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CHAPTER 42
-Snow’s POV-
The office door slammed behind me, my chest heaving as I tried to reign in Glacier’s fury.
I wanted to break something, anything, just to release this pent–up frustration coursing through me. She had slapped me.
‘She slapped me,‘ I repeated in my head.
But as much as the anger roared within me, something deeper gnawed at my insides. Why had it come to this? Why had she chosen to run to Andrew Blake instead of coming to me with her concerns about Marcus? And why the hell was she still engaging with Ivan?
I paced inside my office, my fists clenching and unclenching as Glacier growled, waiting to break out.
He hadn’t been free in a while now. The frustration became worse by the day.
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And now, Zara wasn’t just challenging my authority as her boss; she was testing the very boundaries of our relationship. She was questioning me–us.
‘You’re mine, Zara.‘ The thought ran through my head. like a mantra, but the truth was… she didn’t fully
believe it.
I saw the way she looked at me today, full of defiance and fire. She didn’t trust me, and that was the core of
the issue.
I stopped pacing, my hand reaching for my phone. I pulled up our marriage contract, skimming through .the clauses I had memorized. There it was–Clause 9,
subsection B.
“In instances where the wife exhibits behaviour
deemed undermining to the husband, the latter
reserves the right to enforce disciplinary measures for the betterment of the relationship.”
Perfect.
A plan began to form in my mind, one that would remind Zara exactly who held the reins in this marriage.
I wasn’t about to let her incubordination alida
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especially after today. No, she needed to understand. that there were consequences for her actions, both
here and at home.
I shot off a quick message to her: Zara, report to my
office. Now.
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-Zara’s POV-
I barely had time to come to a conclusion on how to apologize when a message popped up on my phone.
Snow wanted me in his office. Now. I stared at the screen, feeling my stomach twist in knots. What now?
Sighing, I walked out of the office and headed for his. Several thoughts ran through my mind as I walked. I wasn’t ready for another confrontation with him, but I
had no choice.
When I entered the office, Snow was leaning against his desk, arms crossed, his face unreadable. His eyes tracked my every move as I closed the door behind me.
“You wanted to see me, Mr. Zephyr?” I asked, keeping my voice steady.
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Snow didn’t answer right away. Instead, he gestured for me to sit down. Once I complied, he straightened and kept his voice cold and authoritative. “Clause 9, subsection B,” he began, his eyes never leaving mine.
“You’re familiar with it, I assume?”
My stomach dropped. Of course. The contract. I nodded stiffly, refusing to let him see the unease building inside me.
He continued, his tone like ice. “You crossed the line today, Zara. What you did was completely
unacceptable. So now, you’ll face the consequences.”
.I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. “What are the consequences you are talking about?” I tried to maintain my composure.
Snow’s lips curled into a slow, calculated smile.
“Starting today, you’ll be working in my personal office. No more of your own space. And at home? We’ll be sharing a bed for the next month.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Sharing a
bed?
My already calm heart beat, raced, and I opened my mouth to protest, but Snow cut me off.
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“You can’t refuse.”
I pouted. “Okay, but what about your new flame, Storm’s mother? Aren’t you bothered with making her feel alone and unwanted? I mean you went to all the trouble to bring her in, right?”
He tapped gently on the desk. “And before you concern yourself with her,” Snow started, smirking at my confusion. “I don’t care if I leave hickeys all over your skin in places clothes can’t hide and make you work at the reception till they disappear or make sure everyone hears you scream when I perform my husbandly duties with you at home, Zara.”
He leaned in, his voice low and taunting. “No one else will matter. Not her. Not anyone. Just you and I.”
My face burned, half from anger and half from the undeniable pull I felt toward him despite everything.
And my traitor wolf wanted him to prove it all.
“Now, you’re dismissed,” Snow said coolly, waving me off like a nuisance.
I got up, turned on my heel and stormed out of his
office
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-Zara’s POV (Later That Night)
I had barely managed to relax after a long bath when a knock came at my door.
“What’s it now?” I muttered.
Wrapping myself in a towel, I opened the door, thinking it was one of the maids wanting to ask me about dinner, my heart nearly stopped when I saw Snow standing there, dressed in nothing but black shorts and a silk robe that hung loosely around his frame, exposing his sculpted chest and abs.
Gulp!
I blinked, trying to tear my gaze away from his body and focus on his annoyingly handsome face. “What are you doing here?”
Snow smirked, holding up his phone, a section of our contract displayed on the screen. “Time for your punishment, wifey.”
I blinked, my heart stumbling over itself. Punishment? My mind scrambled to make sense of the situation as I stood there in nothing but a towel, staring at the
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glowing screen of Snow’s phone.
Was he really going to do it?
I mean, I wasn’t a virgin but… I… after everything, I was too angry to think of the possibility.
I swallowed, feeling the weight of his presence pushing down on me. He was using his alpha aura, threatening my wolf or more like showing Astrid what she wanted.
“What are you talking about?”
Snow leaned casually against the doorframe, his smirk growing wider. His eyes raked over me, and the tension between us thickened. “I warned you, Zara. You crossed a line today. Now, it’s time to pay the price.”