Chapter 77 Our Journey
Chapter 77 Our Journey
After our passionate encounter, we relax in the bathtub, both of us panting. I sit nestled between his legs, my head resting on his chest, my back against his front, his hands encircling my chest while his fingers tease my nipples.
“How are you feeling now?” I ask him, breaking the peaceful silence.
“Out of the world.” He whispers in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “And credit goes to you, my love.” He licks my earlobe. “You know very well how to distract your husband.” Making circles around my nipples with his fingers, he bites my earlobe, eliciting a soft moan from my mouth.
I’m so sore, yet I’m again aroused. Fuck!
“Now if you’re feeling out of the world, husband, spill it out,” I ask him in a serious tone, pushing away my sexual arousal to the side for a moment.
“Huh?”
“What was bothering you?” Upon hearing my words, his body stiffens behind me and his fingers stop moving. “Tell me.” I urge, clasping his hands.
“I got to know about the kidnapper of our daughter.” Now my body stiffens at his words.
The mere mention of Giana’s kidnapping sends shivers down my spine. The last month has been a nightmare without our little princess, and whoever was behind it, I’ll ensure they suffer until their last breath.
Now that Steve knows who is responsible, he should be relieved. I wonder why he’s upset.
As I turn my face to look at him, he stares at me with sadness in his eyes. I expected relief, closure even, but his sombre expression tells a different story.
“Steve, why aren’t you relieved? You found out who did this to Giana,” I say softly, searching his eyes for answers.
He sighs heavily, his grip on my chest tightening. “I am relieved, Grace,” he begins, his voice heavy with emotion. “Relieved that we finally know the truth. But...” He pauses, his gaze distant as he struggles to find the right words.
“But what?” I ask in a soft tone, my heart aching at his dejected expression. “Tell me about the kidnapper.”
Steve takes a deep breath before finally speaking. “It’s Zara.”
My heart sinks at Steve’s revelation. Zara, Steve’s best friend’s wife. She was a nice woman. How could she betray us in such a cruel and unimaginable way?
“Zara?” I repeat in disbelief tone.
Steve nods solemnly, his eyes filled with pain and sorrow. “I found Giana’s bracelet at Jace’s house. So I confronted Jace, and he confessed. He said it was Zara’s idea, but...” his voice falters as he struggles to find the right words.
Now I understand why he was so upset because his best friend was involved in this. But why did they do this?
“I don’t understand,” I whisper in a disbelief tone. “Why would Zara do something like this?”
Steve’s voice trembles as he continues, “Zara lost her baby girl in a tragic accident a couple of years ago. She couldn’t cope with the loss, Grace. It shattered her. And when she saw Giana, she convinced herself that Giana was her daughter, that somehow fate had given her back what she had lost.”
My heart aches as I try to understand the depth of Zara’s pain and desperation.
Fuck! This wasn’t the truth we were expecting. We wanted to make the kidnapper of our little daughter suffer. But now I don’t feel angry anymore, rather I feel sorry for Zara because I understand the pain of losing a baby. It shatters your soul.
“That’s... heartbreaking.” I stutter, trying to digest the truth.
Steve nods, and his jaw tense with emotion. “I know. And despite what she’s done, I can’t stop myself from feeling sorry for her, Grace. When Zara saw me, she begged me to give her daughter back. She’s broken, lost in her grief and delusion.”
It hurts me even more because I wanted to punish the person who caused us so much pain. But how can I inflict more suffering on someone who is already in more pain than we were? At this moment, I can’t help but empathise with her.
“I can’t imagine what she must be going through,” I murmur, my voice laced with sympathy. “Losing a child... it’s every parent’s worst nightmare. It’s a pain I wouldn’t wish upon anyone.”
He nods in agreement, his expression filled with pain. “I know, Grace. And as much as I want justice for what she’s done, I can’t ignore the fact that she’s suffering as well.”
I shift in front of me and embrace him. “It’s a lot to take in, Steve,” I murmur, burying my face in his shoulder as he wraps his warm arm around me.
“I know, Love,” he whispers, pulling me closer. “But we can’t do anything now except accept the truth and move on.”
“Yes.” I pull away from him to meet his gaze. “At least now we got the closure; although it was an unexpected one.”
“That’s what life is. Unpredictable.” He brushes off my wet hair from my face.
“The unpredictable life which led us together. Who thought that our contract marriage would turn into something so deep and meaningful?” I finish his sentence with a smile.
“Exactly. Despite all the challenges we’ve faced, I wouldn’t change a single moment of it. Our journey together, though unexpected, has been the greatest blessing of my life.” He clasps my face and presses his lips on my forehead.
“Neither would I change a single thing,” I reply, fixing my gaze filled with affection on him. “You’ve brought so much light into my life, Steve. I’ll always be grateful for that.” I lean in and capture his lips in a tender kiss.
At night, the twins are sitting between Steve and me with their toys. Instead of playing, they’re mostly crawling over us and cuddling us, their giggles filling the room. I can’t even express in words how I feel when they express their love like this.
I lock my eyes with their father’s, entangling my tiny finger with his, wondering about us.
Our journey, from a one-night stand to a contract marriage, from hate to love, and from being two individuals to growing as parents, is truly incredible. It’ll be etched in our hearts till our last breath.