Chapter 54: A call to Nathaniel
After breakfast, the trio set out. Riya slid behind the wheel while Zane was safely buckled into the back seat. Zara leaned over to adjust his seatbelt, brushing his hair gently with a soft smile.
"I’ll take you out when I come back from work," she whispered, planting a kiss on his forehead before climbing into the passenger seat.
"Shall we go now?" Riya asked, her hands already gripping the steering wheel.
"Yes, let’s go," Zara replied with a calm smile.
Riya shot her a sideways glance, frowning slightly. Just a little while ago, Zara had been visibly tense, flustered—even defensive. But now, she looked composed, cheerful. That shift didn’t sit right with Riya.
’What happened in those few minutes? What changed?’ The ease in Zara’s demeanor made her suspicious.
As the car started moving, Zane piped up from the back. "Mommy, summer break is coming. Where are we going this time? You said last year that Daddy might take us to the hill station. Are you still going to ask him?"
Zara turned to respond, but before she could speak, Riya let out a short, sarcastic laugh.
"Oh, Zane." She glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "Have you ever seen your daddy take a vacation? He is always buried in work. He didn’t even call your mommy once since he left. Come on, Zara," she added with a smug smirk, "tell us honestly—has Nathaniel called you?"
"Why are you so obsessed with my marriage, Riya?" Zara shot back. "Whether he calls me or not, it’s none of your business. He is on an important business trip. And if you are so concerned, I’ll call him right now. You can hear for yourself how busy he is."
Zara dialed Nathaniel’s number with quiet confidence, fully expecting him to answer with his usual distant tone, mention he was tied up in a meeting, and promise to call her back later. That was the standard response she had always received whenever he was away for work. Still, it would be more than enough to shut Riya up.