Chapter 3The Anchor’s Flight: Seven Years in the Sterling Shadow

When I stepped out of the bathroom, Zane was already dressed in a bespoke suit, scanning the Wall Street Journal by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

He saw me with my suitcase.

He put the paper down, his eyes drifting to Tater lounging on the sofa.

"Mila, there’s no rush to leave. You can keep the villa. You and the cat."

"No. I prefer a clean break," I said, shaking my head. "I'll be out of here in forty-eight hours."

Zane didn't argue. He headed downstairs.

By the time I followed, he had already prepared breakfast.

There was a small cup of herbal tea steaming on the table.

"Drink it. The weather's turning cold. You need to be careful."

I froze. He actually believed my lie about the stomach bug.

To keep the ruse up, I took a few sips. It was bitter.

He reached into a glass jar, pulled out a lemon drop, unwrapped it, and gestured for me to open my mouth.

I stared at the candy, my eyes stinging.

I hate bitter things.

The lemon drops were always my reward for taking medicine.

But now...

The sweetness didn't reach my tongue.

"It’s sour and bitter. It’s actually pretty gross," I said with a hollow laugh.

Zane’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

But only for a second.

He picked up the jar and tossed it into the trash can.

"Fine. Good riddance."

"Sienna hates sugar. The smell makes her nauseous."

I looked at the jar in the trash. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand.

The jar was a royal antique he’d bid on for me at an auction in Paris when I was twenty.

The legend said that for every candy eaten, a piece of happiness would be gained.

If the jar was empty... the misery would double.

As I headed for the door, Zane stopped me. He sent a location pin to my phone via Signal.

"Caleb Brooks. The heir to the Liberty Group. He’s a sailor, spends most of his time at sea."

"You remember him? On your last birthday, he flew back specifically to give you that handcrafted sailboat model."

"That’s the address for your date tonight. The paparazzi will be there."

I understood.

The Sterling family had already announced the merger-marriage with Sienna.

I’d been with him for seven years.

Now, he needed to scrub me from his records.

The best way to do that was to link me to another man. To marry me off.

"Don't worry. I'll be there."

I turned to leave.

Zane grabbed my wrist, his expression unreadable.

"Mila, seven years is a long time. I won't leave you empty-handed. Tell me what you want."

I looked at the dark mole just beneath his right eye and smiled softly.

"I want you to marry me. Can I have that?"

Zane froze. His brow furrowed.

Before he could speak, I swallowed the lump of glass in my throat and forced a grin.

"I'm kidding."

"I have to go to the station. I'm up for the Journalist of the Year award today. I can't be late."