Chapter 127 - 127: Unseen stares

Words : 1240 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

"Stop it," Zara said quietly, nudging at him softly on his stomach. "Everyone is watching." She slipped the necklace from her neck, handed it back to the sales associate. She turned quickly and added, "I'll go check on Zane." She walked away briskly, not even glancing back at him. Nathaniel let the corner of his mouth curl into a smirk as his eyes followed her retreating figure. "Sir, are you taking the necklace?" the sales associate asked politely, breaking his thoughts. Only the necklace? Nathaniel's smirk deepened. He had something grander in mind. "Pack it," he said. Before the associate could respond, the shop manager hurried over, his nervousness obvious in the way his steps faltered. "Mr. Grant," he greeted with a smile. "I received the call. Please come to my office. We'll proceed with the paperwork." Nathaniel gave a small nod and gestured with an easy flick of his hand. "After you." The manager led him toward a sleek glass door at the back of the store. When Riya saw him walking away, her feet moved almost of their own accord, trailing after Nathaniel. But a sharp, icy voice cut through the air behind her, stopping her. "Where do you think you are going?" Her heart lurched at the chill in Zachary's tone. Turning slowly, she met his eyes. The cold, penetrating look he gave her made her instinctively take a half-step back. "I…" she began, but her voice faltered, her throat tightening. Zachary closed the space between them with one measured step. "I brought you here to buy you something. Yet you've barely glanced at anything in the store. Instead, your attention has been glued to Nathaniel and Zara. Tell me—are you trying to humiliate me on purpose?" Riya shook her head quickly, her palms going clammy. "No—I was just surprised to see them, I—" "I'm not interested in your excuses," he cut in sharply. "Do whatever you want." He turned and left, his mood clearly soured. Riya felt the heat of humiliation rise in her cheeks. She had come here thinking she might relax, maybe enjoy a little attention from Zachary to get her mind off things. Instead, he had abandoned her, too. Anger curled hotter in her stomach as she thought it was all because of Zara. "Why are you everywhere, Zara? You are under my skin, and I swear I'll get rid of you. I can't take it anymore." She stormed out of the store, seething. Zara stepped into the toy shop and looked around, searching for the familiar face. "Mommy!" Zane rushed over and wrapped himself around her leg, his little face lit up with pure joy. She smoothed his hair, smiling down at him. "You look happy. What did you buy?" "Not much," he said innocently. "Only a few toys…" "A few?" Another voice joined in from behind. She looked up to see the driver approaching, arms straining under the weight of multiple shopping bags. The sight made her blink twice in disbelief. "What—? So many? What did you buy?" she asked, surprised. "Almost the whole store," the driver groaned, though the twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed his amusement. Zara pressed her lips together, holding back a laugh, but couldn't help feeling sorry for the poor man. "Alright, go put them in the car and wait for us," she said, waving him off. The driver let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Madam," he said, hurrying out. Zara tilted her head and looked down at her son. "Was he telling the truth?" "No," Zane replied quickly, blinking his innocent eyes. "He is just exaggerating. Daddy told me to get whatever I like, so I… listened to him." Zara gave him a look that was half amusement, half warning. "You are a very obedient child." What she didn't say was: 'At this rate, your father will have to build you a separate house just for your toys.' Zane's grin widened, taking her words as pure praise. "Thanks, Mommy," he said proudly, bouncing on his feet. "Don't thank me," Zara said quickly, cutting him off. "If you are going to thank anyone, thank your daddy. But tell me this—where are you planning to put all these toys? Your cupboard is already overflowing, and now you've bought even more. Where will they go?" Zane's smile faltered, and he scratched the back of his head as if thinking about something. Then his eyes lit up. "In the backyard. There is a storeroom there. We can clean it up and make it my toy house." Zara blinked. She had almost forgotten all about the storeroom at Nathaniel's villa—crammed full of dusty furniture and odds and ends no one had touched in years. However, with a little effort, it could be transformed into something useful. "You are quite the smart one," she grinned, ruffling his hair. "We can do that." "Yay! Mommy is the best." Zane wrapped his little arms around her again, smiling widely. She laughed softly. "Alright, let's get out of here before you actually buy the entire store." With his small hand tucked in hers, she led him outside. She glanced around, expecting Nathaniel to be waiting nearby, but there was no sign of him. 'Where is he?' she wondered. Assuming he was still in the jewelry shop, she turned to head back in that direction. But before they could take more than a few steps, Zane tugged at her hand. "Mommy, I want to pee." "Okay, come with me." They made their way down the hallway toward the restrooms. Halfway there, Zara felt a strange prickle on the back of her neck as though someone's eyes were fixed on her. She slowed, casting a glance over her shoulder. People walked up and down, seemingly busy with their own affairs. There was no one suspicious. Shaking her head, she told herself she was imagining things. Pushing away the unease, she kept walking. When they reached the men's restroom, Zara bent slightly to meet Zane's eyes. "I'll be waiting right here." He gave a quick nod before trotting inside. Zara stepped to the side, leaning against the wall as she pulled out her phone. But almost immediately, that unsettling prickling crept along her skin again. She couldn't ignore the feeling of being watched. Her gaze swept the hallway. All she could see was people moving about—some heading into the restrooms, others passing by without so much as a glance in her direction. On the surface, nothing seemed out of place. Yet her chest felt tight, her pulse quickening. She couldn't shake the weight of that unseen stare. It reminded her of the incident at the hotel that night. This time, she wasn't alone. Zane was around. The thought of Zane being in danger sent a sharp pang through her stomach. Her thumb flew over the screen as she called Nathaniel. The line connected after only two rings. "Nathaniel, where are you?" she asked urgently. "Turn around," came his reply. She spun on her heel and saw him striding toward her through the crowd. Relief washed over her so suddenly that her knees felt weak. She crossed the distance quickly, stopping just short of him. His brows drew together, eyes scanning her face. "What's wrong? Where is Zane?"

Chapter 127 - 127: Unseen stares

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