Chapter 206: Riya provoked Zara again
Nathaniel, caught off guard, stared at him speechlessly. For a split second, he thought Liam had discovered it was Riya who had bribed the waitress. But then he reminded himself: the person in the footage was hiding behind the pillar, not visible. Based on suspicion, he couldn’t direct the accusation to Riya, though Nathaniel knew in his heart she was the culprit.
He already had a plan to deal with her. But before punishing Riya, he had to bring Zachary down—and for that, he needed her. Right now, he couldn’t take action against her.
"I checked the footage," Nathaniel said flippantly, "but it’s no use. The person stayed hidden behind the pillar, not visible. I can’t tell who it was. But I am still looking into it, digging deeper. As soon as I find out who the mastermind is, I’ll take proper action."
Liam sneered bitterly. ’It meant you didn’t pay attention to the footage.’
When he had checked it himself, he had caught the subtle detail of Riya sliding behind the pillar. It was not visible at first. But when he had taken time and checked patiently, he had noticed it.
It was clear that Nathaniel hadn’t examined the footage properly. Or worse, he had noticed it and chosen to ignore it to shield Riya. After all, she was the family’s precious daughter.
The thought twisted his heart.
’All the intimacy you displayed with Zara was nothing but fake,’ he muttered bitterly. ’Riya matters to you more than Zara.’
The realization left him seething with disappointment and resentment. He had thought Nathaniel would protect Zara and take action against the one who had hurt her. But Nathaniel actually failed to defend his wife to protect his adopted sister.
The injustice stung Liam, making him furious.
Liam ground his teeth with rising frustration. ’Since you haven’t taken any action against her, I’ll punish her in my own way,’ he thought, his determination hardening.
"Alright," he nodded, "I believe you will punish the guilty once you find out who it is. At the time, don’t back off."
With that warning, he slipped behind the wheel and drove off.
Nathaniel stood there, watching the car roll out through the gate and disappear into the darkness. He let out a weary sigh. He also felt the sting of not taking action against Riya, who had tried to ruin his wife.
The guilt ate away at him. But he couldn’t forget his greater mission —bringing Zachary to justice and making him pay for the crimes he had committed against the family over the years.
"Sometimes, to achieve something greater, we must retreat and wait in the shadows," he murmured.
"Zane has fallen asleep. Should we head back? Or are you planning to stay the night here?" Zara’s voice came from behind, interrupting his thoughts.
Nathaniel turned, finding her standing close behind him. He took his time to reply, his thoughts racing. He couldn’t ignore the bitterness and hostility Riya had toward Zara. The sharp exchange at dinner had been nothing but the result of that deep-rooted hatred. No matter how many times he had warned Riya, she seemed not to stop targeting Zara.
The idea of spending the night here was unfavorable.
Nathaniel wouldn’t allow Zara to endure even the sting of Riya’s venomous words, let alone anything worse. "Let’s go home," he said decisively. "Get in the car. I’ll go bring Zane."
Leaving Zara alone there, he strode back into the room.
Zara went to the car. Just as she was about to open the door, Riya’s voice from behind stopped her. She turned and saw her coming over.
"Leaving already?" Riya drawled with a smug look on her face. "I thought you’d be staying the night."
Already drained from the evening, Zara had no energy left for arguments. She simply turned back toward the car, intent on ignoring her.
But Riya wasn’t finished. She wouldn’t give Zara a chance to leave so easily. "Liam is so handsome, isn’t he? I can’t believe I am getting married to him," she said with a proud smile on her face. "He told me he had always loved me. I was surprised. Isn’t it exciting?"
Zara eventually realized why Liam or Shay seemed so eager about this marriage. It turned out that he had always been in love with her.
"But you seem upset all evening," Riya said with a slight raise of her eyebrows. "What’s the matter? Did you and Nathaniel have a fight?"
"You should focus more on yourself and the new life you are going to start with Liam. Stop thinking about me and Nathaniel."
Riya curled her lips smugly. "Why? Are you jealous of my perfect life? I have a family who adores me, although I am not related to them by blood. But you? Your own family despises you. And worse: Jaxon has even drugged you and tried to ruin you."
She gave Zara a feigned look of sympathy. "Honestly, I can’t help but feel sorry for you."
Zara clenched her fists. This was supposed to be a secret. How did she know? Did Nathaniel tell her about it?
’Certainly,’ she muttered under her breath. ’If it wasn’t him, who could it be?’
"We depend on our families, expect their support and love, but in your case, it’s completely different," Riya continued. "I really feel sad for you. That man, Jaxon, whom you call your brother, is a monster. He should be punished. I simply don’t understand why Nathaniel is taking so long to find him and punish him. With his money and influence, he could have done it easily."
She purposefully said that only to raise doubts in Zara’s mind.
"I don’t know what’s stopping him either," Riya pressed, twisting the knife deeper into Zara’s heart. "What do you think about why he is delaying?"
Hearing those provocative words, Zara’s patience threatened to snap. She wished nothing but to lash out. But she knew this was exactly what Riya wanted – her reaction. Then Riya would act pitiful and pretend to be bullied. It was all the same, boring tricks.
Zara wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. She forced herself to stay composed.
"You think too much," she said in a calm tone. "Since he knows who the real culprit is, he will take action. It’s just a matter of time. You know, he won’t let anyone target his wife. So be careful. Don’t always find an excuse to mess with me. Or else, you’ll become his next target."