Reclaimed By My Ex-husband

Tension only grew with each passing moment.

Gracie's voice sliced sharply across the room again. "Everything happened because of your carelessness. First, you hid the pregnancy. Then you insisted on going to work with that injured leg. I don't understand why you push yourself so much when you clearly need rest."

"That's enough," Nathaniel cut her off. "Dinner is over for us. We are leaving. Zane, come here." He reached out for his son, his patience gone.

Vincent stopped Zane from going to his father. "Nathaniel, calm down," he said, trying to de-escalate the situation.

Nathaniel whipped his head toward him, scowling. "You are asking me to calm down? After everything Mom just said to Zara? And you stayed silent. You want me to just stand here and let her humiliate Zara. Do you even understand how much that hurts her?"

"Mom didn't mean to blame her," Riya chimed in. "She is saying all this because she is grieving. Actually, she is devastated when she learned about Zara's miscarriage. If only Zara had told us she was pregnant earlier—"

"Don't," Nathaniel snapped, silencing her mid-sentence. "You were the one who dragged it all out in the first place."

At that moment, Paulina emerged from her room, her face creased with concern. "What is going on? Why is everyone shouting?"

She had only heard fragments through her closed door but could sense the intensity of the argument.

Vincent raised his hand, trying to defuse the moment. "Nathaniel, stay quiet. Don't stretch this further. Sit down. Let's talk."

But Nathaniel wouldn't listen. It was difficult to hold his rage. Not wanting to lash out in front of his grandmother, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, fists clenched at his sides.

Paulina slowly walked over, her features softening as her gaze landed on Zara. She reached out and gently clasped her hand. "Zara, how are you, dear?"

Zara blinked away the tears threatening to spill and gave her a faint smile. "I'm fine, Grandma."

Paulina's gaze drifted toward the hallway. "Where did Nathaniel go? I heard his voice earlier… he sounded upset. Why did he leave?"

She didn't know what had happened here, but she could sense the tension in the air.

Zara gave a light shake of her head. "It's nothing, Grandma. Don't worry. He just stepped out for a while. He'll be back soon."

Paulina nodded slowly, believing Zara wouldn't lie. "Then why are you standing there like a stranger?" She motioned toward the sofa. "Come and sit with me."

They both settled down.

"I heard you've become the sole owner of the Moore family business. Is it true?" Paulina asked, trying to chase away the tension that thickened the air.

Zara nodded. "Yes, thanks to Nathaniel."

Gracie spoke with her sharp tone. "That business was already failing. If Nathaniel hadn't stepped in with his investments, it would have crumbled a long time ago. It's only right that it should belong to him. You should be grateful he handed it over to you."

"I am grateful," Zara replied calmly. "Even though the company is under my name, Nathaniel will be the one handling everything. I've entrusted it to him entirely in today's board meeting. He is capable and experienced. As for me, I just want to focus on my design career."

Gracie scoffed sarcastically. "Your career? That so-called career made you neglect our grandchild's safety."

"Gracie," Vincent interjected firmly, shooting her a disapproving look.

Gracie turned her face away, fuming.

"Gracie, I understand your pain," Paulina cut in gently, understanding how much Gracie was hurt. "We are all heartbroken about what happened. But blaming Zara won't change anything. That incident wasn't her fault. It was Isaac—he was the one behind it all. And thankfully, justice was served."

Gracie didn't speak. But her features remained tense. Despite knowing everything, she couldn't help but blame Zara for the death of her grandchild.

"Yes, Mom," Riya said, clasping Gracie's hand as if to soothe her. "It was not Zara's fault. Don't blame her. The good thing is that Zara is also doing well in her career. You know Nicole, Nathaniel's friend? She offered Zara a chance to work with her. It's such a big opportunity. Isn't it amazing? Nathaniel is helping her career."

Though her words were supportive on the surface, her tone was laced with condescension. She emphasized Nathaniel's role in Zara's progress, subtly suggesting Zara's achievements were only possible because of him. Without his influence, she was nothing.

But the response she received wasn't what she had anticipated.

"That's wonderful." Paulina's face lit up with warmth. A hopeful smile touched her lips. She was clearly pleased to know that Nathaniel and Zara were growing closer.

In her heart, she began to believe that perhaps the traumatic kidnapping incident and Zara's miscarriage had drawn them together, that maybe love could bloom in the aftermath.

Despite her earlier bitterness, Gracie, too, seemed quietly hopeful. Though she said nothing, her expression softened slightly as she believed Nathaniel might have finally abandoned the idea of divorcing Zara. It was beneficial for both him and Zane.

On the other end, Vincent sat in silent contemplation. He had witnessed something tonight that rattled his long-held assumptions.

His son, who had always been emotionally distant from Zara, had reacted protectively. Nathaniel had not hesitated to argue with his mother, even scolded Riya, all in defense of Zara. It was something Vincent hadn't seen in Nathaniel in the past five years.

He exhaled slowly, his astonishment giving way to a quiet satisfaction. Nathaniel's attitude had changed. It was as if he had let go of the past and embraced the present. A smile flickered across his lips as he looked at Zara.

"It's good to see you pursuing your dreams," Vincent said. "You gave five years of your life to raise Zane, always putting him first." He patted Zane's head as he spoke. "Now it's your time to focus on your career. And I'm glad Nathaniel is supporting you."

The tension in the room eased. But Riya's expression faltered, the confident smirk slipping from her lips. She had expected everyone to criticize Zara, to put her in her place and make it clear she was nothing without this family or Nathaniel's support. But Vincent's supportive words had caught her completely off guard.

A knot of frustration twisted in her stomach. Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her dress.

"I'll always be by her side." Nathaniel's voice cut through the room.

Everyone turned.

He entered with composed steps. Though the earlier confrontation still lingered in the air around him, he had regained his composure.

"But I have nothing to do with Zara's achievement," he added, his expression unreadable.

Riya stiffened, her throat dry.

Zara stiffened in her place as she looked up at him, confusion flashing across her face. 'What did he mean?'

But before she could dwell on it, he continued, "She received that special award because of her own talent." His gaze dropped to Zara.

"The judges created that category because they were too impressed with her words. And Nicole recognized what she saw. That's why she offered Zara the role of head designer for her new branch. It was her call. I didn't pull any strings."

The room was silent for a beat. Zara could barely breathe. Emotion tightened in her throat. His validation was more than any award.

"She earned it on her own."