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She unbuckles her seat belt and opens the car door. I see her walking away, both hands on her head.

I go after her. I knew she would be pissed when she found out Howard stole from her, but I didn’t anticipate such a desperate reaction.

“My good God!”

“Zoe.”

“It’s too much information, . What did I do with my life? I’m relieved that our marriage was a sham. Not only the relationship itself but also legally. What else should I have expected from a liar who waited to put a ring on my finger before telling me about his lifestyle? His sexual deviations? That’s not what I’m nervous about right now, but rather the fact that he sold the shares. They were my only investment. My mother’s illness . . . The treatment requires a lot of money.”

“I can afford it.”

“I know you can, but it’s not your responsibility. That’s not why I’m with you. I always pay the bills myself.”

“Zoe, we signed a million-dollar deal, which is still standing. You will be able to get your finances in order. ”

“It doesn’t feel right to get the money. We don’t even know when I’ll be able to go back to work . . .”

“But you will. Don’t worry about that. Now, let’s get back to the car, or my mom will pull our ears when we arrive. She doesn’t like to be late for dinner.”

She comes close and hugs me. “I’m not being dramatic. I’ve gotten used to being alone and paying my family’s bills. I don’t share these concerns.”

“I’m not good at sharing either, but I’m the best at dealing with problems,” I joke because she still looks tense.

She lifts her head from my chest. “Your self-confidence has always turned me on. You’re very arrogant but in a sexy way.”

“Everything about you turns me on.”

She stands on her tiptoes and wraps her arms around my neck for a kiss. I don’t usually give public displays of affection, mainly because I know my bodyguards are likely watching us, but nothing with Zoe plays by the rules. I’ve already made peace with the fact that she’s the only one in my life.

It doesn’t take long until we’re both breathless, our skin boiling with desire.

She takes the initiative to walk away, perhaps finally aware that we are not alone. Still, she can’t hide her arousal. Her mouth is swollen from the kiss, and her porcelain skin is flushed. Beautiful as fuck.

“How do I cut ties with him, ? I don’t want anything else from that man.”

“It makes it a lot easier that you didn’t change your name when you got married .” Even though it’s what I now know is a fake marriage, I still feel the word running like acid down my throat. Imagining her tied to someone for the rest of her life drives me insane with jealousy.

Imagining her bonded for the rest of her life to someone other than you drives you insane with jealousy. A voice inside my head says what I haven’t had the courage to admit until now.

I look at her and realize she’s staring back at me. It’s as if we’re both trying to unravel what the other represents in their world.

Yes, she said she loves me, but I don’t think Zoe can understand what we have any more than I can. The odds were against us, and there is still a lot that could go wrong. However, life brought us together again. I’m not willing to waste this second chance.

I take her hand, and after opening the car door for her to get in, I get behind the wheel. “I’ll call my lawyers as soon as we get to DC. It will be quick, and soon you’ll be free.”

“I didn’t even feel married.”

“Does the idea appeal to you?”

“What?” She feigns ignorance.

“Marriage. Building a family.”

Her face turns a darker shade of red. “I’ve been abandoned for longer than I’ve had a home. In therapy, I learned that living in search of what I don’t have will always be a weakness of mine. So yes, getting married and having my own family is a goal I have.”

I haven’t started the engine yet; my mind is overloaded with a certainty that has just unraveled. I want Zoe for myself—not for a while until we explore what we feel or what we are. I want Zoe as mine forever .

“And the farm,” I say.

“What?”

“You want a farm too and, I suppose, lots of kids.”

“Yes, as many as God wants to give me,” she says, looking out the car window.

I know it’s uncomfortable, but I need to know more. “What about your career?”

“As you said, I closed a million-dollar contract with a Greek who is obsessed with me,” she says, trying to be jovial but failing. “I won’t be able to end this commitment anytime soon.”

I know that’s a sore spot for her. Zoe feels uncomfortable about our relationship involving money.

“This has nothing to do with the two of us. Yes, I chose you mainly because I wanted you back, but you are beautiful, and it will be a huge win for my brands. You’ll represent Vanity.”

“What? But the contract was for a smaller brand. Vanity is a synonym for luxury worldwide. I waited more than a year and then stood in an enormous line just to buy the bag of my dreams.”

“You are the face I want to epitomize Vanity : beautiful, sophisticated, and young. I’ve been wanting to rekindle this brand for a long time and show that all ages can relate to it.”

“I don’t know what to say. Or rather, I do know. Thanks. Modeling for a brand that is synonymous with luxury is every model’s dream.”

I don’t take long to understand what she doesn’t reveal. “But not yours.”

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but as I’ve told you before, I started my career because of Pauline, and I continued because of necessity. Dieting for the rest of my life is not my idea of fun.”

I had never analyzed the models’ lifestyles from that perspective. For me, it was just how they made a living. “And what’s your idea of fun, pretty girl?”

She looks at her hands. “I will fulfill all my dreams, . I was wrong the first time, but when I get married again, it will be to someone who values me. Someone who wants to give back to the world instead of just taking. Someone I’m not ashamed to be myself with. Not always strong or brave, not always tidy or wearing makeup, but the real Zoe.”

“You’re beautiful no matter what you wear.”

She looks out the window again. “Is that all you see in me? Beauty?”

“No,” I say without a second of hesitation. “When I first saw you, perhaps, but now there’s more.”

“What, then?”

“I see the woman I want.”

She doesn’t look at me like I expected. “You already have me. But I think this relationship is only working because we’re stuck at home. Soon, your life will return to normal.”

“And what’s my normal, Zoe?”

“Travel, parties, glamor. And none of this is part of my world, , except for work obligations. I’ve been thinking a lot these last few days. With the money from the contract we signed, I’m going to pay off all my parents’ debts and buy them another house. Then I’ll go after what I want for myself, after my real dream. I will no longer sign contracts with any other brands. You will be my last.”

In more ways than you can imagine, Zoe. You will be mine forever.