I whispered, looking down at him.

"You told me the truth," Zyran cried, his voice breaking. "You looked me in the eyes at the hospital and said Mina cut her own face. I didn’t believe you. I called you a monster, I told you to pack your bags and leave."

He looked up at me, tears streaming down his face.

"I am the monster, Roosevelt," he wept, his trembling hands against my waist. "I was blind, I let her manipulate me, I let her hurt you. I almost lost you forever because I was too foolish to see the evil in front of me."

I reached down, placing my hands on his wet cheeks. I wiped away his tears with my thumbs.

"You didn't lose me, Zyran," I said softly, my own tears now falling freely. "I am still here."

"I will spend the rest of my life making this up to you," Zyran promised, leaning into my touch. "I will give you the world, Roosevelt. I swear it. I didn't press charges because I want her out of our lives quietly, I don't want you to ever see her face again and she is dead to me."

I smiled through my tears, I understood why he did it. He wasn't protecting her, he was protecting our peace. Mina was finally gone.

"I know, Zyran," I whispered, gently stroking his hair. "I know."

He stood up slowly and pulled me into a deep, passionate kiss.

I kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his neck. I felt safe in his arms again.

But as he held me, my mind drifted to the box hidden inside my suitcase upstairs. The baby socks and the ultrasound.

A part of me wanted to blurt it out right now. I wanted to tell him he would be a father. I wanted to see the joy replace the guilt in his eyes.

But I stopped myself.

The wounds were still too fresh. The trauma of the past few weeks weighed heavily in my chest. I had almost lst my baby few nights ago in that alley, I needed time to heal, I needed to see his actions match his words. I needed to be sure that this peace was permanent before I brought an innocent child into it.

Not yet, I thought, resting my head against his chest. I will tell him when the time is right.