DESTINED SOULMATES

CHAPTER 006

ZAYN’S POV

The deep blue of the ocean stretched endlessly in front of us, glinting under the afternoon sun as the gentle hum of the speedboat filled the air. I leaned back in my seat, letting the cool breeze hit my face, but it did nothing to calm my swirling thoughts. Kaiser’s sudden arrival was still messing with my head.

Kaiser never did anything without a reason. He was either here to help or mess things up. It was unlikely to be the former, and knowing him, it was probably the latter. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

I didn’t need that right now.

Thirty days.

That was all I had to figure things out, and my father thought sending me here alone with Ariana would speed things up.

‘Alone.’

My eyes drifted to her. She was sitting across from me, quietly staring out at the water like she was in another world. The wind kept toying with her hair, and for some reason, I couldn’t look away as I found myself watching her and not the ocean.

I still don’t know what came over me on the jet.

Her head was dangling to the side like it could snap at any moment and I tried to ignore it. Kept telling myself it wasn’t my problem. I tried to focus on anything else but I just couldn’t.

And then I was moving. Sitting next to her. Gently tilting her head so it rested against my shoulder. I don’t even remember thinking about it—it just…happened.

I hadn’t meant to touch her but I just did. Her skin….damn. It was softer than I expected. And that scent that wafted off her—clean, light and unforgettable. It wasn’t some overwhelming perfume or product, just her.

I reached out without even realizing it and my fingers started stroking her cheek so lightly that I wasn’t even sure it counted as a touch. I shouldn’t have done that. But watching her sleep so peacefully, like nothing could touch her, made me forget everything for a second. She looked just like an angel.

Then, I shook my head sharply.

What the hell was I doing?

I couldn’t afford this. Fantasizing about her? No. That wasn’t an option. This wasn’t about her…it never was. I had to stay focused. There was too much at stake, and my father didn’t give me a choice. I had just thirty days to pull this off and I needed to avoid distractions.

No matter how soft her skin felt or how serene she looked when she slept. I had a mission and Ariana was just a part of it, nothing more.

I sighed, turning back to the ocean. But now with Kaiser here? Yeah, things were about to get a lot more complicated.

----

We finally made it to the villa after what seemed like forever and there wasn’t an iota of doubt about how stunning it was. The ocean stretched out in front of us with its water so clear that it looked like we were floating on top of a painting.

I glanced at Ariana who was standing there, hesitating with wide eyes as she took in the sheer size of the master bedroom. She didn’t want to walk in, I could tell.

“It’s huge…” she murmured, shifting on her feet as her eyes darted from the door to me.

I chuckled lightly as I stepped a bit closer to her. “Don’t worry, this is yours. I’ll be in the other room. You’re free to settle in however you like and if you need anything, just call me.”

Her eyes flickered briefly with uncertainty before she nodded. “Okay…”

She slowly stepped inside and closed the door gently behind her. I could feel a strange pull in my chest, tugging at me to follow her inside but I forced myself to turn away. I needed to relax and clear my head for a moment.

“A soothing bath should do the trick,” I said to myself.

I headed toward the second bedroom, but before I could get too far, I heard a familiar voice. ‘Kaiser.’ Great. That was just what I needed.

I turned and moved to the living room where I caught him standing there, leaning casually against the doorframe with a damn smirk on his face. He took one look at me and raised an eyebrow.

“Didn’t think you’d be so quick to leave your lovely bride alone.”

I sighed. I couldn’t exactly tell him to piss off then, could I? “Come on, I was just about to relax. What are you doing here?”

He laughed and walked into the living area, gesturing for me to follow him. “Relaxing? Nah, it’s not yet time for that. I’m here to have a good time. Besides, I figured you would need some company with someone more familiar after that…marriage stuff.”

We both sat down outside where the view of the beach and the ocean glowed under the soft, glowing light of the sun. I grabbed two drinks from the nearby fridge—a nice chilled soda—and we settled into the chairs.

Kaiser didn’t waste any time. “So tell me, Zayn. What strings did you pull to end up with a beauty like her? I gotta know your secret.”

I scoffed and took a slow sip. “Like father hasn’t already told you. I’m sure that’s why you’re here, to make things harder for me.”

Kaiser let out a low laugh, his eyes glinting with amusement. “You think I came here to mess things up for you? Nah, I’m just here for the fun. It’s not every day I get to kick back with my big bro and watch him try to make a mess of his life. Besides,” his tone suddenly turned serious, “I’m also here to support you in any way I can.”

He looked at me with a subtle hint of determination in his eyes and I understood the message. “I couldn’t just leave you to handle this by yourself. Everyone knows how terrible you are with the ladies,” he chuckled and leaned back in his seat as he took his first sip.

I rolled my eyes and scoffed but I didn’t say anything else. We were careful not to discuss too much, especially with Ariana just inside. If she had even a clue of what we were talking about, I was sure she would run away—seeing as it’s been in her veins ever since.

After a few minutes, he finished his drink and stood up. “Well, I think I’ll head out to another villa for a bit. I heard there’s a good view over there. You good here?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll catch up with you later.”

He gave me one last playful wink. “Sure thing.” Then, with that same snicker, he walked away, leaving me seated there as I thought about everything.

The villa grew silent again after Kaiser left and his laughter still echoed faintly in my ears. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes for a second, trying to let the peace around me sink in. But it never did.

Instead, a familiar pressure started building within me. Not now. Not here. I took a slow, deep breath, trying to push it down. Focus. Just breathe.

But the ache only intensified, spreading like wildfire through me and creeping up my spine. My hand instinctively gripped the armrest, knuckles turning white as I fought to keep my composure. I couldn’t afford to lose it. I had experienced this pain before—countless times even—but it only seemed to be getting worse with each passing day.

I needed to stand, move, do something to get me to my room—but my legs felt like lead. My vision blurred for a second and the edges started to darken.

“Damn it,” I grunted.

A soft creak pulled me from my haze. I blinked and turned my head, just in time to see Ariana standing in the doorway, her brows raised slightly in concern.

“Zayn?” she called softly as she stepped closer. Her voice sounded cautious but gentle like she wasn’t sure if she should be intruding. “Are you…okay?”

I swallowed hard, trying to push down the pain. “Yeah. Just tired. Long day.”

Her gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, her eyes scanning my face like she could see right through the lie. But she didn’t press. She just nodded slowly and stepped back inside.

The moment she was gone, I gasped and took in ragged breaths as I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. My head dropped into my hands as I sat there, trying to pull myself together.

Thirty days. That was all I had.

And I wasn’t sure I could make it.