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After what I’d been through, I believed I deserved to feel protected.

The fact that he was a crime lord would never change the fact that he was my guardian.

He showed me what it truly meant to care for someone.

He taught me that my needs and desires mattered.

Zyon was the darkness that brought light into my life, and I will forever be grateful for it.

“But you can see our daughter anytime you want,” I claimed, trying to lift Lisa’s spirit a little.

It wasn’t right to tell her I was delighted never to see her sick son again, so I directed the conversation to Zara.

“She misses you, you know.” I squeezed Lisa’s hand, smiling softly. “She’ll be happy if you visit us.”

“What about your new boyfriend?” she asked dryly, her voice laced with repulsion. “Will he allow it?”

“I don’t need his permission,” I replied in the same tone. “The days I ask a man for approval are long gone.”

“I hope you’re right, my girl,” Lisa sighed, standing and taking her purse.

She decided to leave so abruptly that I didn’t have a chance to react.

“I wish you a speedy recovery. Say hi to Zara for me. I plan to visit some friends in Ohio. I’ll call you when I return,” she blurted out in one go and disappeared.

I stared at the closed door, unsure of what had happened.

Did she think I would confirm her assumption about Chester being gone?

Or did she believe I would be angry at her?

Her behavior didn’t make sense, but it was understandable.

She was shocked and confused, yet her sudden departure left me speechless.

I forced my brain to repeat our whole conversation, but my musings were interrupted as I flinched at a sudden movement at the door.

Zyon burst through it like a tornado, scanning the room with his dark eyes.

He looked into every corner as if he expected a clown to jump at him at the unguarded moment.

“Are you okay?” I asked, surprised by his arrival. He had meetings with Italians throughout the day, and the new leadership needed to be chosen. He said he wouldn’t visit me sooner than this evening.

“Where is Chester’s mother?” Zyon barked. He stood before the bathroom door with two long strides and yanked it open. “She stopped by, right?”

“Yes,” I confirmed, scowling at his back as he paced through the room. “But she already left.”

“Yeah, but maybe she left something behind,” he retorted, checking my nightstand, chairs, and the desk in the corner.

“What are you talking about?” I jumped from the bed, stopping him when he attempted to throw my clothes out of the closet. “Zyon, what is happening?”

“Your precious mother-in-law reported Chester as a missing person,” he replied, his face twisting with anger. “It’s okay. She’s his mother. I expected her to do it, but I didn’t expect her to come here, wired and working for the FBI to trick you into revealing something about his disappearance.”

“What?” I breathed, my mouth hanging open as I stared at Zyon, completely dumbstruck.

“Do you still think she’s on your side, mon c?ur?

” Zyon inquired, but I didn’t know how to respond.

I couldn’t believe she would pretend to feel sorry for Chester’s actions to fool me.

Yet again, she was a desperate mother. I would do anything for Zara.

I shouldn’t be surprised she would do anything for her son .

“What are you doing?” I whispered when Zyon started ruffling through my things again.

“I’m searching for bugs.” Zyon tossed my bag on the bed, followed by my clothes. “Pack your things. We are leaving.”

A pointy remark itched at the tip of my tongue, but I quickly swallowed it when I saw Zyon’s severe expression. He kept a stoic mask on his face, but I knew better. He was upset. The way he watched my every move like an eagle told me the situation was serious.

“ Z yon?” I placed my hand over his in the back seat of the luxurious limousine driven by Jamal. He raised his eyes from his phone, closing the screen. “What is going on with Lisa?”

He exhaled and drifted his gaze outside. For a long moment, he stayed quiet. I thought he would ignore my question, but then he turned to me, his expression unreadable.

“Two days ago, Lisa accused me of murdering Chester,” Zyon revealed, slowly entwining our fingers. “She doesn’t have evidence. There is no body, so the police don’t have a case, but the FBI used the opportunity and suggested to get information elsewhere.”

“Me?” I whispered, feeling my heart speeding in my chest.

Zyon nodded, his grip on my hand tightening.

“And Zara,” he added quietly. “Lisa found her in school, but when she started asking her weird questions, Zara called her bodyguard. Clever girl.”

“Oh my god.” I shook my head, trying to digest the information. “Is Zara okay?”

“Yes.” Zyon put my hand in his, brushing it soothingly. “I picked her up at school myself. She asked me more questions than the police detectives.”

“She knows something is happening,” I whispered, looking at Zyon’s handsome face. “What did you do with Chester? ”

“He’s paying for his crimes,” was Zyon’s swift reply before his phone rang, disturbing my questioning.

My chance to discover where Chester was or what punishment Zyon had chosen for him was gone.

My man wasn’t in the mood to share details with me, but I needed closure.

I trusted him to get the job done, but at the same time, I wanted to see Chester truly got what he deserved through my eyes.

I needed to witness the motherfucker suffer.