His for a year. - Chapter 50: Chapter 50

A sharp knock sliced through the stillness of the room.
I turned, confused. I wasn’t expecting anyone. Before I could even move, the door creaked open without permission or hesitation.
Anna stepped in like she owned the place.
She didn’t speak right away—just stood there with that tight, mocking smile on her face. Arms folded, eyes scanning me like I was a piece of meat she couldn’t wait to tear apart.
I straightened slowly. “What do you want?”
Anna’s lips curled into a smirk. “So,” she said quietly, “how does it feel? Knowing you’ve stepped into something far bigger than your little pretty head can handle?”
I pulled my brows together. “What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” she said, taking slow, controlled steps into the room. Her heels clicked softly on the floor like a warning. “The hospital. David. Amanda. And now Zade.”
She stopped in front of me, not too close—but close enough to make my skin crawl.
“You’re finally seeing the full picture, Olive. And here’s the thing… now that you do, you better follow the script.”
My eyes narrowed. “Why me? Why are you doing all of this? What did I do to deserve it? Why ruin my life?”
She scoffed, her jaw tightening. “You really don’t get it, do you? You were never supposed to be anything more than a pawn. A poor, desperate girl with a deadbeat background who just happened to catch his eye. That’s all you were meant to be. But no… You—” she pointed a manicured finger, her voice rising, “—you had to go and change things.”
I gulped. “Change what?”
Anna’s face twisted. “Zade.”
The name landed like a slap.
I stared at her, dumbfounded. “Zade?”
“Yes!” Anna snapped. “Ever since he found you, he’s been—different. Colder to me. Colder to this entire empire we built. He doesn’t take my word as final anymore. He second-guesses me. And for what? A girl who doesn’t even know how to walk in heels without tripping.”
“I—” I started but couldn’t finish.
She leaned in slightly, venom glinting in her eyes. “I’ve worked beside him for years. I’ve done the dirty jobs, I’ve cleaned up the messes. I protected him from things you don’t even have the capacity to imagine. I was his right hand. And now you—you waltz in, with your big eyes and broken past, and suddenly he’s buying you homes and defending you in front of the board?”
She laughed bitterly, a harsh sound with no warmth. “You think you’ve won something? That this is love? He doesn’t love you, Olive. He’s just curious. You’re different. You’re temporary.”
My voice cracked at the realisation. “Do you… like him?”
She didn’t answer immediately. But her silence—tight-lipped, head tilted, jaw clenched—said everything. There was history in her eyes, filled with longing, bitterness, and something else. Something darker.
When she finally spoke, her voice was low and even. “He belongs to me.”
The air in the room shifted. Thicker now.
I took a shaky breath. “But he doesn’t see you that way…”
“And that’s your fault,” she spat. “He never looked at me like that until you showed up. Now I’m invisible. Now I’m just the secretary. You made him soft. Distracted. Weak.”
Her eyes darkened. “But that’s going to end.”
She stepped closer. “From now on, you’ll listen when I talk. You’ll go where I say. Do what I say. Because if you don’t…”
She trailed off and smiled sweetly. “Let’s just say that accident was child’s play.”
My heart started racing. “You’d really go that far? Just because you couldn’t have him?”
Anna’s laugh returned, sharp and condescending. “Don’t flatter yourself. This isn’t just about love. It’s about power, control. Legacy. You’re in my world now, little girl. And I don’t share.”
My voice shook. “You had Amanda lie to me. You got David to hurt me. You—You manipulated everyone.”
She gave a slight shrug, unbothered. “And I’ll keep doing it, if it means keeping my place. You’re not special, Olive. You’re just… in the way.”
Then she leaned in again, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Disappear. While you still can.”
She turned sharply and walked to the door. “See you at dinner,” she said with a mocking smile. “Wear something nice. It might be your last meal.”
Then she was gone. The door clicked behind her like a coffin lid closing.
I stood there, frozen.
My breath came out in shaky bursts. I sat down slowly, my legs folding like jelly beneath me. My entire body shook—not with fear, but with the sheer weight of disbelief.
Anna didn't seem like she was bluffing.
I needed to pull herself together.
Night fell quickly, dragging its shadows over the manor like a curtain pulled too tight.
I stood before the mirror, hands shaky as I smoothed the black silk over her waist. Her hair was pinned up, a few tendrils framing her face. She didn’t do anything dramatic with her makeup—just enough to hide how much she wanted to cry.
“When is all this going to end?” I whispered to myself.
Dinner was mandatory. Monday evenings always were.
By the time I arrived at the main building, the long dining table was full. Every seat taken. Except mine.
All heads turned the moment I opened the door. I hesitated at the door a little.
Anna was already there, sitting comfortably like a queen. Her chin raised, her wine glass tilted casually in her fingers.
I walked in and slid into the only empty chair at the far end. No one said anything.
Maids moved silently between us, placing meals gently on glass chargers. The clink of silverware echoed louder than it should’ve. No one ate. They just… watched.
Then Eloise cleared her throat.
“Where’s Zade?” she asked coldly, not looking directly at me but clearly expecting me to answer.
Before I could open my mouth, the doors parted behind me.
Zade walked in, alongside Leo.
I didn’t turn around. I felt them. The power of their presence was undeniable.
They both took the only empty chairs—one on my left, one on my right.
I was caged. Maybe Protected or cornered. Something in between.
Zade leaned in slightly, his deep voice soft. “Don’t panic,” he murmured. “Just eat.”
I nodded faintly, not trusting my own voice.
Eloise sipped her wine delicately, then glanced toward the empty seat beside her. “Where’s your manners, Zade? Late to dinner? We were waiting.”
“I had something important to take care of,” he said simply, unfolding his napkin.
Everyone began eating. Slowly. Carefully.
Then Zade set his fork down with a light clink and cleared his throat.
“I want to say something,” he said, calm but commanding.
That silenced everyone.
All eyes turned toward him.
Eloise’s brows lifted. “About what?”
Zade didn’t flinch. Didn’t blink. He looked across the table—past the wine glasses and gold utensils—right at Anna.
Eloise arched a brow. Zara rolled her eyes.
But he wasn’t looking at either of them.
His gaze was locked—firm, unwavering—on Anna.
“If I remember clearly,” Zade began, his voice low but full of edge, “I warned everyone here to stay away from my wife if it didn’t concern her good.”
The silence grew louder.
His voice dropped even lower. “But someone at this table—no, in this house—has chosen to test my patience.”
I swallowed hard, trying not to shift in my seat.
Zade’s eyes never left Anna’s. “Anna has been a constant threat to my wife. An emotional terrorist hiding behind a designer dress and a job title. And tonight, I’m letting her go.”
Everyone at the table blinked. Even the chandelier lights above seemed to hesitate.
Zara scoffed from the other end, eyes wide with disbelief. “Wait—what?”
She gave a bitter laugh. “You’re letting Anna go? What does that even mean?”
Eloise chuckled too, wine glass between her fingers. “Zade, darling, don’t be dramatic. You can’t let her go. Anna is family.”
“And who is she supposed to be secretary to?” he asked coldly, eyes now sliding from Anna to his mother.
I felt the room dropped ten degrees.
Zara jumped in before Eloise could respond. “But Anna is family,” she insisted, gesturing. “What could that wench have possibly said to—?”
Zade’s fist slammed the table, hard.
Everyone jumped, including me. My heart banged against my ribs.
“Do you want to leave this house too?” Zade asked, his eyes now piercing Zara like a blade.
The room fell into stunned silence.
I reached out instinctively to touch his arm, to soothe, to ground—but stopped myself. My hand hovered for a second before retreating.
Eloise cleared her throat, her voice losing its sharpness. “Zade, you need to calm down. We can talk about this as a family.”
His uncle added, “Zade, this alliance—this relationship—between Anna’s family and ours was carefully built over years.”
Zade gave him a stare. He staggered a little then continued.
“I’m just saying, the relationship between our family and hers goes back generations. These kinds of alliances are rare and sacred. You don’t throw them away over emotions.”
“I’ll break any foundation if it threatens what I want to protect.”
The weight of that sentence hung like a curse.
Zade stood.
He rounded the table slowly, deliberately, until he stood face-to-face with Anna, who was already on her feet. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, eyes shimmering—not with fear, but with rage barely contained.
That was when my heart truly stopped.
“I heard what you said to her today,” he said, his voice quiet but cutting. “You said I was your property.”
Anna’s face twitched. “I didn’t mean—”
“I am not yours,” Zade said. “I never was. And if I was too cowardly to say it before, I’m saying it now. You don’t own me.”
Anna’s lip curled, her fists clenched at her sides.
Zade turned to the room.
“She leaves tonight.”
Eloise stood. “Zade—don’t be rash. She doesn’t have anywhere to—”
“You can pay for her hotel,” he said. “Her new apartment. Her exit package. Whatever. Just as you've always enabled her.”
He looked at Anna one last time.
“But she’s not stepping foot in this house again.”
Then he turned to the guards and workers around, “she's no longer allowed to stay here. Throw her out anytime she tries to come in, you can start now.”
Her jaw dropped.
Eloise and Zara were standing in defeat. Everyone was standing too. They obviously couldn't believe their ears and eyes.
And just like that, he reached for my hand.
I hesitated.
He held on anyway.
My eyes trembled as they met his. Every nerve in my body screamed at me to stop this. That I was making things worse. That I was going to be hated to death now.
He didn’t wait for anyone to respond.
Eloise walked towards us. “Zade, you’re not serious. She can't leave–”
But he didn’t stop. He didn’t even look back.
He led me out of the room, my hand small and warm in his, my heart pounding. I wanted to pull away and kneel and beg for mercy at their feet. I wanted to tell them that I didn't know what was going on, that I didn't put Zade up to do this.
But I felt weak and defeated. How could I say anything at this moment?
This wasn’t just about family anymore.
This was war.
And he had chosen his side.
Mine?