Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Invitation to dinner

　　Zara got up from the sofa and rushed into her room as soon as the call was over. She locked the door and leaned against it. Her heart was still beating faster. She promised Solomon Grantham to go to the Grantham manor with Nicholas, but she didn't know if Nicholas knew about the dinner or not.

　　What if he didn't know about the dinner?

　　It would be embarrassing if she went there alone, and he didn't show up. What should she do now?

　　She was so anxious that she started biting her nails. She had no idea how to let him know. He never shared his phone number with her. In the past month, he had not called her a single time.

　　After thinking for a long time, an idea emerged in her mind. She unlocked her phone and searched for the contact details of Apex Groups. She found a few numbers on the internet. After hesitating for a while, she dialed a number.

　　The call connected after a few rings, and she heard a female voice greeting her professionally.

　　Zara placed her hand on her chest to suppress her anxiety and asked, "Can I speak to President Grantham?"

　　"May I know who you are? What is the purpose of your call?" The woman asked politely from the other end of the phone.

　　Zara pursed her lips and thought for a moment what to answer. Then she mustered her courage to say, "Tell him Zara is calling. I have something to tell him."

　　The woman on the other end was stunned. She wondered who the woman was. All the women that he dated had never called at the reception. If this woman was one of those women, she could have called him directly, or at least called Benjamin. The receptionist couldn't make out heads or tales and ended up saying, "You can call him directly on his phone."

　　Zara's face started burning in embarrassment. She bit her bottom lip and looked down on her toes. Her hand holding the phone began to shake. She took a deep breath and said, "Uh. I tried his phone, but he is not reachable. Maybe he is busy. I have something urgent to tell him."

　　"Don't worry, madam. I will pass the message to the president that you have called him. He will call you back."

　　"Oh."

　　Zara hung up the phone. Her hands were still shaking while her breathing was erratic. A few drops of sweat slid down from her forehead. She walked up to her bed slowly and sat down on the edge. She was thinking if he would call her or not. The thought of talking with him elevated her heart rate even more.

　　Tring. Tring. Tring.

　　Zara almost jumped out of the bed when she heard the phone ring. She peered at the screen and saw an unknown number.

　　She guessed that it was Nicholas's number and murmured, 'It's him. It's him.'

　　After a few moments of hesitation, she eventually answered the call, "Hello."

　　Before she could say 'Hello' properly she heard his impatient voice on the phone, "Why did you call?"

　　"Gra- grandpa invited us for dinner. He asked us to go together." She tried her best not to stutter.

　　"I will go when I get off work. You go on your own. And stop embarrassing me by calling the front desk. Save this number. But don't call me for small issues. Call me if you have something urgent or important."

　　"I under."

　　The call disconnected before she could utter a word.

　　She knew Nicholas hated her and wouldn't give her any face. But she still felt heartache, noticing how coldly he treated her. Tears pricked her eyes. She blinked frequently not to shed them. It was useless to cry on someone who didn't value her.

　　She sniffed and took a few deep breaths. She collected her thoughts and walked out.

　　Brian asked warily as soon as she came out of her room, "What happened? Why did you run away suddenly? What did you do so long in the room?"

　　"Oh my God. so many questions." She mustered a smile and sat beside him. Rubbing his head, she explained, "Grandpa invited me to dinner. I went inside to call your brother-in-law."

　　"Oh. So, you are not staying for dinner?" Brian was a little upset to hear her.

　　She squeezed his hand and tried to cheer him up, "We have so many meals together. Only tonight I am going to have dinner with Grantham's. I will be back tomorrow again. Don't worry."

　　Meanwhile, Charlotte came back with a bag full of vegetables. She asked Zara, "Are you going out?"

　　Zara got up from the sofa and took the bag from her hand, "Yes, Mom. Grandpa invited me to dinner." She walked up to the kitchen and placed the bag on the counter. She turned back and said, "I have to go."

　　Charlotte smiled happily, "That's good. Old Mr. Grantham really cares about you. You should take care of him."

　　She rubbed her arms on both sides. "No need to come back tomorrow if he asks you to stay at the mansion. We can manage here. Just come on the day of the surgery."

　　Zara's heart only ached to see how happy her mother was. But her mother didn't know the truth about her marriage. She only smiled and nodded. However, from a closer look, that smile was more pitiful than a cry.

　　In the head office of Apex Groups.

　　Davis Moore finally came to meet Nicholas. He had tried many ways to fight back with Nicholas, but in the end, he couldn't cope up. Moore's company was running in a huge loss, and if it continued, the company would go bankrupt. To save his company, he suppressed his anger and frustration and came to Apex Groups.

　　He was sitting on the chair opposite Nicholas. They only stared at each other and didn't say a single word.

　　At last, Davis broke the silence, "You guessed right that I know where Sasha is. But I can't tell you that even if Moore's company is bankrupt. Do you know why? Because she doesn't want you to know where she is."

　　"You are lying." Nicholas slammed his fist on the table and snarled in anger. "Why would she do that? She loves me, and she knows I love her. Don't try this on me. Give me the address."

　　Davis let out a dry chuckle, "You still don't believe me. Then I have nothing to do. I am telling the truth. I am already at a loss. What benefit will I get lying to you? Believe it or not, she doesn't care about your feelings anymore. She had woken up from the coma two months after that accident. Sadly, that accident claimed her uterus. She won't be able to conceive in her lifetime. She hates you for this. It's because of your mistake she is suffering such a loss. She won't come back to you, Nicholas. I can't go against her will. If you want to destroy Moore's company, go ahead. I have nothing to say."

　　Davis leaned back on the chair, looking scornfully at him. Hostility was prominent in his gaze.

　　Nicholas, on the other end, was stunned. He was at a loss for words. This revelation was not less than a huge storm, shattering his all hopes. He waited for her day and night, searched for her everywhere, but in the end, he learned that she didn't love him any longer. She hated him because she blamed him for that accident.

　　But that was only an accident. It was not his fault. How could she blame him for that?

　　He could have lost his life too in that accident. He endured her family members' hatred for him because he thought she always loved him. But it turned out that she lost interest in him.

　　He was heartbroken. He felt as if his life was meaningless. He was numb, devoid of feelings.

　　Davis had a sly smile on the corner of his lips when he saw Nicholas in pain. His purpose of visiting him was successful. Nicholas was now heartbroken, and after learning the bitter truth, he wouldn't create any trouble for Moore's company. Without saying a word, he rose from the chair and strode out.

　　Nicholas remained seated in a daze. He was so absorbed in his pain that he didn't know when Davis went out.

　　He had no idea how long he would stay like this if Benjamin didn't come to the office, "Boss, are you not going to the mansion?"

　　Nicholas looked at him blankly for a while. He stood up and walked out without replying to him.

　　Zara went to the market to pick up a gift for Solomon Grantham. This was the first time she was going to the mansion after her marriage, and she didn't want to go empty-handed. She wandered into many gift shops but couldn't find a suitable gift for him. Finally, a leather eyeglasses holder caught her attention. Although it was not so lavish, it seemed thoughtful to her. She bought it and wrapped it in a shimmer golden wrapper.

　　Then she went to the villa before going to the Grantham manor. After changing into a beige boat neck gown and putting on light makeup, she came out of the villa.

　　The driver was waiting for her and drove directly to the mansion when she got into the car. It was a rush hour in the evening, so it took more than an hour to reach the mansion.

　　Solomon, Edward, and Betty were present in the hall. She greeted them politely and gave the gift to Solomon, "Grandpa, this is a small gift from me. I don't know if you like it or not, but please consider it your grand daughter-in-law's love." Her eyes twinkled as she smiled.

　　Solomon laughed and said, "Why won't I like it? Whatever you give, it will be dear to me."

　　He unwrapped the gift. His smile grew wide to see the eyeglasses holder, "What a thoughtful packet. I always forgot where I kept my glasses. It will be helpful to me."

　　"Thank you, grandpa." She chimed.

　　"Where is Nicholas? Why doesn't he come with you?"

　　Solomon's expression turned gloomy. His tone was also cold with a tinge of annoyance.

　　Zara's face turned pale. She didn't want to lie to him, but she couldn't tell him about the bitter truth of their relationship either.

　　"Grandpa, don't get excited. He is a little busy at work, so he asked me to go early. He will come right from the office."

　　She mustered a smile, suppressing the dull ache in her heart.