Chapter 58: The hatred and anger
"I even called her in the afternoon," Riya went on, her tone laced with faux concern. "Just to see if she planned to go to the hospital. I was willing to go with her, but she completely ignored my call. After that, I didn’t bother trying again. She never called back... and she didn’t even check in on Zane."
She paused for effect, then added pointedly, "Zane was so heartbroken last night. Grandma had a hard time getting him to sleep."
A sharp ache settled in Nathaniel’s chest. The image of Zane waiting by the door, hopeful and wide-eyed, only to be let down—it gutted him. His worry for Zara still lingered, but now it was tangled with concern for his son.
"I’ll go see him," he said quietly and made his way toward Zane’s room.
Riya stood frozen in place, fists clenched at her sides, frustration boiling over. The reaction she had been hoping for never came. She had expected Nathaniel to get angry, to lash out at Zara, but he hadn’t. Instead, he walked off in silence to check on Zane. It felt like all her scheming had been for nothing.
Before she could stew any longer, Gracie’s voice snapped her back to attention. "Riya, tell me honestly—what do you think Zara’s hiding?"
Caught off guard for a split second, Riya blinked, then composed herself quickly. Then her eyes flashed with cunningness.
"I’m not sure..." she said slowly, every word measured and deliberate. "Maybe she is pregnant. Maybe she is just waiting for the right moment to tell Nathaniel. I don’t know for certain, but she did seem unusually secretive. She avoided me at every turn."
She chose her words with precision, subtly feeding Gracie’s suspicions while maintaining an air of innocence, as if she were simply offering a possibility, not trying to influence anyone at all.
However, Gracie’s expression hardened. She had long suspected the truth, which was exactly why she had sent Riya with Zara to confirm her doubts. But Zara had outmaneuvered Riya, cleverly dodging the hospital visit.
If Zara was going to such lengths to conceal her pregnancy, Gracie was determined to uncover it and demand answers.