Chapter 100
Zayne hadn’t arrived yet, and Rachel had already dropped the filter, her mouth running wild “Enrica, if Mr. Fulcher weren’t gay, even I’d be tempted. That man pores sex appeal. Every time I see him, I just warma rip off that suit and check out his abs. Be real with me do you not feel anything?”
“Not even a little.“ Encica replied with a chuckle. “It he weren’t gay, someone like me wouldn’t have even gotten the chance. ”
Rachel rolled her eves but had to admit, she had a point. And as much as she adored Enrica had always believed her friend was the most beautiful woman on Earth -there was no denying it. Zayne was elite. That face alone could stop traffic.
She let out a dramatic sigh “What a waste. Why does he have to be gay?”
Off to the side, Zack, who’d been quiet and glued to his phone the whole time, suddenly looked up at the word “gay“. He raised a brow and said casually, ” Sometimes, love can flip a switch. Even gay guys get tumed straight when they meet the one.”
yes lit up. “Oh, Ennica, you hear that? You just gotta give it a shot–drag him off the pedestal and make him yours!”
Enrica wasn’t even remotely interested in that idea. She raised an eyebrow at Zack. “What’s up with you? You’ve been totally out of it all night.”
Zacklet out a deep sigh and shook his phone. “Ms. Garcia has been acting cold lately. It feels like we hit a wall, and I’m trying to figure out how to fix it.”
Rachel’s eyes widened. “Wait, I thought you already locked her down. Don’t tell me she’s stringing you along as a backup?
Zack shook his head. “Who knows?”
He paused, tossed his phone aside, and waved it off. “Whatever. We’re out to celebrate tonight. No drama talk I’ll figure it out later. Worst case, I move on
Rachel and Enrice exchanged a look but didn’t say anything.
They both low what this was. A marriage of convenience was still a lie and even if Lorelei didn’t know the truth now, she’d find our eventually. Zack understood that. But his hands were tied. His situation didn’t give him the luxury of full honesty.
Neither of them agreed with what he was doing, but they were his friends. And when you couldn’t change someone’s path, sometimes silence was the only loyalty
Rachel scooted closer, besitated for a second, then asked, “Zack, can I ask you something kinda serious?”
Zack looked up, half–smiling. “Rachel, come on We’ve been friends forever. If you get all polite with me, I’m gonna panic.”
But this time, she didn’t crack a joke. Her tone was dead serious. “If you end up marrying a woman who’s straight–like, doesn’t know your situation—would you tell her the truth before the wedding?”
Zack didn’t even flinch. “No.”
Rachel went silent
Zack looked at her and, for once, dropped the sarcasm. “I get what you’re trying to say. But you also have to understand something–any girl from a family that matches ours would never agree to marry someone like me if she knew.”
Enrica felt a wave of emotion, but she understood. He wasn’t wrong. In these kinds of arranged mariages, compatibility meant image, status, and control. No one knowingly sent their daughter into a burning building.
She smiled gently, brushing past the tension “Alright, enough of that. It’s your life, Zack. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for the choices you make.”
Rachel still looked upset, but she also knew this was the reality they were all stuck with She’d always known how things were for Zack, but this was the first time they’d laid it all out so bluntly. It was hard not to feel something
Still, they all did their best to smooth it over. A few light comments, a couple of fake laughs, and slowly, the mood began to ease back
Right then, Zayne walked in.
He was dressed in a black suit. Enrica didn’t know why it looked that good on him. It gave off this air of elegance, control, and precision–like everything about him had been carefully measured. He didn’t just enter the room–be grounded it like everything settled the moment he appeated
A rare smile curved on his normally serious face when he stepped in “Sony, I’m late.”
Zack and Rachel jumped to their feet. Their voices overlapped, “No wondes, we just got here!” Their tone was all politeness,
