Chapter 0173
ZAIA.
My heart thuds as the King’s turn to the man, and the first thing I notice is the change in Aran’s attitude.
He swallows, ncing at
Sebastian, then at Agatha, almost uneasily.
The anger that was disyed on his face seconds ago is gone.
“Gerard… you’re here…” Agatha looks stunned as she nces at Aran,
who is emotionless and then back at the man.
Gerard smirks slightly as he looks between the two.
“I thought I was wee at any time, but perhaps now is not the right time?” he asks lightly, shoving
his hand into his pocket as his sharp eyes flit between Aran and Sebastian and then snap to me.
My heart ski ps a beat and I feel uneasy. This man looks to be in his forties, which means he’s possibly
in histe fifties.
But what gets to me the most is that he eerily reminds me of Sebastian in more ways than just those
eyes.
Instinctively, I grip onto Sebastian’s Jacket, not knowing who he is. He is obviously familiar with the
family if he was let in just like that… but in the years I was married to Sebastian, not once have I seen
him.
Who is he?
“Not at all! You are always wee, but you could have told us so we could havee to collect you
from the airport and had a feast prepared! First them, now you! I need to go tell the cooks to prepare a
feast!” Agatha says, going over to him and hugging him tightly.
The man smirks, hugging her back. “No need. I had business to tend
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to first, anyway.”
Aran and the man shake hands before he turns to Sebastian, who doesn’t move from where he’s
sitting.
“And you are?” Sebastian asks, co cking a brow. The man mirrors his move, co cking his own brow.
“Gerard King?”
“Is that supposed to mean something to me?” Sebastian asks arrogantly.
The man looks at Aran, curiosity in his eyes. “Aran’s cousin, a shame you haven’t even told your son
about me,” he says with mock disappointment before he chuckles.
“Well, you aren’t one to take pictures, but Sebastian does know of
you,” Aran says, surprisingly far calmer than before.
“Oh, does he?” Gerard says as he saunters into the room and takes a seat on one of the armchairs, his
piercing eyes on Sebastian.
“Do I?” Sebastian asks his father.
“I mentioned to you about your grandfather’s brother’s family?” Aran says, clearly irritated.
“Hmm… it kind of rings a bell, but it was a passingment. You have your own pack in France.
Correct?” Sebastian asks.
“That is correct, that is correct,” Gerard says, nodding slowly.
He reminds me of Sebastian.
His mannerisms, his way of talking, his voice…
Am I being paranoid?
His hair is dark, almost as dark as Sebastian’s, but he has a dusting
of grey… could he be the man both Valerie and I saw?
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“And who is this beauty?” He asks suddenly, now turning to me.
Sebastian growls lowly.
The man chuckles. “Oh, don’t worry, you are like a son to me, so that makes this woman my daughter-
inw? Correct?” he remarks,
ncing at Sebastian’s parents.
“Of course it does!” Agatha responds, smiling politely as she nces at Aran, who says nothing.
“So, you know who she is,” Sebastian asks coldly.
“From your bodynguage and possessiveness, I understood that much. After all, us Kings are
possessive, but I don’t know her
beautiful name.” Gerard smirks.
“Zaia, Zaia Toussaint.” I say.
“King.” Aran answers disapprovingly
“We are not married, Mr King.” I remind him politely, making him clench his jaw.
Gerard is watching us casually, but something tells me he’s assessing this conversation extremely
intently.
“Well… lovely to meet you, Zaia… Toussaint. The names sound familiar
Ah yes, the Toussaint empire, now I know where I have seen you before. For a moment I thought we
have already met, but I think I saw you on the news. You are the new CEO of the Toussaint Empire,
correct?”
“Yes, I am, but I am not so easy to forget if we met. In fact, I’m surprised that’s where you remember
me from. I was involved in a mass shooting that happened outside a hotel a short while back. I was
almost killed. Everyone remembers me from there. Especially when I took on that pathetic excuse of a
being who was killing
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mercilessly.” I say, looking him dead in the eye.
He doesn’t react, simply holding my gaze.
“Oh? That sounds devastating… I’m sorry, but I don’t really watch the news, especially when it’s always
so dark. The world really needs to be cleansed of all the sc um ruining it…” he says, almost as if he
means something else.
“I couldn’t agree more,” I say.
Didn’t he say he doesn’t watch the news?
Everything else seems to fade and if I had any doubt before, it’s now
gone.
Deep down, I feel he is the shooter… It has to be him… and if so, does he know that I recognise him?
Sebastian ces his hand on my thigh and I’m pulled from my thoughts. I scan the room to see Agatha
has left. Aran is still standing there, silently.
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