Chapter 47 47

Chapter 47 47
Zara’s POV

It took her far longer than necessary, moving from one side of the closet to the other like she was on a mission.

I stayed where I was, leaning slightly against the wall with my arms folded, watching her with a mix of impatience and curiosity.

The closet itself was massive, easily the size of my entire bedroom, lined with rows of perfectly arranged clothes color-coordinated, styled, and organized like something out of a high-end boutique.

Everything about Elara screamed luxury.

Finally, after what felt like forever, she stilled.

Then slowly, she turned around, a triumphant smile spread across her lips, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she held up her discovery like it was some kind of prized treasure.

It was a soft, elegant blouse paired perfectly with a fitted skirt.

“There,” she said, almost breathless with satisfaction. “This is it.”

My eyes dropped immediately to the skirt and I didn’t even try to hide my reaction.

One brow arched slowly, my lips pressing into a thin, unimpressed line as I took in the length or rather, the lack of it.

“You’re joking,” I muttered under my breath.

“My pants are perfectly fine,” I said aloud, gesturing down at what I was already wearing but she didn’t even hesitate, with a careless flick of her wrist, she dismissed my words entirely like they held no weight whatsoever.

“They’re fine,” she said quickly, almost too quickly, as if acknowledging it just enough to move past it. “But this?” She lifted the outfit slightly higher, her tone shifting into something far more persuasive. “This is a look.”

I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand through my hair as I straightened.

“A look for who?” I challenged, my voice laced with dry disbelief. “Because last I checked, I’m not walking a runway.”

She rolled her eyes at that, already stepping closer, completely unfazed by my resistance.

“You don’t have to be on a runway to look good,” she shot back, her gaze flicking over me like she was already picturing the transformation.

“Honestly, Zara, you hide too much behind ‘practical.’”

My jaw tightened slightly at that.

“I don’t hide,” I corrected, my tone sharper now. “I just don’t feel the need to dress like I’m trying to impress anyone.”

Her lips curved, amused like she didn’t believe a word I was saying.

“Everyone wants to impress someone,” she murmured, tilting her head as she studied me even if they won’t admit it.”

I scoffed quietly, crossing my arms again.

“Well, not today.”

But she only smiled wider, stepping even closer until she was right in front of me, holding the outfit between us.

“Just try it,” she insisted softly, her voice dropping into something more coaxing, more persuasive. “You might actually like it.”

I glanced down at the blouse again the way the fabric dipped, the way it was clearly designed to draw attention and then back up at her expectant face.

A sigh slipped past my lips, this was going to be a long argument and somehow… I was already losing it.

“They are fine,” she agreed, “but this outfit was designed to be worn together.

Trust me I have an eye for these things.”

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

“Do you have a normal top that doesn’t come with conditions?” I asked dryly.

“Yes,” she admitted without hesitation, “but this will look amazing on you.”

She pouted slightly, her expression softening into something almost pleading.

“Just try it on and If you hate it, I’ll drop it but I promise you’re going to look stunning.”

“I’m going home,” I reminded her. “Not to a fashion show.”

She rolled her eyes, completely unmoved.

“Humor me.”

I hesitated… then exhaled. “Fine.”

Her entire face lit up, and she clapped her hands together like she’d just won a battle.

“I knew you’d say yes!”

She rushed forward and pressed the clothes into my hands, her excitement almost contagious and I glanced down at the outfit again and reluctantly admitted to myself that it was beautiful and that annoyed me more than it should.

“I’ll give you privacy,” she added quickly. “Take your time.”

Before I could say anything else, she slipped out of the room, leaving me alone and alone in her space.

The silence wrapped around me, thick and suffocating.

I stood there for a moment, unmoving, my chest tightening as that familiar scent filled my lungs again.

Kaelan, he was everywhere on the sheets and in the air and deeply embedded into the very walls.

If I closed my eyes, I could almost imagine him standing right behind me and his presence lingering, haunting and impossible to escape.

My stomach twisted and I forced myself to move.

Slowly, I peeled off what remained of my torn blouse and tossed it into the waste bin. There was no saving it because the fabric had been ruined beyond repair.

My fingers moved to my waistband next, sliding my pants down and folding them neatly before placing them on the edge of her bed.

For a brief moment, I just stood there, staring at the outfit she’d given me.

The blouse dipped low in the front, cut in a way that would expose more than I was used to. It was bold, confident and dangerous.

I knew immediately that what I was wearing underneath wouldn’t work with it and a quiet sigh slipped past my lips.

Without overthinking it, I reached back and unclasped my bra, pulling it free and setting it aside. The cool air brushed against my skin, sending a faint shiver down my spine.

I stepped toward the full-length mirror and my reflection stared back at me familiar, yet different under the soft lighting of her room.

I have strong shoulders, curved hips and a body shaped by discipline training and years of pushing myself harder than anyone expected.

Feminine, but not fragile. I was desirable, I tilted my head slightly admiring myself any man would be lucky have me as his woman.

The thought cut off sharply because Kaelan hadn’t thought so and my jaw tightened.

I forced the thought away and stepped into the skirt, pulling it up over my hips. It hugged my figure more snugly than it probably would have on Elara, the hem sitting higher on my thighs.

It was… bold but not bad not bad at all.

I turned slightly in the mirror, taking it in, before reaching back toward the bed for the blouse and the door swung open.

My breath hitched as I spun around and froze immediately because Darius stood in the doorway and for a second, the world went completely still.

His presence filled the room instantly very dominant, unyielding and impossible to ignore. His gaze locked onto me, dark and intense, taking in everything at once.

The bare skin and my he half-dressed state.

The vulnerability I hadn’t realized I’d exposed.

Heat rushed through my body, sharp and immediate, my pulse roaring in my ears.

I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe or even look away and neither could he.