The Contract Bride of Mr. Reid-Chapter 66: Painful past

Ivy’s smile faltered, her eyes flickering with hurt. She forced herself to maintain her composure, but the rejection stung. She had hoped to win him over, to make their relationship more than just a transaction. Yet, Zack’s words were like a cold slap, reminding her of the reality she was trying to deny.

"Zack," she pleaded, reaching out to hold his hand.

Zack’s expression remained stern, a wall of indifference that she couldn’t breach. He stepped aside, avoiding her touch.

The rejection burned in Ivy’s eyes, turning them into a fiery inferno. "Why, Zack?" she cried. "What’s lacking in me? I am smart, beautiful, and from an affluent family. I am perfect to be your wife. Why can’t you love me?"

Zack ran a hand through his hair, exhaustion etched on his face. He was too tired to talk to her. This conversation was not going anywhere. "You can leave now," he said dismissively, turning his back to her.

But Ivy was the past reason. Her temper reached the boiling point.

"Don’t you dare dismiss me!" she snapped. "This isn’t some fleeting fancy, Zack. Remember what my family did for you? Without my father’s help, you wouldn’t have rebuilt your business. Have you forgotten the past so easily?"

Her words struck a raw nerve. Zack whirled around and faced her. Anger, hot and raw, clouded his face.

"I don’t forget anything," he roared, his loud voice echoing inside the room. "Every. Single. Day—it’s a torturous reminder. If that incident had not happened, I wouldn’t have been tied up to you."

His fists trembled as he was losing his temper. "Don’t even think about getting close," he warned. "You can never replace Rose in my heart." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Fury choked Ivy, her chest heaving with each ragged breath. She was so defeated. It was a sickening realization - she was fighting a dead person, a memory. Rose was a permanent, cruel, and invincible rival who couldn’t be bullied or banished. It was helplessly annoying that she couldn’t do anything to her to make her leave Zack.

"You are pathetic, Zack," she spat with venomous contempt. "You cling to a dead woman! You are living a life of delusion, holding a shadow that will never come to reality. And that Bella—well, she is a poor substitute. Open your eyes."

"Get out!" Zack’s voice was a guttural snarl.

"Zack—" A flicker of uncertainty, a tremor of fear, pricked at Ivy’s carefully constructed facade.

"I said, leave now!" he roared, the raw power of his command making her flinch.

Ivy recoiled, his booming voice shaking her resolve. Without another word, she bolted for the door, her heart hammering.

Alone, Zack was consumed by the darkness of the past – the memory of Rose, and the loss of his family’s love and support. A mistake in the past had cost him heavily, leaving him in a state where he had no choice but to take the Hill family’s support.

However, meeting Bella had reignited a spark of hope within him. She represented a chance to regain everything he had lost. "I can’t lose her," he mumbled with renewed resolve.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Theodore received a call from the hospital. An unsettling premonition gripped him as he answered the call.

The woman on the other side informed him that Skyler had been stable and that he wanted to speak with him.

"Thank you." He smiled with relief. He canceled his remaining appointments and practically sprinted out of the office, his car a blur on the road as he raced to the hospital.

Theodore soon arrived at the hospital and stormed into the ward. Skyler, looking surprisingly chipper, was propped up in bed, a bowl of soup balanced in his hand.

Seeing him awake, Theodore was relieved. He walked over to him with hurried steps and hugged him.

"Thank goodness—you didn’t die," he said, instilling lightness in his tone despite the tremor in his heart. "I thought you wouldn’t wake up."

Skyler chuckled weakly, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes despite his weakened state. "Are you disappointed?" he teased. "At least, I didn’t take six months to wake up."

Theodore snorted, the tension easing a fraction. Skyler’s trademark sarcasm, even if a little feeble, was a welcome sign. But the amusement was short-lived. A serious expression settled on Skyler’s face as he set the soup aside.

"There was someone else who shot the gang leader sneakily," he revealed.

Skyler’s words confirmed their suspicions - there was a third party involved in the whole incident. He leaned closer, his gaze intent on Skyler’s face. "Tell me everything," he pressed, needing to hear every detail, every nuance to make sure they weren’t missing any crucial piece of the puzzle. "Did you see who was there?"

Skyler shook his head, shrugging. "I couldn’t see his face, but the shot was precise. It was someone who knew what he was doing."

He drifted back in time, the deserted house and the adrenaline-fueled confrontation resurfacing in his mind.

"I managed to corner the gang leader," he recounted in a daze. "He cracked under pressure, confessed he was paid a hefty sum to rape Bella and make a video of it."

The revelation exploded like a bombshell on Theodore. His face contorted in fury, his nostrils flaring as a primal rage surged through him. The unseen mastermind behind this plot, whoever it was, would pay dearly for daring to target his woman.

"He was about to spill the name," Skyler continued, his eyes hardening as he relived the scene. "But then..." His voice faded, replaced by a haunted silence. "Smoke filled the room, blinding me. Gunshots echoed, deafening and chaotic."

He fell silent, his breathing quickening as the memories resurfaced.

Theodore watched him with curiosity.

"The leader was dead before I could react," Skyler finally spoke, a tremor running through his voice. "A bullet straight to the head. Then, another one struck me." His hand instinctively rose to his chest, his eyes narrowing as a fleeting image flickered through his mind - a shadowy figure disappearing into the smoke-filled haze just before darkness claimed him.

"No idea who it was," he murmured in a trance. "But I suspect it was the one who paid the gang leader to hurt Bella. He must be afraid of being exposed."

The logic behind Skyler’s suspicion was undeniable. The official investigation hadn’t unearthed any involvement from rival gangs, solidifying the possibility of a third party.

Theodore acknowledged the validity of Skyler’s theory. However, this revelation only deepened his concern for Bella’s safety.

Who could harbor such animosity towards her? Tristan’s report had detailed Bella’s past struggles, but it made no mention of any personal vendettas. It seemed he needed to delve deeper, to unearth the unseen enemy lurking in the shadows.