Arranged To Be|18+✔️

'34

I was currently on my way to meet with Darcey Couture. My head was spinning with all the things that Czar had told me earlier. I couldn't believe that Annika had a daughter somewhere out there...and that she killed her own mother. Everything just seemed to be out of sorts and I just needed some time to myself. Some time for me to feel normal.

Of course, Czar wouldn't let me leave the house unless I had two of his guards come with me. It wasn't fun walking around with two huge guys towering over you...so I made sure that they kept a good distance away.

"You look lovely!" Darcey exclaimed once she saw me.

She stood with her arms open wide to give me a hug.

"You look great too," I said as I wrapped my arms around her.

"So, how have you been? I heard that you and Czar tied the knot recently. How was the wedding?" she asked as she took a seat at the small coffee table.

I sat in front of her and smiled. "The wedding was amazing, we just got back from Hawaii actually."

It was easier to lie about the life that Czar and I lived now. It almost came naturally to me.

"That's great to hear." She smiled. "So, may I see the finished sketches?"

I reached into my purse and grabbed my sketchbook before handing it to her. She instantly began to flip through the book and I watched, feeling a bit uneasy. She kept flipping and flipping and then suddenly stopped on one design. It was the design that I used Czar for inspiration.

"This is amazing." She ran her fingers along the page and looked up at me.

"I actually sketched that recently," I said.

"It reminds me of Czar," she stated.

I smiled. "I was hoping so."

She closed the book and folded her hands on top of it. "These are amazing, Zariah. You really do have raw talent. With the show being next week, I was thinking that you should pick four of your top designs and create them for the show."

"That sounds great." I smiled even harder.

She reached into her purse and pulled out a key. "This is the key to my workspace. You may go there at any time to start working on your designs. Just make sure to lock up."

"Thank you so much, Darcey," I said.

"You should be thanking Czar. If he didn't tell me about you... well, we wouldn't be here right now."

She was right. I owed it to Czar. Even if he was an ass sometimes, he still could be a sweetheart.

"I'll make sure to thank him as well," I said.

"Well, I must get going now. You have my number. If you need me for anything, just send a text."

"I will do so." I rose from my seat and shook her hand.

I thanked her once again before we both left. As I made my way back to my car with my two towering bodyguards, I decided to call Czar.

The phone rang about two times before someone answered.

"Hello."

The voice was too feminine to be Czar.

"Hello, who is this?" I asked, confused.

"This is Kira, Czar's secretary. How can I help you?"

My throat suddenly felt dry. Why was Kira answering his phone? His personal phone, not his work one.

"This is his wife, Zariah. Please put Czar on the phone," I said, letting the word "wife" linger.

"He's currently in a meeting."