His Hidden Treasure (Completed)

Thirty-Nine

The silence between us had stretched since the bridge, heavy with unspoken words and emotions. Even upon our arrival at Orillia's house, she had interrupted our conversation to insist on dinner. I had initially refused, but Orillia could sense my troubled state and tried to cheer me up with a luscious dessert of tiramisu. The rich flavors of cocoa and espresso mixed together in perfect harmony, but my mind couldn't shake off the pressing matter at hand.

As I walked into Zephyr's office, he looked up from his laptop with a sigh. He motioned for me to sit, and I sank into the chair heavily. My heart was racing as I desperately sought answers.

"You said you knew who put the bounty. Who is it?" Zephyr's piercing gaze bore into mine with an intense determination.

"It's Gonazilez," he finally confessed. My body went stiff as if a sudden chill had swept through the room.

"What?" My voice was barely audible as his words echoed in my head.

"I'm sorry Nila," was all he could say in response.

"But it can't be. How does he even know I'm alive?"

Zephyr ran his fingers through his carefully styled hair, a clear sign of distress. "About that... I wasn't completely truthful with you," he admitted, his intense gaze meeting mine. A knot of dread formed in my stomach as I awaited his next words.

"What do you mean?" I pushed him, my voice wavering with fear.

"When my father came to you about the proposal, there was a hidden motive behind it," he began carefully. "My father and I have been plotting to take over the corporation in Mexico for years now, but Diego and his family have deep roots and powerful connections. When Diego killed your family and you sought revenge by taking out his brother, it weakened his position. It gave us an opportunity to become a threat to Diego and take over some of his businesses."

I felt my blood run cold as Zephyr's words sunk in. Betrayal gnawed at the edges of my consciousness.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, my voice trembling with anger.

He didn't answer right away, his guilt-ridden gaze looking at anything but me. I waited for him to meet my eyes again as a wave of betrayal washed over me.

"Zeph," my voice was icy now, "what did you do?"

"My father wanted me to marry you so that we could use you as leverage against Diego. But once I took control of things, I put that plan on hold. My father still tried to go behind my back and inform Diego that you were alive, but I added a pregnancy clause to our contract to stall him."

"You used me? You lied to me?" My voice grew louder with each question, sharp with hurt and disbelief.

"Not everything was a lie, Nila," Zephyr murmured, his voice cracking under the weight of his confession. "I never wanted any of this to happen."

"Then why did it?" I snapped back, my anger blazing.

He let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his rumpled hair again. "Because I've been trying to protect you while also running a business. It's not black and white, Nila. And my father never actually followed through with his plan either."

"Then how does Diego know I'm alive?"

"You can only hide for so long, amore," Zephyr said softly. "You can change your name, move to a different country, but you can't change your face."

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. My mind was a chaotic whirlwind, ricocheting between anger and disbelief, betrayal and pain.