Reclaimed By My Ex-husband

Inside the restroom…

Riya collapsed to the cold floor, gripping the rim of the toilet as waves of nausea overtook her. Her body trembled, convulsing as she emptied the contents of her stomach.

The bitter taste, the suffocating humiliation—it all became too much. She had done what he ordered, afraid of the consequences if she refused. But she couldn't hold it in.

"I can't take this anymore," she whispered through her sobs, her shoulders shaking. "He is breaking me, piece by piece."

Yet despite everything, she felt trapped. Zachary held too many of her secrets. And worse, she still needed his help to deal with Zara.

"Once Zara is out of the picture, I'll find a way to get rid of him too," she muttered, wiping her tears. "But for now, I have no choice but to endure him."

When she finally emerged from the restroom, still pale and shaken, she found Zachary waiting. He was leaning casually against the wall, a cigar between his fingers, watching her with unreadable eyes.

She stopped short, startled. "Why are you out here?"

"You were gone too long," he said as he exhaled a cloud of smoke toward her face. "I came to check if you were okay."

She turned her head slightly, flinching. "I'm fine," she replied with a strained smile, brushing her hair over her shoulder. "Let's eat."

But Zachary didn't move. He just stared at her, trying to read her thoughts. His piercing gaze was suffocating. Riya turned her head slightly, growing uneasy.

"Not feeling well?" Zachary asked, his tone almost indifferent. "You look pale."

Riya instinctively touched her cheek, chills prickling at the back of her neck. She had applied her makeup before stepping out. How could she still look pale?

"It's nothing," she murmured, forcing a soft laugh. "Probably just hunger." She slipped her arm around his and leaned in close, fluttering her eyelashes coquettishly. "Let's head back and order something, hmm?"

Zachary gave a small nod, letting her guide them through the corridor. But just as they approached the door to the private room, he slowed, his eyes flicking toward a room on the left. Then, he stopped.

"Go on in," he said, pulling his arm free from hers. "Something comes up in my mind. I need to make a quick call."

Riya nodded and walked ahead.

Zachary waited until she disappeared into the room and the door shut behind her. Pulling out his phone, he dialed a number. He continued speaking on the phone, but his gaze remained locked on the room across on his left.

After a while, the door swung open, and Nathaniel stepped out with Zara. Both of them halted upon spotting Zachary nearby.

Zachary turned too, his eyes meeting Nathaniel's. This was what he had been waiting for. He was aware that Nathaniel had made a reservation at this restaurant. Inviting Riya to the same place wasn't just a coincidence. It was a calculated move.

He already knew Nathaniel had learned about Riya leaving with him the previous night. He was eager to see how Nathaniel would react upon seeing Riya with him.

He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his coat pocket, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Nathaniel," Zachary drawled, taking a leisurely step forward. "Didn't expect to run into you here. Out for lunch too?"

Nathaniel's jaw tensed the moment he saw him. The image of Riya leaving the hotel with Zachary the night before flashed through his mind, reigniting the fire in his chest.

He had wanted to confront Riya about it earlier, but the chaos at the office had derailed his focus. Now, standing face-to-face with Zachary, all those questions and suspicions came roaring back.

Every instinct in him wanted to grab Zachary by the collar and demand answers—warn him to stay the hell away from Riya.

"I heard about that awful kidnapping incident," Zachary said, cutting through Nathaniel's spiraling thoughts. "Tragic, really… Your own father resorting to that just to force the Grant family into rescuing his collapsing business. He could have just sold the company to Nathaniel. But…"

He gave a nonchalant shrug, his eyes shifting to Zara. After a brief silence, he added with feigned sympathy, "And I was sorry to hear about the miscarriage. How are you holding up?"

Nathaniel stepped in front of her protectively, shielding her from Zachary's piercing gaze. "She is doing fine," he said curtly before Zara could utter a word.

Zachary cocked his head to the side, his gaze moving to Zara. "Let her speak for herself."

"I'm her husband," Nathaniel snapped. "I'll decide who she should talk to and who she shouldn't."

Zara gently placed her hand on his arm, urging him to let it go. She was afraid this unexpected meeting would lead to a conflict, which was unnecessary. But Nathaniel misread it—he thought she was uncomfortable, fearful even. He laid his hand over hers in reassurance, silently telling her he'd handle it.

"Nathaniel, you are being unreasonable," Zachary said, maintaining his calm. "I'm your uncle. Can't I even speak to your wife? I was only showing concern."

"You don't need to worry about her," Nathaniel snapped with irritation. "She has me, and the entire Grant family is behind her. We don't need you. Come on, Zara. We are leaving."

Nathaniel wrapped a protective arm around Zara and steered her toward the exit.

Zachary stayed where he was, silently watching them retreat. He took a slow drag from his cigar, the smoke curling around his face. "Fascinating," he muttered under his breath.

A gleam of amusement flickered in his eyes. The Nathaniel he knew had always treated his second wife coldly, never showing any care for her. But now, he was suddenly acting like a protective husband.

When Zachary first heard that Nathaniel had personally gone to rescue Zara from the kidnappers, he found it hard to believe. It didn't match the Nathaniel he knew. But after watching him closely over the past few days, Zachary had started to notice a clear shift in Nathaniel's behavior toward her.

Still, uncertainty lingered. That was another reason he had come to the restaurant, to see for himself just how much Zara now meant to the man who had once treated her as if she didn't matter.

After all these years of neglect, Nathaniel was finally seeing Zara in a new light. No wonder Riya had become so hostile toward Zara.

"So, you have fallen for her," Zachary murmured thoughtfully. "That makes her your weakness… and your most valuable possession."

"Zachary, what's taking you so long?" Riya's voice echoed through the hallway.

Nathaniel froze mid-step at the familiar voice, his brows knitting together in confusion.