Reclaimed By My Ex-husband-Chapter 58: The hatred and anger

"I even called her in the afternoon," Riya went on, her tone laced with faux concern. "Just to see if she planned to go to the hospital. I was willing to go with her, but she completely ignored my call. After that, I didn’t bother trying again. She never called back... and she didn’t even check in on Zane."

She paused for effect, then added pointedly, "Zane was so heartbroken last night. Grandma had a hard time getting him to sleep."

A sharp ache settled in Nathaniel’s chest. The image of Zane waiting by the door, hopeful and wide-eyed, only to be let down—it gutted him. His worry for Zara still lingered, but now it was tangled with concern for his son.

"I’ll go see him," he said quietly and made his way toward Zane’s room.

Riya stood frozen in place, fists clenched at her sides, frustration boiling over. The reaction she had been hoping for never came. She had expected Nathaniel to get angry, to lash out at Zara, but he hadn’t. Instead, he walked off in silence to check on Zane. It felt like all her scheming had been for nothing.

Before she could stew any longer, Gracie’s voice snapped her back to attention. "Riya, tell me honestly—what do you think Zara’s hiding?"

Caught off guard for a split second, Riya blinked, then composed herself quickly. Then her eyes flashed with cunningness.

"I’m not sure..." she said slowly, every word measured and deliberate. "Maybe she is pregnant. Maybe she is just waiting for the right moment to tell Nathaniel. I don’t know for certain, but she did seem unusually secretive. She avoided me at every turn."

She chose her words with precision, subtly feeding Gracie’s suspicions while maintaining an air of innocence, as if she were simply offering a possibility, not trying to influence anyone at all.

However, Gracie’s expression hardened. She had long suspected the truth, which was exactly why she had sent Riya with Zara to confirm her doubts. But Zara had outmaneuvered Riya, cleverly dodging the hospital visit.

If Zara was going to such lengths to conceal her pregnancy, Gracie was determined to uncover it and demand answers.

She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Listen to me. Go to the hospital. Check the records. Find out what she was treated for."

She continued speaking low, giving Riya detailed instructions.

Nathaniel stepped quietly into Zane’s room, his eyes immediately landing on his son, still curled up under the covers, sound asleep.

Paulina saw him entering and moved over to him. "You are back." She looked surprised. "Didn’t you say you’d return on Sunday? You came home early?"

"I finished the work ahead of schedule," Nathaniel replied, his eyes never leaving Zane.

He had pushed himself relentlessly, working without pause just to return to Zara as soon as possible. But instead of a warm welcome, he walked into chaos and confusion.

"How is he?"

"He was so excited about going out with his mother. He kept looking at the door, waiting for her. But she never came."

Paulina exhaled slowly, the disappointment in her voice unmistakable. "I tried calling her. But she didn’t answer. I thought maybe she was stuck somewhere. But the second time I tried, her phone was off. I don’t know what’s going on."

She paused, her shoulders sagging under the weight of it all. "He cried himself to sleep. I told him that maybe Zara had gotten busy with work and would come home soon. I didn’t know what else to say."

She looked up at him, her gaze full of helplessness. "You need to find her. Bring her home. Whatever is going on between you two, put it aside. Don’t let your son be the one who suffers."

Nathaniel nodded, his jaw tightening. "I’ll bring her back."

He turned and left the room, pulling out his phone as he walked. His fingers quickly dialed Zara’s number, but the call didn’t connect.

Her phone was off.

His brow furrowed. "What the hell?" he muttered under his breath, confused. "Why is her phone off?"

~~~~~~~~~~

When Zara finally came to, a wave of panic surged through her. Her wrists and ankles were bound tightly to the arms and legs of a wooden chair, the coarse rope digging into her skin, leaving a burning sting. She struggled instinctively, twisting her limbs, trying to loosen the binds, but it only made the pain worse.

Her wide eyes scanned the room around her.

It was a decaying, forgotten space—damp walls stained with time, patches of mold creeping across the ceiling. The floor was littered with dirt and broken debris, and thick cobwebs hung like curtains in the corners.

The chill morning air from outside crept in through shattered glass in the window.

Zara shivered. She couldn’t tell whether it was from the cold seeping into her bones or the fear clawing its way up her spine. Her thoughts raced as she tried to piece together what had happened.

She remembered being outside her office, brushing off Isaac, walking toward the road, then the pain came—a blow to the back of her neck, and then darkness.

Her breath hitched.

’Did he hit me? Did he... bring me here?’

Her mind rejected the thought even as it surfaced.

’No. No, it can’t be. No matter how selfish or manipulative Isaac is, he is still my father. He wouldn’t...’

But doubt crept in. Logic warred with denial.

"Maybe it wasn’t him," she whispered, trying to calm the storm in her head. "Maybe it’s those loan sharks... Maybe they took me instead. Maybe I can reason with them."

Desperate, she lifted her voice, hoping someone would hear.

"Hello?" she called, her voice echoing off the cold walls. "Is someone out there? Please... talk to me."

The sound of footsteps echoed off the damp walls, sending a jolt of dread down Zara’s spine. Her voice caught in her throat. She stopped calling out, her eyes snapping to the door.

But nothing could have prepared her for who entered.

Her eyes widened.

"You?" she whispered, stunned.

Jaxon sat in a wheelchair, his leg wrapped in thick bandages, a smug expression stretched across his face. Behind him stood a tall man, his features cold and unreadable as he pushed the wheelchair forward.

"Surprised?" Jaxon sneered, eyes gleaming. "I’ve waited a long time for this moment. And now... here it is."

Zara’s shock gave way to fury. "Why?" Her voice sharpened. "You conspired with them? You planned this?" She struggled against the ropes. "How could you? I’m your sister."

"Sister?" he echoed, letting out a bitter laugh. "Now you know I am your family."

His smile dropped, replaced by cold rage. "Where were you when I needed you? I was desperate. I begged for your help. And what did you do? Nothing. You left me to suffer."

He jabbed a finger toward his bandaged leg. "Look at this. I’ve got a fractured leg. I was dragged out of the hospital like an animal. Do you know what that felt like? And all because you couldn’t be bothered to help. Dad asked you, I asked you—but you turned your back on us. Like we meant nothing."

His voice cracked with rage and hatred. "A few million dollars meant more to you than your brother. You let me suffer."

His glare burned with resentment. "You are no sister of mine. I hate you. And now... now you’ll understand what it’s like to be helpless. To feel fear. To suffer like I did."

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