Chapter 6

Xander

The quiet in the room felt heavy when she walked out of the dining room, leaving me alone with my half-eaten food. My jaw was still tight. I took a slow, deep breath, trying to calm the anger building inside me. She wasn't their real daughter. Twenty million dollars. I could pay that back without even thinking twice. And the crazy part: This was about more than just money. The money was just why she was here. My grandfather’s words. He had said it himself, right then, without me even asking.

My mind was a mess of broken thoughts trying to fit together. Richard Ryan had quickly said “fifty million.” Zia had asked sharp questions about why we’d lend so much. She was completely sure it was twenty million. Someone had given them, or him, the wrong number. But why?

And then, Quantum Cybersecurity Solutions. Angela Evans. I’d seen them earlier today at Meridian, just a few hours ago. Zia, who I thought was just a “freelancer who works when she feels like it,” was sitting across from the Vice President of one of the fastest growing and most secret tech companies in the world. And she looked like she was looking at business papers. The easy way she’d said Angela had “a job for her” tonight felt like another insult. She wasn't just a freelancer. She was deep into something. Something huge.

My grandfather had tricked me. He hadn't just set up a marriage to pay back a debt. He had brought Zia here for a reason much bigger than money, a reason he was keeping hidden. And Zia Rayan, my new wife, was not some simple chess piece. She was smart, stubborn, and clearly had her own secrets, her own power. Her calm way of talking about my engagement to Claire, her saying I “didn’t exist” outside this house… it should have made me angrier, but instead, it just made me more curious. This was a woman who didn't follow anyone else's rules.

I pushed my chair away from the table; it scraped loudly on the floor. I needed answers, and I needed them right away. I grabbed my phone and started dialing Paul. It was late, but I didn't care.

“Boss?” Paul’s voice was clear and quick, no sign he was asleep. He knew my calls after work usually meant something big was happening.

“Paul, I need you at the office first thing. Six AM,” I ordered, my voice low but strong.

“This is top priority. I want you to dig deep. Everything you can find. And bring everything you’ve already found on Zia Rayan. Don’t miss any details.”

“Six AM, Boss. Got it,” he answered, no questions asked. Paul was good. That’s why he was my head of security.

I ended the call and walked over to the tall windows, looking out at the city lights. My family, the Thornes, controlled so much of this city, yet my own grandfather was planning something right under my nose that I couldn't fully understand. The idea that Zia wasn't the Ryans’ real daughter, that she was adopted, that the loan was twenty million – it all pointed to a deeper, more personal reason. Why her? Why was Alaric so set on her? His line, “more than money,” felt like a puzzle I had to solve.

And then there was Claire. My fiancée. She had been there for me after my mother died, a steady person when everything felt shaky. Our relationship was based on respect and goals we shared. It made sense. But now… this. Zia’s raw stubbornness, her smarts, her complete lack of care for my important status or our engagement. It made me uneasy. She wasn't trying to charm me or use this marriage to gain anything, like other women in her place might. She just wanted out. And that, strangely, made her more interesting. She was a problem I hadn't looked for, but one that was quickly taking over my thoughts.

I thought about the credit card and the new ID I’d pushed across the table to her. It was a planned move. If she really had twenty million dollars, then money wasn't the way Alaric thought it was to control her. Giving her money and a new identity – it was a way to keep an eye on her, to make her think she had control while I figured out what game Alaric was playing. If she needed to buy something, or travel, I would know. It was about watching her, yes, but also… a part of me, a small, quiet part, felt a strange need to make sure she was okay, even though she said she hated me.

She’d been through a terrible day, starting with that odd scene at her "parents'" house. Jason’s report was short: "Subject Zia Ryan's legal guardians said she was adopted and revealed the true story of their money dealings, causing her upset." Upset. Jason rarely used such mild words. I wondered what "true story" meant beyond the loan.

I ran a hand through my hair. This whole situation was like pulling at a loose thread, and the more I pulled, the more my entire life seemed to fall apart. The Thorne family, the business, my grandfather’s tricky plans, my own future… it was all connected. And Zia was in the middle of it, a mysterious queen who didn’t want the job in a game I didn't fully get.

I needed to find every secret. Not just hers, but my grandfather’s. He had made me look stupid, and I didn't let anyone make me look stupid, especially not him. This wasn't just about business anymore. This was about family secrets, about being betrayed, and about a woman who had just shown up and turned my world upside down. My strong need to figure this out was starting right now.

Zia

Leaving Xander alone in that dining room felt like a small win, even though my hands were still shaking a bit from the pure anger inside me. He thought he was so smart, so in charge. Giving me a new credit card and an ID, probably to watch my every move. Fine. Let him think that. My own plans were always a few steps ahead of his.

I walked back up to my room. The heavy quiet of the huge house felt like it was closing in on me. This place wasn't a jail; it was just a temporary work spot, a quick stop on my way to blowing up everything the Thornes believed in. My bag sat on the bed, holding the few things I’d grabbed from the Ryans' house. My important papers, my other laptops, the stuff I actually cared about. They could keep everything else. It was just junk, ruined by their lies.