Chapter 8
Now that the photo of him and Xena was out, everyone just assumed she was Zac’s girlfriend.
In the past, Liz would have picked up the phone the moment she saw it, demanding that he clear things up. But this time, she stayed quiet. She wanted to see what he would do if she said nothing. Would he let it spiral out of control, or would he step in and set the record straight?
She put her phone down and calmly returned to her work.
She thought she would be distracted all day, but surprisingly, the photo didn’t affect her. If anything, she was more productive
than usual.
Toward the end of the day, she checked her social media feed. The trending post from that morning had already been wiped clean. Neither Zac’s personal account nor Voyager Tech’s official page had released a statement.
There was no way he didn’t know what was going on. His silence spoke volumes.
Their relationship had never been publicly announced, but people close to them knew. Now, by saying nothing, he was essentially planting a landmine under his own company’s image. When it exploded, the damage would be real.
And still, for Xena, he was willing to take that risk.
Liz wasn’t shocked. She had seen it coming.
It felt like watching the beginning of a movie and already knowing exactly how it would end. Predictable and dull.
For the first time, she truly accepted it. She had stopped being important to him long ago. He had already erased her from his life without a second thought.
She wasn’t even acknowledged as his girlfriend.
With a calm expression, she put away her phone, shut her laptop, and left the office.
They slipped back into their routine, just like before Zac’s trip to the Maldives with Xena. The only difference was that this time, Liz never brought up marriage.
And since she didn’t, Zac didn’t either. It was like the conversation had never happened.
Aside from the viral photo of Zac feeding Xena soup, nothing new had surfaced online. But the rumors kept spreading.
Anonymous posts, supposedly from Voyager Tech employees, claimed Zac was head over heels for Xena. They said he drove her to and from work every day and spoiled her with luxury bags and expensive gifts.
Even without new photos, those rumors alone were enough to keep the internet buzzing with speculation.
Meanwhile, Liz was buried in a nonstop stream of cases. She barely had time to breathe, let alone follow what people were saying online.
Her coworkers had seen the rumors, but no one dared mention them around her.
By Friday evening, Liz was still at her desk after six, finishing up prep work for an upcoming case. Once she finally wrapped everything up, she stretched her arms and got ready to head out. Just then, her phone started ringing.
It was Zac.
Her hand hovered over the screen for a second. After a short pause, she picked up.
“What is it?” she asked.
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His voice was low and tense, like he was already on edge. “My mom wants us over for dinner. I’m downstairs.”
Liz tightened her grip on the phone but kept her voice even. “Okay. I’m coming.”
Ten minutes later, she climbed into the passenger seat of his car.
Zac’s expression was tight. It was obvious he was in a bad mood.
Liz was too drained from the day to ask what was bothering him. She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, quickly drifting off.
She wasn’t a deep sleeper, so when the car pulled up outside his mother’s apartment building, she woke up right away.
“I’m going to grab some fruit,” she said. “You go up first.”
Zac didn’t answer. She hadn’t expected him to.
She got out and walked toward the small grocery store near the building’s entrance. After picking out a few fruits she knew his mom liked, she paid at the counter and headed back.
Zac was still outside, standing beside the car and leaning against the driver’s side door. A faint glow from his cigarette flickered in the dim light. His face was hard to read in the shadows.
Liz hesitated for a moment, then looked away and walked past him without saying anything.
He heard her footsteps and stubbed out the cigarette. Without a word, he turned and headed toward the building.
They made their way up in silence.
Just before knocking on the door, Zac turned to her. His expression was unreadable.
“My mom saw that photo of me and Xena online. If she brings it up, just tell her it’s not real.”
Liz looked at him, her voice steady. “So the only reason you asked me to come tonight was to help you lie to your mom?”
Zac raised an eyebrow, looking completely unbothered. “What else did you think?”
Then he suddenly leaned in, his tone full of mockery. “Liz, don’t tell me you’re still holding on to some kind of unrealistic hope
about us.”
Her fingers clenched around the plastic grocery bag. The handle dug into her skin, the sharp pressure traveling from her hand straight to her chest, stabbing at her heart.
Before she could say anything, the door behind Zac opened.
“Why are you just standing out here? Come inside. The food’s ready,” his mother called from inside.
Zac turned and walked in without a word. Liz pressed her lips together and followed him through the doorway.
His mother, Susan Green, took the bag of fruit from Liz with a warm smile. “You didn’t have to bring anything. You’re practically family already.”
Liz hesitated for a moment as she changed into house slippers. It was obvious Zac hadn’t told her about the wedding being postponed.
She looked up and smiled politely. “It’s just some fruit, Ms. Green.”
“Well, next time don’t bother. Go wash up, dinner’s ready.”
Liz nodded, but deep down, she wasn’t sure there would be a next time.
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During dinner, Susan kept asking about the wedding-how the preparations were going and if they needed her help with anything.
Zac looked irritated and finally cut her off. “Mom, this is between Liz and me. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Susan had been holding it in ever since that photo of Zac and his secretary started making the rounds online. But now, faced with his cold attitude, she couldn’t stay quiet any longer.
She slammed her utensils on the table and snapped, “Fine. I won’t worry about the wedding. But how about you explain what’s going on with that secretary of yours?
“You’re about to get married, and now you’re all over the internet in some scandal with another woman. What exactly are you trying to do?”
The dining room fell into an uncomfortable silence.
Liz quietly set down her utensils. She had no intention of speaking up or covering for Zac. He had cheated. She didn’t owe him anything, and she wasn’t about to pretend otherwise.
Zac glanced at her. Seeing her completely detached, like none of this had anything to do with her, he let out a cold laugh.
“It’s exactly what you saw. And if you like her that much, I’ll bring her over next time so you can meet her in person.”
Susan’s face flushed with fury. Without a second thought, she stood up and slapped him across the face.
“Zac Lincoln, are you even a man anymore? When you were broke and just starting out, living in that dingy basement, it was Liz who stayed by your side. She gave up everything to support you. And now that you’ve made a little money, you think you’re too good for her?
“That secretary is only interested in you because you’ve got money. Don’t kid yourself. If you were still that broke nobody, she wouldn’t even give you a second glance.”
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