Reclaimed By My Ex-husband
Chapter 21: A dinner invitation

Chapter 21: A dinner invitation

Zara stepped out of the bathroom after a long shower. After drying her hair, she slipped into a baggy sweater and a soft, flowing skirt. She reached for her phone, thinking to check on Zane. She longed to hear his cheerful little voice. But her gaze stilled when she saw a missed call from Nathaniel.

Her heart skipped for just a second. "When did he call?" she wondered, tapping the screen absently. Her finger hovered over the dial button, debating whether to call him back.

Just then, the phone buzzed in her hand again.

Dad.

Her entire body was tense. Her expression shifted immediately.

"Why is he calling me?" she muttered under her breath, the corners of her mouth twisting with distrust.

Still, she answered, her voice flat and guarded. "Hello?"

"Come home and have dinner with us," Isaac’s voice came through, oddly gentle. It made Zara’s suspicion flare.

"What do you want this time?" she shot back. "Just say it. No need to act like you care."

"Zara," he replied, an edge of irritation creeping into his voice. "Can’t a father ask his daughter to dinner?"

She gave a dry, bitter laugh. "You only ever call when you need something. Don’t pretend otherwise."

There was a long pause before Isaac’s voice came through, softer this time. "I know you are still angry with me. I... I said things I shouldn’t have. The truth is, I’ve been under a lot of pressure. The company is barely staying afloat. Your brother’s debts are out of control."

He sighed heavily, as though the weight of it all was dragging him down. "But the good thing is that Nathaniel has agreed to help us. Things might finally turn around."

Zara’s spine went rigid, her grip on the phone tightening. "He agreed?" she repeated, her voice rising.

A wave of heat surged through her chest, a twisting knot of frustration forming deep in her stomach. Her father had done it again, squeezing more money out of Nathaniel under the pretense of family ties. It made her blood boil. Her face flushed with a mixture of shame and helplessness.

Nathaniel already thought her family was greedy, manipulative, and always taking. And now this only proved him right. How could she ever explain herself to him? How could she salvage their marriage when her own father kept dragging them down further?

"Yes," Isaac said calmly. "He is going to invest. It’s a huge relief. I want the family together tonight to celebrate. Will you come?"

Zara blinked rapidly, trying to fight back the burning tears that clouded her vision. Her jaw clenched as anger, sorrow, and humiliation swirled violently inside her. Her father didn’t care what it cost her. He only cared about money and saving his own skin.

"Fine," she said, each word bitten off. "I’m coming."

Zara ended the call with a sharp click and remained still, her phone clenched so tightly in her hand that her knuckles turned white. Her entire body trembled with the urge to scream, to throw something, to break down. But she swallowed it all. She didn’t want to worry Jasper or bring her storm of emotions into his calm space.

Forcing herself to breathe, she grabbed her bag and went out of the room, trying to mask the turmoil brewing inside her.

"Zara, are you ready?" Jasper’s voice floated out from the kitchen. "Dinner is almost done. Come and sit. I’ll serve."

She froze mid-step, her heart twisting with guilt. She had asked him to make pasta tonight. Now, she was about to bail on that promise. Flushed with embarrassment, she turned slowly to face him.

"I’m really sorry, Jasper," she said softly. "I have to go out... My dad called. He wants to talk."

Jasper stepped out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on his apron, concern flickering across his face. "You are going to your father’s?" he asked, brows furrowing. "Then I’m coming with you."

She tried to wave him off. "It’s okay. I can handle it."

"No way. Last time you went there, you came back hurt. I don’t trust them, and I won’t let you go alone."

Zara let out a resigned sigh, touched by his protectiveness. "Alright. Let’s go."

The two stepped out into the night together.

On the other end, Lina had been silently observing her husband with interest. She didn’t say a word until he set the phone down, but the anticipation was written all over her face.

"Is she coming?" she asked, unable to hold her curiosity any longer.

Isaac turned to her with a crooked smile playing on his lips. "Of course she is. She is just like her mother, emotional and gullible. A few sympathetic words, and she folds. She is on her way."

Relief flickered across Lina’s face, but it was quickly followed by apprehension. "But will she agree to hand over her shares?"

Isaac leaned back against the sofa with smug confidence. "Not only will she agree, she’ll even confront Nathaniel about his conditions. Zara is still hung up on her mother’s legacy. She’d do anything to protect what was once her mother’s. That emotional attachment is exactly what we are using. She’ll fight for the company, thinking she is saving it. But in the end, she’ll hand me over everything she has."

A slow smile crept across Lina’s face. "Then once we have her shares, she is out. No more claims to the company. No more inheritance. Jaxon will get everything."

Isaac nodded, a flicker of triumph lighting his features. "Jaxon is the rightful heir of the Moore family legacy. Zara and her sister were never meant to be part of it."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Now go and make something she likes. Let’s keep her in good spirits tonight."

Lina’s smile stiffened. She had never cared enough to learn what either of the twins preferred, and the idea of playing the gracious host made her stomach turn. Still, she rose with a smile. "Don’t worry. I’ll treat her well."

With that, she walked off toward the kitchen.

Jasper brought the bike to a stop just outside the gate. Zara swung her leg over and dismounted, pulling off the helmet and handing it back to him. Her gaze lingered on the house ahead.

It was the place that had once been her whole world. Memories of her mother and sister clung to the walls like shadows. A lump formed in her throat, but she swallowed it down.

"Stay here," she said quietly. "I won’t take long."

Jasper frowned, clearly uneasy. "Zara, I’m not comfortable letting you face them by yourself. Let me come with you."

Her heart filled with gratitude. "I get it. And thank you for worrying. But this is something I need to confront on my own. Don’t worry. I can take care of myself."

Still, Jasper wasn’t convinced. "Fifteen minutes. If you are not out by then, I’m coming in. No arguments."

A smile curved her lips. "Do I even have a choice?"

"Glad you are aware." He shot her a wink.

Zara chuckled, shaking her head. Then she turned and limped toward the house, ready to face whatever was waiting for her inside.

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