The Royal Contract

1149 Everything went black

Ria refused to look. But at some point, Ryan had convinced her. But she only wanted to prove him wrong. That he was mistaken because Zach would never fool her.

He would never cheat on her. Zach was a better man than Ryan would ever be. Zach would never do what Ryan did to her. “You promised that if you are lying. You will leave my child and me alone.” She repeated, wanting it clear between them.

She was willing to take a risk since she would lose nothing but gain her freedom if Ryan was wrong. Besides, she had complete trust that Zach would never hurt her. He was not Ryan.

“I promise.” Her ex-boyfriend swore to her as he pointed for her to turn around. He leaned on his chair and took his drink, seemingly trying to find a comfortable position.

Suddenly, she felt a cold sweat break through her skin. Why was Ryan acting so calmly as if he was confident he would win? Did she make the mistake of accepting his challenge?

But it was too late to back out as he encouraged her to look behind her. Slowly, she turned, wondering what she would see. And then, her eyes roamed around the room until they stopped to focus on a couple.

They were several tables away from them. They looked cozy enough. Like they were on a date. But still, Ria trained her eyes on them, even if it was difficult to see.

It was hard to see a good view since some diners blocked her line of sight. But she could see the outline of the man’s back and his hair. From this angle, she believed it could be him.

She sharpened her eyes, curious whether she was correct that it was not Zach. Or Ryan could be telling the truth. Based on her observation, the man was with a woman. She decided to focus on the woman that was facing her.

.....

Damn! It was her.

She recognized her. She was the woman that interrupted their dinner the other night. She thought they might have a past from how that woman looked at her fiance and how he reacted to her sudden presence.

But she shoved the thought aside, not wanting to ruin their moment by talking about another girl. She and Zach had a great date. She believed discussing their past might destroy the rest of the night.

“Do you see them now? That is Bianca. His ex-girlfriend and fiance before you came into the picture.” The man sitting across from her elaborated. “She wants him back, and it seems she is getting her wishes.”
“How do you know so much about Zach?” She wondered if Ryan got all this information from the investigation. Did he also have Zach investigated? She suddenly remembered the secret whispers Zach and Tabby shared when she was not around.

However, she still had to confirm if the man whose back faced her was her boyfriend. She had to see his face. Therefore, she kept her eyes focused on the two, who seemed deep in conversation.

Are they patching up their relationship? Are they getting back together? Her mind suddenly wondered, but she stopped herself. She should not doubt Zach, not after what he went through to show her how much he loved her.

But maybe, he was disappointed that she did not say she loved him too. Could that be why he dated his ex to reunite with her? She had no idea. She did not even know much about his past. But then again, she should not be jumping to a conclusion.

“Zach is my best buddy. I did not even know that he was dating you until I learned from my investigator that you dated him.” He pulled out his phone, tinkered on the screen, then shoved it in her direction. “Look.”

She dropped her eyes to the phone on the table and gazed at the display on the screen. There it was, a photo of the two of them smiling together. Then, Ryan reached forward, swiping the screen, letting her see the rest of their happy times together.

“We have known each other almost all our lives. But Zach never once mention you to me. I have to hire an investigator to find you. Why is that?” He took his phone back, returning it to his breast pocket before looking at her.


“When all along, the woman I was looking for was right under my nose. And my bestfriend is fucking her, the mother of my child,” Ryan said crudely, not caring about the language he used.

“Maybe he never considered you as a friend. That is why he never shared about our relationship with you.” She answered him, wanting an answer to his question. At the same time, she wished to dispute his claim. For the rest of his comments, she chose to ignore them.

However, from how she saw their pictures, it seemed Ryan and Zach were tight. There were pictures of them when they were young and some recent ones. It meant that Ryan could be telling her the truth.

She returned her eyes to the couple that seemed to be hugging each other. Eventually, the woman, called Bianca, kissed him, and the man did not flinch away.

Not a few minutes had passed when they both stood up with the woman clinging to his arms. They were leaving together. Did it mean that they were back together? But this time, she finally saw his face. It was Zach.

“Now, do you believe me?” Ryan said. “I thought that you would find yourself a good man.” Ryan shrugged his shoulder. “Yet, you still ended up with someone just like me. Maybe even worse.”

She wanted to run after him, but her body seemed frozen in her seat. She could not move as she watched the two disappear from her sight. Was it over between them?

Of course, how could she accept a man like him? Someone who could cheat behind her back. But then again, her mind reminded her to give Zach a chance to explain himself.

“Do you want to know why they broke up?” Ryan continued when she remained silent in her seat, unable to move. “Of course you do. So, I will tell you.”

“You see. Zach had impregnated Bianca. That was why he drastically proposed. But then again, Zach changed his mind. He told Bianca he was not ready to marry her and become a father.

But instead of letting Bianca keep their baby, he forced her to abort their child. Bianca was devastated. But she loved Zach so much that she agreed with the hope that Zach would return to her.

But he still left her in the end.” Ryan took his glass and refilled it with the wine before him. Then, he offered the other one that she had refused to drink.

She only looked at him as if Ryan had gone crazy. That did not sound like Zach at all. The man that she loved would never be that cruel. He would never harm an unborn child, remembering how Zach loved Edison.

Then, her mind suggested that Ryan might have set this all up to ruin Zach in her eyes. Maybe Zach had an explanation for everything. She just had to hear him out.

“If you don’t believe me, I suggest you investigate it yourself.” Ryan dared her. “Hey, you are shaking...” He suddenly said, looking concerned, “...and your face is pale.”

She looked at her hands, and it was. She felt a chill run through her veins at the thought that Zach could do what Ryan was insinuating. Still, she needed answers from Zach, not from this untrustworthy man.

“Why don’t you drink just a few sips so the wine can calm your nerves.” He offered, pushing the glass in her direction.

“Or are you pregnant with his child? If that is the case, I will not force you to drink. I can ask the waiter to bring you some water.” He offered.

But she thought the wine might help. Besides, she was not pregnant. She took the glass and drank it. It was not like one glass of wine would knock her out. In addition, she needed some liquid courage to say her following words.

“You know what. I don’t care what you said. I know you have something to do with this. This...” She waved her hand before her. “It is all a setup, and I don’t believe you one bit.”

Then, she placed the glass down on the table and stood up. “I don’t want to see and hear from you ever again. Come near my child or me again. I will sue your ass.” She grabbed her bag and stepped away from the table.

But she turned around to say one more thing. “And I don’t care anymore if the press feast on our lives. But I will drag you and your entire family into the mud if you don’t stop harassing me.”

She continued on her way out, hoping she could still catch Zach, but they were long gone. However, finding a taxi seemed difficult as she stood on the pavement without seeing one.

Then, it hit her, a dizzying spell. It seemed like her world was swirling underneath her feet. She felt she was losing her balance and was about to fall. Then, she felt arms catching her.

After a few more seconds, a car pulled in front of her. And the last thing she felt was her lying on a warm body and what seemed to be a moving car. Then, everything went black.