Chapter 67 Wandering Dick
Kian’s P.O.V
One simple warning— Stay away from Verena.
I tried to adhere to it, kept a low profile, and tried to bury myself in my work just to take my mind off the fact that Verena and I were now divorced. But since that night that our lips touched, a flame reignited in my chest—a consuming one.
She had completely invaded my brain and taken control of my mind so badly that if I didn’t see her, I could lose my shit.
That was how it started again. For days, I’d been in disguise, pacing slowly outside my uncle’s mansion—just for a glimpse of Verena.
I was about to accept defeat, convinced that my uncle lied about her living with him until a car rolled out of the gates. It all happened in a blur but I had seen her in that car.
I tailed her to the grocery store, slipping behind the thin wooden divider, tracking her every step, watching the quiet way she smiled.
And it broke me. Here I was completely losing my mind over her, yet she smiled.
How could she smile?
I had walked closely behind her and the woman next to her, listening to their bickering. Chuckled softly when I needed to. I felt that rush of anger when she mentioned that she wanted to make dinner for my uncle.
Being around her was warm and I could drown in her presence until—
Things took a sudden turn and notifications of us flooded my phone. I could still remember the way her shoulders trembled, the look of horror on her face shook me to the core and just when I was about to grab her, my uncle came out of nowhere and pulled her to his chest.
I had lost my mind. I did not spend years paying the paparazzi not to publish anything about Verena just to have her face plastered on TV screens.
And right now as Zita came outside of the bathroom, anger fueled in my stomach because I knew she had something to do with it.
Not only did she reek of cigarettes, but she reeked of guilt. It was written all over her.
She avoided my gaze while I reigned in my anger, shoving the phone to her face. “What is this picture?”
Zita tried to hide the pack of cigarettes peeking from her pocket and a scoff almost left my mouth. She would always tell me not to smoke around her, complaining about how it could affect her and the baby.
Yet, here she was smelling like cheap cigarettes.
I could see the disappointment in my mum’s eyes as she mumbled. “I trusted you, Zita”
This was laughable. If Verena had been the one in this situation, she would’ve made a spectacle of it. But with Mum, things were different—connection, money, and status were her mantra.
You could be the worst human alive, murder a lot of people and she’d still welcome you with open arms…
But the moment the wealth disappeared? Watch how quickly she’d turn on you.
Zita rubbed a hand up her arm—an act she always did whenever she was anxious. “I was drunk that night—” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
I snorted. “No, you were not. I made sure you had only non-alcoholic wine,”
My only obligation to her was making sure that the baby was safe.
“It must have been the wind then,” she ducked her head.
“Zita!” Mum exclaimed. “The least you could show is remorse. Do you not know what your father will do when he gets the picture? Do you know what will happen when these pictures get leaked to the media? Don’t you understand the gravity of this situation,”
“Add these pictures with the narrative currently going online and and we have a disaster,”
I could honestly care less about what Zita did or who she hooked up with. I couldn’t just move on from the fact that she fucked another man while carrying my baby.
And that man—Tobias. My friend.
That was so disrespectful as fuck. What the actual fuck was even going on?
Zita’s eyes flicked up to mine and then to Mum as she exhaled sharply and removed the cover of her hoodie. “I…” She trailed, bit her lip, and…
Wait, did she just laugh?
“I don’t get something. Kian also kissed Verena that night but no one said a thing to him. No one condemned him so why are you coming after me?”
Mum opened her mouth to speak but no words came out then her phone pinged with a notification and she released a long breath. “Your dad just texted, he got the pictures too. Just fix whatever this is,” She said to me, taking another glance at Zita before turning away.
“I also don’t get why you are mad. Verena, and you also…”
“Kissed?” I cut in, a growl rumbling from my chest as I stepped closer. “Isn't that what you want to say? For the record, I was the one who kissed her. And she hit me for that,”
I sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. “Is that why you did that?”
Zita swallowed, pushed her hair behind her ear. “I don’t know what you are talking about,”
A manic laugh burst from my throat as I leaned forward, staring deep into her eyes. “Congratulations to you, Zita. You have just signed up for a long road of trouble,”
“In case you are too dense to realize it, the reason why everything has flipped on you so fast is that my uncle stepped in. You don't even understand the deep shit you are in,”
Fear slithered through Zita’s eyes, her fingers fluttering to her neck as she blinked rapidly. “Are you trying to insinuate that I am the one who sold Verena out…” Tears slowly sprang in her eyes.
“Why would you even think that I can do that!” She raised her voice, a tear tracking down her cheek as she choked out. “I spent the night writing comments just to support her and you say this to me,”
Great emotional speech there. I would have been fooled if I hadn’t seen Zita sitting at the edge of the pool, laughing in mockery.
Jaden had also named her the number one suspect as he recounted how he had come to pick a file while I was missing—only to find Zita twirling like a ballerina with a wine glass in one hand.
The same woman who told me that she could barely eat or sleep.
I had met with the house staff I’d dismissed just to hear their side of the story. That was when they told me Zita didn’t show any sign of sadness when I was in that dark room being tortured.
In fact, she looked happier than ever.
I could just sit down and let Karma do the job but the fact that she was pregnant messed with my head. My uncle was cruel and if he could do that to me, then what would he do to Zita?
I could still remember the fire in his eyes when he rushed towards Verena.
“If you are honest with me now, I’ll take you to my uncle this instance and you'll apologize to him,”
Zita swiped the lone tears from her face with her thumb, barked out a laugh before she broke down again. “Do I have to cut myself open before I prove that I am telling the truth? I have nothing to do with that. I swear on my grandpa’s grave”
I stared at her with a face devoid of emotion and despite the words that threatened to spill out of my mouth, I held them back.
She clearly didn’t understand. And by the time, she did, it would be too late.
Instead of wasting more breath on her, I pivoted and allowed my mind to drift back to Verena. I didn’t care that the public’s opinion might have turned on me. All I wanted to know was if she was fine, ate and slept well.
Calling her was pointless. Every call went straight to voicemail.
I closed the door, deliberating on what to do when my phone buzzed in my hands.
A call.
From an unknown contact.
Could it be Verena?
My heart slammed hard against my ribcage, my pulse stuttering as I placed a hand on my chest—like it could still my breathing and knock out every anxiousness.
I only wanted to know if she was fine. That was it.
I exhaled, swiped to answer, and pressed the phone to my ear. “Verena,”
Silence.
I wanted her to say something and for a second, I wondered if it was the reporter who was trying to get me to do an interview
‘Say something. Please, say something”
I was about to mention her name again when the deep hoarse voice that echoed deep into my ears, made me freeze.
“Did you have fun cheating on my sister?”
A shiver skated down my spine, blood pumping straight into my heart as fear clogged my throat.
Atlas.
Verena’s brother. My nightmare.
He had hated me from the start, hated that Verena was being set up with me and when I got her pregnant, he and his friends dragged me out of my car and beat the living hell out of me.
I was left with cracked lips, broken ribs and I was hospitalized for a month.
I held my breath. “Brother-in-law?”
His voice was cold. “You divorced my sister and tossed her to your uncle?”
Fuck.
I swallowed hard. “No…” I bit back my words, almost groaning out of frustration. “She initiated the divorce after I asked for an open…”
Shit. Saying that would only make things worse.
“Kian—” Terror cloaked his voice.
“When I land in Dallas, I will find you and when I do, I will chop off that wandering dick of yours and force it down your throat.”