Reclaimed By My Ex-husband-Chapter 70: The doubts v/s reality

Changed?

The word echoed in Zara’s mind. She wasn’t sure.

Memories flickered behind her eyes—Nathaniel saying he wanted to give their marriage a real chance, the subtle shifts in the way he had looked at her, spoken to her. She had sensed something different in him lately, something softer. Maybe he was trying.

But then the kidnapping happened—the chilling tone in his voice during the ransom call, the way he brushed it off, refused to believe she was in real danger. That moment still clung to her, refusing to let go.

If he had truly believed she was in danger, acted on it right away, maybe things would have turned out differently. Maybe their baby would still be here.

"I don’t know," she muttered with a helpless shrug.

Bree didn’t push. "Forget it," she said with a wave of her hand. "No more overthinking. Right now, focus on healing—because after this show, we are going to be buried in orders. I can feel it."

She beamed, excitement dancing in her eyes.

Zara smiled faintly, the warmth of Bree’s optimism lifting her for a moment. "Don’t get ahead of yourself. We are up against some serious competition. Well-established designers are also participating. You shouldn’t forget that."

"You always underestimate yourself," Bree said, mockingly crossing her arms.

Zara opened her mouth to reply, but the door swung open before she could.

Two figures stepped in – Paulina and Zane.

"Mommy," Zane’s little voice rang out as he rushed toward the bed.

Zara’s breath caught in her throat. Her chest swelled with emotions as she opened her arms. "Zane..."

He flew into her embrace, burying his face against her chest, his small arms wrapped around her.

Zara clutched him close, holding on as though he were the only thing keeping her from falling apart. The pain, the sorrow—all of it faded for a moment. Having Zane in her arms lifted the heavy sorrow that had been suffocating her, as if his presence alone could ease the pain in her heart.

No one said a word.

Zara held Zane close, tears slipping quietly down her cheeks, her body gently rocking with the weight of emotion. Paulina stood nearby, eyes glistening, watching the mother and son with a lump in her throat. Across from them, Bree couldn’t contain her own tears, seeing the raw moment was too much. She quietly turned and slipped out of the room.

Paulina blinked away her tears and finally moved closer to the bed. "Zane," she called out gently, "your mommy is still recovering. Come sit beside her. You might hurt her."

Zara shook her head, her arms wrapped protectively around her son. "Let him stay. I need him."

Paulina sighed softly and settled into the chair beside the bed. "He has been talking about you all night," she said. "I wanted to bring him here last night, but Nathaniel told us you were asleep."

Zara glanced at her, searching her face for any sign of judgment or resentment or maybe a flicker of doubt. Riya’s accusations that the family was angry with her, that they doubted her, still lingered in her mind. But Paulina’s eyes were only filled with worry and warmth. No anger. No coldness. And for the first time, Zara wondered—had Riya twisted the truth?

"Zane was so excited to go out to dinner with you," Paulina said, with a tinge of sadness in her tone. "He was heartbroken when you didn’t come. I called you that night, but..." She sighed. "None of us imagined you were in danger. I should have done more. I should have known something was wrong. If I had called the police right away. Things could have been turned out differently..."

She trailed off. The whole family had been busy blaming Zara’s carelessness. No one had tried to check if she was okay.

Zara’s heart ached when she heard Zane had been disappointed and that he had missed her. She gently stroked his hair. She hadn’t meant to upset him, to break a promise.

"Thank God Nathaniel came back early," Paulina started again. "He immediately sensed something was off and started digging right away. And when he found out it was your father who took you, he acted swiftly."

Zara’s head snapped toward the old lady, disbelief crossing her wide eyes. ’What? Nathaniel knew about the kidnapping?’ Her thoughts were scattered in confusion and doubts. ’Then why did he act like he didn’t know I was in danger? Why did he sound so cold on the phone?’

"He contacted the police," Paulina added gently, ’laid out a plan to rescue you."

Zara’s heart sank. Everything she had believed—the anger, the betrayal, the hate—suddenly felt like a cruel misunderstanding. She had accused him, screamed at him, and pushed him away. And all this time... he had been trying to save her.

Regret crept in, painfully twisting her heart.

"But..." Paulina’s voice faltered. "It was still late. You—"

She couldn’t finish. The rest of the words caught in her throat.

Zara didn’t need the words. She felt them. They pressed against her chest like a weight, and fresh tears welled in her eyes. She bit her lip, trying to keep herself from breaking down again.

A small movement pulled her from the spiral.

Zane stirred in her arms and looked up at her, his big, concerned eyes fixed on her bruised face. He reached up and gently brushed a finger against her cheek.

"Your face... does it hurt?" he asked.

Zara’s heart ached and swelled at once. That gentle touch, that innocent concern—it was everything she needed. She blinked back tears and forced a smile through the lump in her throat. "No, sweetheart," she whispered, holding his little hand. "There is no pain when you are with me."

She pressed a kiss to his palm, holding it against her heart.

"I know this is hard," Paulina again started, this time cautiously. "No words can make the pain go away. But you still have Zane. And you and Nathaniel... you still have a future. You can have more children someday. Just—try to hold on to hope. Look forward."

Zara looked at her, eyes filled with questions. "You are not angry? That I didn’t tell anyone I was pregnant?"

Paulina gave a small, knowing smile. "No, Zara. I’m not. I figured you had your reasons. That’s not what matters right now."

She leaned in slightly, her voice calm but firm. "But you do need to talk to Nathaniel. Don’t let silence or anger make things worse between you. Talk to each other and try to resolve things. If there is still doubt in your heart, if you feel this relationship can’t be mended, then you have the right to make your choice. And whatever you decide, I’ll stand with you."

She paused, her gaze softening. "Just... don’t let Zane get caught in the middle of it."

Zara sat in quiet shock, taken aback by Paulina’s response. She had expected judgment and blame for keeping her pregnancy a secret. But instead, Paulina had shown compassion and wisdom, reacting in a way Zara never saw coming.

It was clear now that the older woman had seen the cracks in her marriage with Nathaniel, had sensed the tension. And yet, she hadn’t pushed her to stay. She hadn’t tried to guilt her or pretend everything was perfect.

Instead, she had given her space and support.

Zara’s heart warmed at the unexpected comfort. freeweɓnøvel~com

"Thank you, Grandma," she said softly, a small smile forming on her lips. "I’ll take your advice seriously. And... thank you for telling me about what Nathaniel did. It clears up a lot of the confusion I’ve been holding onto."

Paulina nodded gently. "Nathaniel may come across as cold. At times, he even seems heartless," she admitted. "But that’s because he shut down after Nora passed. He locked his heart behind walls."

She paused, her shoulders slumping. "But I saw how much you mattered to him. The moment he realized you were in danger, he panicked. He could have waited at home and sent others. But he didn’t. He went himself with his men. That’s not something you do for someone you don’t care about."

Zara’s breath caught in her throat.

In the haze of her memory, she remembered a figure rushing toward her, untying her, lifting her from the ground, just before she lost consciousness.

She had thought it was the police. But it was him.

’He risked his life... for me,’ she whispered to herself, heart pounding.

Paulina’s voice pulled her back. "Think about all of this before you make the final decision," she said with a tinge of warning.

"I understand, Grandma," Zara murmured.

Everything was starting to make sense now. Riya had clearly manipulated the truth, feeding her lies to deepen the cracks in her already fragile marriage with Nathaniel. But Paulina’s honesty, her gentle clarity, made Zara stop and reconsider.

Maybe their story wasn’t over just yet. Maybe... he deserved a chance.

Just then, the door opened, and Nathaniel stepped inside.

The room fell into silence. When Zara’s eyes met his, she couldn’t stop her heart from racing.

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