Page 33 of The Marriage Narrative
Her mother-in-law probably wasn’t planning to murder her since she gave them a time frame. Unless they were paid accomplices. The Zaffre family clearly had enough money to get away with it.
And to think Zinnia had only bought the vigilante revenge life insurance plan for laughs.
Their destination was a hilltop stone courtyard—a classic wrought-iron table for two had been set up with a small breakfast buffet. It overlooked vast rolling green hills, filled with vibrantly colored wildflowers that stretched clear to the horizon. The sky still had a touch of misty fog that wouldn’t last long. She never cared about landscapes until views like that changed her mind.
Amber made herself a mimosa, downing it quickly before making another. “My son claims he’s in love with you.” She held the flute stem loosely in her hand. “That he’s never met anyone like you. A one-in-a-million love-at-first-sight story.”
“You know I was there when he told you that, right? Standing right next to him and everything.” She grabbed a croissant and sniffed it. Ifgoldenhad a smell, it’d be fluffy, buttery croissants. She’d mostly been checking for poison. Death by croissant—she died eating what she loved. What a way to go.
Amber’s lip curled in disgust. “I know my son. He’s lying.”
“All right.”
“Hedoesn’tlove you.”
“I understood what you meant the first time. No need to repeat yourself.”
“He didn’t even tell us you existed. If you mattered to him, even a little bit, he would’ve told us. But he didn’t because you don’t.”
Ouch. That onehurt.
“Is that so? Hmm.” Zinnia raised her ringed left hand, pretending to examine her nails from different angles, and then launched her best, most self-satisfied smile.
Unfortunately, spotting that telltale seething flush creeping up Amber’s neck almost made her break character.
“My son married you toembarrassme. You, someone completely beneath him, instead of someone we approved of as a family.”
“Or, maybe, perhaps even, Jordan doesn’t trust your judgment.”
Amber narrowed her eyes. “Do you think this is a game?”
It took everything Zinnia had not to shrink back in her seat.
Her mother-in-law had the kind of presence that could make a Marine cry and yesterday, she had laughed and laughed while taking pictures of Zinnia covered in cake, forcibly sandwiched between Lulie and Wylie. It was just sofunnyandcute.
Zinnia never thought of herself as vindictive. The hurt burning in her heart was beginning to make her believe otherwise.
“A little bit,” she admitted. “I don’t know what you want me to say, but I know what I’m here to do: help Jordan protect Sadie because I’m his wife.”
“Why you? I want to know why you specifically. Did he promise you money? Did you seduce him to get closer to someone else in my family? What is it?”
“Why not me?” She shrugged. “Why do the specifics even matter?”
“Answer me.” That tone was pure mama bear ready to jump across the table and maul her to death.
Zinnia had to be careful. She was only sure about two things: why she got married and that she didn’t have the heart to hang Jordan out to dry, accidentally or on purpose.
“We wanted to get married. We chose each other. I’m here because my husband asked me to be. That’s all you need to know.”
“I see.” Amber took a long pull directly from the champagne bottle. “And I’m assuming no amount of zeros will be enough to convince you to divorce him.”
“A billion dollars would do it. If that’s what you’re offering, I wholeheartedly accept.” Zinnia started in on a carrot cake muffin, fully ignoring Amber’s flame-throwing glare. Shewasstarting to sweat, though.
“You two will need a new storyline since the old one no longer fits. If you were an escort, I could’ve at least spun this asPretty Womancome to life. A real-deal American rom-com fairy tale, but no. Thank god you’re not ugly. We don’t have time to fixthat.” Amber’s brows furrowed in concentration—or at least they tried to. They barely moved, but she had a contemplative look in her eyes. “Crying alone in the bathroom was a bit much, don’t you think? You were supposed to crytoAlfie as a means to manipulate him.”
She could practically hear Grace screaming,I TOLD YOU SO.
“That won’t work. I’m not cut out to be your villain—assuming that’s what you’re aiming for. Because you shouldn’t. I don’t have the instincts for it.”
