Page 46 of Bound in Paradise
“I’m a very wealthy man, Emylyah. And you’ve been my wife for eighteen years.”
“But…”
He shook his head. “No buts. Even though you were unaware, there’s a postnuptial agreement in place. I made sure of it after I found out about you, myself. And if things turn out badly between you and your hus… ah, Niko, because of all this, I want the peace of mind of knowing you’re taken care of. After all, he never would have found out if I hadn’t asked Gabi to get in touch with you on my behalf, so some of the fault is mine.”
“I…” Emylyah stopped and ran light fingers over her abdomen again. When she looked back at him there was the ghost of a smile on her face and Zack breathed a sigh of relief, knowing she would accept.
“Thank you.”
26
She’d been sidelined yet again. Stood up. Pushed aside. Passed over in favor of someone else.
Story of her life. Every time she considered something other than putting her career first, this was what happened.
This is what had happened to her mother. Memories of Concetta bombarded her mind. Waiting. Disappointed. Giddy that her father had finally made time for her. Dani refused to be like her mother. No way was she debasing herself that way.
Dani checked her phone… six minutes past the time Zack was supposed to meet her and there was still no sign of him.
Again.
No message either.
Well, she wasn’t going to wait around a second time for him to make a fool out of her.
Climbing to her feet, Dani headed towards the door and told the hostess the table wouldn’t be needed, then set off at a fast pace towards her cabana.
That’s when she saw them.
Zack, and a woman Dani didn’t recognize, one she assumed must be the mysterious Emylyah.
This was Zack’s wife?
She was beautiful… and everything Dani wasn’t.
She was also clinging to Zack in an obviously intimate embrace.
The two of them were wrapped around each other.
Dani didn’t wait to see any more. She didn’t want to watch her dreams go up in smoke and turn to ashes right in front of her eyes. Better to cut and run than to watch them burn.
Tears stung Dani’s eyes as she hurried back to her cabana, her heart pounding. How could she have been so stupid? Of course Zack would choose his wife over her. Wasn’t that what men always did? Wasn’t that what her father had done; treating her like she was invisible except on the rare occasions he could bother to make time for her? Or rather her mother. And just like Concetta, Dani was, and always had been, the other woman.
Once inside, she slammed the door and leaned against it, letting out a shaky breath. She should have known better than to give Zack a second chance, no matter how convincing his story was. No matter that he professed to love her.
She wiped angrily at her eyes. No more crying over him, she was better off by herself. Hadn’t she always known that? When did she lose sight of the harsh realities of life?
She’d just poured herself a large glass of wine when there was a sharp knock at the door. She froze, knowing it would be Zack. How did he get here so fast?
"Dani? Are you in there?" Zack's voice called out, a hint of frustration in his tone. Somehow that just fueled her anger. What right did he have to sound annoyed?
Dani's jaw clenched, and as much as she wanted to play possum, it was time to tell Zack he should leave Elysium. She marched to the door and yanked it open.
"What do you want, Zack?" she snapped, her voice cold and brittle.
Zack's brow furrowed in confusion. "What's going on? I was looking for you at the restaurant."
"Oh, were you? You must have missed me while you were wrapped around another woman," Dani retorted, her words dripping with sarcasm.
