Becker scanned the three of them, her expression unreadable making it hard for them to tell what she was thinking.
They were indeed hiding something from her but she did not want to pursue it any further.
“Okay, it better be so.”
With that said the three of them left the apartment.
Immediately they got to the parking lot, Viktor finally spoke out, his voice low but threatening.
“What are you both trying to do, huh?”
Zora glared at him.
“I should be the one asking you that.”
Viktor smiled devilishly.
“Do not dare to act smart around me.
The damn marriage will take place with or without your approval.”
Zora’s breath seized for some seconds.
How did she forget about the marriage?
When Viktor saw her pupil dilated, he continued.
“Remember that you have no final say in this.
Your aunt does.”
Shona twisted the hem of her top as she said in a low voice, almost like a whisper,
“Viktor, what are you trying to get out of all this?”
Viktor laughed dangerously.
“Get?
Maybe you will find out soon.”
With that said, he got into the car.
It took Zora and Shona more than thirty seconds to join him in the car.
All through the ride, no one spoke.
When the car stopped in front of a mall, Zora’s breathing quickened.
She turned and looked at Viktor.
“Why are we going to the mall?”
Viktor smiled sinisterly.
“You will find out when we get in.”
He got out of the car and walked into the mall, so did Shona and Zora.
When they got inside the mall, they took the elevator to the fifth floor, where wedding dresses are sold.
Zora shook her head from right to left vigorously.
“Viktor do you have no shame?”
Viktor arched an eyebrow.
“Shame for what?”
Zora took a step backwards.
“What?
You do not want to get married?”
“Come on babe, our wedding is in a month.
Remember, Aunt has already given us her blessings.”
He then laughed.
“Or do you want to tell Aunt that you no longer want to get married?”
Zora clenched her fist into a tight ball.
Her eyes were red.
She bit hard on her lip.
“Viktor you’re shameless.
Do you even feel apologetic for what you did?”
Viktor sat on the couch.
“I am a man Zora, it’s in our nature to cheat, especially when my so called fiancée refuses to satisfy my needs.”
Viktor continued,
“I do not need to remind you what the doctor said.
And besides, you owe me a lot, do you not?”
Zora closed her eyes.
She could not believe that Viktor was asking her to pay him back.
Shona, who had been silent all the while, blaming herself for being so foolish gathered some courage and said to Viktor,
“You keep reminding her about owing you.
If she pays all that she owes, will you let her be?”
Viktor laughed.
“Shona, I expected you to be smarter than this, but it turns out that you are dumb.”
“If she is able to pay me, would she be able to tell her aunt that she is no longer interested in the marriage?”
Zora then understood what Shona was playing on.
She immediately said.
“I will find a way to tell her, but you have to promise that if I pay you everything, you will end this game you are playing.”
Viktor laughed again, but this time it did not reach his eyes.
“Do you really not love me anymore?
And you don’t want to marry me?”
“Fine.
But it will be like this.”
“If you do not pay everything in two weeks, you will have no choice but to marry me.”
Zora did not think twice before saying, “Okay, deal!”
She then turned around and left the wedding store in the mall.
Shona’s jaw dropped because of Zora’s fast response.
Viktor, on the other hand, smiled and relaxed comfortably on the couch.
He had expected her response.
Shona walked fast so she could catch up with Zora.
When she finally did, she grabbed Zora’s hand.
Zora stopped and turned to look at Shona.
Shona shook her head at her.
“Why did you agree without thinking?”
Zora’s vision went blurry.
Her lips trembled slightly as she spoke in a voice that was almost like a whisper,
“Shona… what… should I do now?”
Shona gave her a hug.
She had been deliberating whether to hug her or not, but then she decided to go ahead.
If Zora was still mad at her, she might push her away; if not, she would accept it.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Zora did not push her away.
She sighed and then said,
“You entered his trap.”
Zora replied, “I know.”
Shona: “It will take you ten years of your life as a part-timer to pay him back.”
Zora: “I know.”
Shona: “He gave you two weeks to pay him back.”
Zora finally broke into tears.
Her face turned bright red.
Her lips pouted as she said,
“Ahh, Shonaaaa, why are you reminding me of… of my predicament?”
If she could time travel, she would go back to the very day Viktor asked her to marry him and her answer would be, “No!” But there was no such thing as time traveling.
Later that evening, Zora rushed down to work.
Things went as usual.
Everyone who saw Zora wanted her to serve them.
She got a lot of tips.
Although they might not be enough, she knew she could get over three thousand dollars from all the tips she received.
Luckily the bar had no rules against tips.
Her shift had ended long ago, but she was waiting to see if Maximilian would come around so she could ask him for a partial payment.
But she did not see any sign of him.
She went to the dressing room, where she saw Miller, her colleague.
Miller was once considered the most beautiful in the bar, but ever since Zora came, everyone had shifted attention from her.
No one bothered about her anymore.
Zora also knew that Miller hated her.
Immediately Miller saw Zora, she said out loud so that the other girls could hear,
“I wonder why some people use fake products to buy favor.”
Zora just glanced at her but did not say a word and continued changing.
But Miller continued,
“I mean, this is a bar for crying out loud, not a street for prostitutes.”
Zora still kept quiet.
Then Miller said again,
“You should just quit.
The boss is above your league.”
Zora closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said,
“Indeed, this is not a street for prostitutes, but some people keep opening the first three buttons of their top, showing their flat walls.”
With that said, she walked out of the room.
Some of the girls in the changing room could not help but laugh.
Some even said, “I agree.” Others were hoping for a fight.
Miller, on the other hand, looked at all the girls in the room, her face dark.
She clenched her fist, standing there wishing she could punch someone.
Outside, Zora walked out of the building through the staff exit door.
Her eyes were watery and red.
She used the back of her hand to wipe her eyes.
It was late, so it was hard to take a cab, she decided to walk home.
Their house was just three streets away.
She walked sluggishly, her shoulders down as if heavy loads were on them.
As she was about to cross to the other side of the street, she heard a loud noise.
For a second, her mind went blank.
She could hear her own heartbeat.
She was not sure what to do next, but she knew the sound was not a mistake.
It was certainly a gunshot.
A few seconds later, she heard footsteps.
She wanted to run, but her legs refused to move.
Before she could realize what was happening, someone dragged her into a dark corner.
A tough but smooth palm covered her mouth.
The smell of cedarwood filled her nose.
It smelled familiar, but she could not remember where she had perceived the scent.
The running footsteps faded away.
The man finally removed his palm from her mouth.
Zora, who was about to breathe in relief, choked slightly.
Her neck was suddenly grabbed by the man.
She heard him ask,
“Who sent you?”
His voice was almost like a whisper, but Zora broke into a cold sweat.
She shook her head from left to right vigorously.
“No… no one.”
The man asked again, “So you did it for money?”
Zora’s face was pure red.
Her eyes were puffy.
Her face sweaty as she said,
“I do not… know what… what… you are talking about…”
Before she could complete her sentence, a black Mercedes drove in at speed and stopped in front of them.
A man in black rushed out of the passenger seat.
He opened the back door of the car.
The man who was strangling Zora finally released his hand from her neck, but the next second Zora was thrown into the back seat.
The man also joined her.
Zora kept trying to open the door as she said repeatedly,
“I really do not know anything.”
“I really do not know anything.”
But the door refused to open.
Tears rushed out of her eyes uncontrollably.
Then she heard a familiar voice say,
“Stop wasting your time.”
Zora, who was struggling with the door, turned slowly to her side.
Her eyes widened.
Her lips trembled.
The man with a dangerously handsome face smirked at her when he saw her expression.
It was the man she had a one-night stand with, Alistair Morgan.