Zara groaned as she slowly turned around. The warm breeze reached her closed eyes.
She groaned again in frustration from the disturbance of the noise in the toilet.
Zara's eyes suddenly flew open, and she quickly sat up, her heart palpitating rapidly.
A sudden gasp filled her mouth as she remembered what had happened. She vividly remembered talking about babies with Zayden, and then being asked if that could save her.
She wasn't dead, so she was still safe and sound. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth.
"How long have you been sleeping, Zara?" she asked herself, as she sat there, her eyes moving to the clock on the wall.
She stared at it for a moment before she gasped again, her hands moving to her lips. It was 8:00 p.m.; she had slept that long.
"Did he do it?" she asked, half talking to herself, her hands moving to search herself and her tummy.
"Then I must be carrying his baby, right?" she asked, resting her back against the headrest with a smile, her hands caressing her tummy in an affectionate manner.
She was still wearing her white gown with a loosened zip, but that wasn't any of her concern as long as her baby was safe.
Her eyes drifted to the dressing table with a mirror. Then suddenly, her head throbbed painfully. It felt as though a gigantic hand was squeezing her head.
With shaky hands, she held her head, which throbbed faster in pain.
And then she remembered the words echoing in her thoughts: "Do you want to witness my powers? They do burn."
"That voice..." she stuttered, a pang of pain hitting her head.
It sounded so much like Zayden, and instantly, she remembered him saying it.
She could remember how she confidently said she wanted to have a baby with him, but what happened next after he said those words?
It felt like they were incomplete parts, like a puzzle waiting to be put together.
But then again, what else could happen apart from falling asleep? She did feel dizzy, so she must have probably fallen asleep after he called the doctor who would help them with the surrogate process.
"I remember seeing the doctor's face, but I fell asleep after," she said with a smile, happiness shining in her eyes that she could remember her forged memory.
Despite the fact that she was trying to convince herself, she couldn't resist almost believing Zayden. Those words he uttered to her sounded so real, so powerful.
But he was human just like her. He didn't look like the doom she had read about—their pale skin, red eyes, and powers, especially the burning.
"I should quit watching movies and reading books," she scoffed to herself with a smudged look.
She heard the bathroom door close, and she raised her head to see an unknown lady in her room.
With wide eyes and a confused gaze, Zara asked, "Who are you?" pointing at her.
"Good evening, miss," the lady greeted respectfully. She was wearing her usual maid attire, making her appear robust.
Zara's eyes roamed over her body from head to toe. Her brows slightly creased, waiting for her question to be answered.
"I'm Mary, the head maid," she said with a smile.
Zara calmed down immediately with a sigh of relief. She had initially thought the person was a thief, but upon hearing she was a maid, she relaxed.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, sitting upright.
"I was asked to dress you, but I thought of using the bathroom before attending to you," she said, her gaze landing on the floor, biting her lip, embarrassed by her situation.
Understanding that the lady, Mary, might have been in a bit of a situation, Zara said, "It's okay."
It was then that Zara took a proper look at the lady named Mary. She was robust in shape with a perfect curve. Her makeup wasn't heavy nor light. She wore a white T-shirt with a black short gown that barely reached her knees.
Was it proper to dress this way? She could easily attract men with her dress, like it was made by a seductress.
Zara cleared her throat, looking elsewhere. She went ahead to remove the bedsheets from her body.
"Where is Zayden?" she asked, not minding that she called their boss by name. The lady was taken by surprise, but quickly hid it.
"In his study room," the lady curtly replied.
Mary assisted Zara when she was having difficulty zipping her clothes.
She placed her foot on the ground, and it felt like it had been centuries since she last walked.
As soon as she stood up, a feeling of unease hit her like a bolt.
Her gaze darted to her palm, which should have had a wound. But there was nothing—not even a scar, as if she hadn't cut her palm at all.
What was happening to her? she thought, eyeing her palm.
"Are you okay, miss?" Mary asked, concern evident on her face. She saw her mistress was in deep thought, so she thought of jolting her out.
Zara faked a smile and dismissed the feeling of unease.
She opened the door and went out, with Mary following behind her.
Mary led Zara to the study room. It felt like they had walked for an eternity before they reached Zayden's study room.
She then excused herself, leaving her mistress alone.
Zara, with a smile, was about to open the door when she heard a voice that felt familiar. It wasn't Zayden, but the voice belonged to someone who also stayed there.
"I tried searching for the little girl's picture in their family register. But I didn't find anything," the voice inside the study room said in a hushed tone.
"Isn't that Ryan's voice?" Zara whispered as she leaned in to the door.
"Why didn't they look for her then if they knew she was missing?" asked the voice Zara recognized as Zayden's.
"I will look into it," Ryan stated. He was about to leave before Zayden interrupted.
"Where did you find Zane?" he asked, his hand resting on his chin.
Ryan took a brief pause and then, fear creeping in, said, "Um... at the old cemetery house."
Zayden's jaw clenched as he struggled to contain the fury brewing beneath him, his eyes blazing with fiery anger.
The air thickened with anticipation, and Ryan couldn't help but wish he could get out at that moment before his boss turned him into a punching bag.
Before he could speak, his boss's cold voice rang out: "Get out," and a rush of adrenaline sent shivers through his spine.
His wobbling legs took to their heels and sprang to the door.
Zara, who was still by the door, straining her ears to catch what they were saying, was startled as the door suddenly opened.
Her body staggered inside, revealing Zayden's cold gaze.
She was doomed.