Chapter 24
The dark living room soon filled with the sounds of passion.
Afterward, Xena lay nestled in Zac’s arms. Her voice was soft and tender. “Mr. Lincoln, you seem different tonight. Did something happen?”
Zac paused, his fingers still playing with her hair, then answered quietly, “Nothing. I just missed you.”
Xena lowered her eyes and tightened her hold around his waist. “I missed you too.”
Her voice was sweet, almost syrupy. But to Zac, it suddenly felt empty.
He didn’t understand what was wrong. Liz had finally left him, and by all accounts, he should have felt relieved. But instead, an uneasy frustration kept creeping in, dragging at his mood.
He slipped out of Xena’s arms and began getting dressed.
She noticed the shift immediately. Her expression tensed as she clutched the throw blanket beneath her. “You’re not staying tonight?”
Zac buckled his belt and glanced down at her. “Get some rest. If you’re not feeling well, take the morning off.”
“Mr. Lincoln…”
She reached out, trying to stop him, but Zac didn’t look back. He opened the door and walked out without a word.
Moments later, she heard the engine start and the car pull away.
Xena rushed to the window, watching as his taillights disappeared down the street. She bit her lower lip hard.
Then, grabbing her phone, she scrolled through her contacts until she found the one labeled “Private Investigator.” She opened the chat, transferred $20,000, and typed:
“Find out where Zac Lincoln went today and who he met.”
After Jane dropped Liz off, she headed home.
Back at her apartment, Liz rested for a while before opening her laptop to prep some documents for the next day.
An hour later, she checked the time, got up, took a shower, and went to bed.
The next morning, Liz arrived at the firm and brought back some local snacks to share with her coworkers.
Naomi Stevens, a colleague she was friendly with, came over and lowered her voice. “Liz, did you go on that trip alone?”
Liz nodded. “Yeah. Why?”
Naomi leaned in a little closer. “You might want to check social media when you get a chance.”
Picking up on the hint, Liz pressed her lips together and replied calmly, “We already broke up. Whoever he’s with now has nothing to do with me.”
Naomi blinked in surprise. She immediately thought of all the sweet couple posts Xena had been uploading online and quickly
connected the dots.
She let out a soft sigh and said gently, “Try not to let it bother you. I know a few great single guys. I can introduce you if you’re
ever interested.”
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“Thanks, Naomi.”
Their conversation hadn’t exactly been private. A few coworkers nearby overheard, and soon the news of Liz and Zac’s breakup began making its way around the office.
“I’m pretty sure they were together for eight years,” someone whispered. “She stuck with him when he had nothing, all through the early days of his startup. And now that he’s made it big, he dumps her? That’s cold.”
“That’s why you should never go through tough times with a man. He won’t thank you for it. He’ll just act like it was your job.”
“And that homewrecker? She’s out there flaunting their relationship on social media like it’s something to be proud of. No shame whatsoever.”
“If she had any shame, she wouldn’t be the other woman in the first place.”
At the executive suite of Voyager Tech, Xena’s eyes sparkled as she read the file her private investigator had sent over.
It was confirmed. Liz had officially broken up with Zac.
No wonder Zac had been so rough with her the night before.
Now that the obstacle was out of the way, all she had to do was win him over. Making things official was only a matter of time.
Her heart raced with excitement. In her mind, she was already picturing their wedding.
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