Chapter 12 Illusion Of Freedom

• Days went by, and Zara had already spent five long days in Michael’s mansion, feeling like a bird that perched on broken glass, with alluring beauty on the outside and threatening to shatter on the inside with the smallest move. Every step she had taken filled the air with echoes of caution, and every breath she took was filled with dozens of self-control. Despite the comfort of the mansion, she was always reminded this wasn’t her home, not like it was ever her home; it was never, and now she felt it more than ever. She felt like she was an observer in a life that was meant to be hers. All the workers in the mansion spoke less and always stood in the corner to watch her like she carried a secret in her shadow. Micheal, on the other hand, was no longer overbearing, but his softness had an edge; his calmness stood alert. Zara spent these long days strategically forming a plan in her mind. The seventh day after she visited the hospital, she had already concluded what she would have to do.
• As the sun began to set on the seventh day, Zara decided to let Michael know what she wanted to do. She found Michael seated under a pergola with a glass of wine in one hand and his phone in the other, in the courtyard. As she walked over, he looked up as a polite smile curled up on his face.
• “If you are not so busy, I would like to talk to you.” Her voice was steady as she began.