Chapter 144: Stealing from the study

Words : 1078 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

Riya stood still, silent, her gaze locked on Zara. But beneath that calm façade, her chest burned with resentment. ’Just wait,’ she comforted herself. ’Zara will be gone soon. It’s only a matter of time.’ Zara didn’t want to argue with this woman. She turned her back and clasped Zane’s hand. "Come on, Zane. Let’s play." She led him to the other side of the room. But Zane was still hurt. He couldn’t forget what his aunt had just said. His innocent eyes were dimmed with doubts and questions. "Mommy, why did Aunt say that? Will Daddy stop playing with me once I have a baby sister or brother? Won’t he love me anymore?" Zara froze. The sight of his dimmed eyes hurt more than any insult ever could. At the same time, fury rose like fire in her veins. Riya had dared to plant doubt inside this little boy’s heart. All for the cruel satisfaction of provoking her. No. Zara’s resolve steeled. She would never let Riya’s poison seep into her family. Kneeling before Zane, she gripped his shoulders. "That’s not true at all, sweetheart. Daddy loves you so much. You are his prince charming, and no matter what, you will always be his dearest son—even if a baby brother or sister comes later." She smiled. "And you know what? When they come, you’ll love them too. You’ll share your toys with them." Zane’s face brightened as his smile returned. "Yes. I’ll share my toys with my brother and sister. Sharing is good." His little grin brought relief to Zara. "Very well." She ruffled his hair affectionately, though her own smile wavered. Her gaze slid sideways, catching Riya watching them. Her expression twisted with contempt. ’I’ll never let you come between us, Riya.’ The shrill ring of Zara’s phone cut through the tension in the room. Her pulse jumped when she saw the name on the screen. Nathaniel. ’Finally... he thought to call me.’ A small smile touched her lips. Before answering, she looked at Zane, brushing his cheek tenderly. "Stay here. Don’t listen to your aunt. I need to take this call." Stepping outside the toy house, she lifted the phone to her ear. "Hello? Are you okay?" she asked, sounding a little breathless. "You left so suddenly, not even having breakfast. Is everything alright?" "Uh... it’s not good." Nathaniel’s voice carried unease. He stared grimly at the men combing the riverbank. "Roberto met with an accident this morning. His car plunged into the river. But there is no sign of him yet. The search is still on." Zara’s knees nearly buckled. Her hand shot up to cover her mouth. "Roberto? An... accident?" Her mind reeled, unable to grasp the suddenness of it. While Zara was absorbed in her phone call, Riya quietly slipped away from the room. She had come there with an intention—to sneak into the study and steal the project files Nathaniel had been working on. Riya’s eyes narrowed as she watched from a distance, Zara too absorbed in her call to notice. Her lips curved into a sly smile. ’Perfect. She is distracted. This is my chance. I need to get into the study.’ Riya slipped back into the house like a shadow, her sharp eyes darting across the hallway. Not a soul in sight. Satisfied, she walked up the stairs, her steps brisk and light. At the landing, she cast one last glance down into the hall, checking if anyone was watching. The space lay empty. Perfect. She glided toward the study, her heart pounding with thrill and nervousness. She eased the door shut behind her. Files were stacked neatly to one side, but her eyes went straight to the laptop. She darted to the desk, fingers trembling slightly as she flipped the screen open and pressed the power. But the screen was locked. "What could be the password?" she muttered under her breath. She tried Nathaniel’s date of birth first, typing quickly. The screen blinked red. Denied. She typed again—Nora’s birthday this time. Still wrong. Her eyes widened, disbelief flashing across her face. "Not even Nora’s birthday?" she whispered, shocked. "Then what could it be?" Her heart drummed louder in her chest. Time was slipping away fast. She couldn’t afford to stay there for a long time. Every second mattered. If anyone walked in and caught her here, she would be finished. Desperation clawed at her thoughts. ’The wedding date.’ Yes, surely Nathaniel would use something so significant. She punched in the numbers eagerly with the hope that she would be able to unlock the laptop this time. Denied. Again. "What?" A scowl twisted her face as irritation mounted. She pressed her lips together, planting her hands on her hips, completely at a loss. If she left without the information, Zachary’s fury would follow—and that was something she couldn’t risk. Riya’s thoughts spun wildly as her eyes narrowed on the screen. She wondered what Nathaniel could use as the password. Could it be Zara’s birthday? The very idea made her blood boil. Yet she couldn’t ignore how his attitude toward Zara had shifted as if she held some invisible hold over him. Her teeth clenched as she typed in the date. But it was also wrong. Her hands curled into fists on her hips. "What should I do now?" she muttered under her breath, glancing at the stack of files on the desk. She didn’t have time to go through them. Anyone could walk in at any moment, and she would be caught red-handed. ’What does Nathaniel love the most?’ One name surfaced—Zane. Yes, Zane— his pride, his weakness, the only son his beloved woman had left behind. Naturally, Nathaniel cherished his son more than anything else in the world. "Zane’s birthday," she whispered, her fingers flying across the keyboard. This time, the screen unlocked. A triumphant grin spread across her face. "That’s it." Her hands darted over the touchpad, opening folder after folder until she found the project files she had come for. The list spread before her. She neither had the time nor the patience to go through each file. Instead, she quickly pulled a pen drive from her bag, plugged it into the laptop, and began copying the entire folder. "Zachary will be happy." As the progress bar began to crawl across the screen, satisfaction gleamed in her eyes. She believed he would help her get rid of Jaxon.

Chapter 144: Stealing from the study

Comments (0)