Lady Warrior's Warth on Divorce Day novel Chapter 188

Chapter 188

Back at her apartment, Zoya fired up her laptop and pulled up the email she’d just received, her brows knitting together in a frown.

Who could’ve sent me this anonymous email?’ Zoya wondered, a trace of unease slipping into her thoughts.

The sender obviously knew she couldn’t put together 30 million dollars on her own, but by bringing up that number, they must’ve figured she could turn to Wren for that kind of cash.

But they’d explicitly told her not to breathe a word to Wren.

So, the sender was most likely someone familiar to both her and Wren.

Zoya checked out the account the sender had provided-it was an offshore account. As soon as the money landed, with that password, they could snatch it anytime, anywhere.

But what really gnawed at her was that this person knew she was looking for her brother. ‘Do they really have any actual clues about him?’ Zoya wondered.

Just the thought of her brother made even breathing feel like a dull ache inside.

She replied to the email: [Why should I believe you’ve actually got information about my brother?]

To her surprise, the sender hit back almost immediately with a security video.

The clip lasted barely three seconds, but Zoya needed only a split second to know that the person in the video was her brother.

He looked beaten up, his clothes torn and stained with blood.

But the footage was so grainy that she couldn’t make out the buildings in the background, let alone tell where he was.

She fired off another email, trying to get a clearer video, but by then, the sender’s temporary email was already dead.

In other words, the sender was laying down the rules. If Zoya wanted any more details, she’d have to wire the money into that offshore account first.

If 30 million dollars could really buy information on her brother, Zoya wouldn’t hesitate for a second.

She could borrow from Wren, or even go to the bank. She’d pulled off making Nicolas’s company go public in just three years, so she knew she had what it took to pay back that kind of money.

She’d agree to any price, no matter how high the demand.

But she was determined to find out who was pulling the strings behind all this.

Daphne shut her laptop, already counting the hours until that cash dropped into her account in three days.

If her uncle hadn’t started snooping through the books and her dad hadn’t embezzled company money, leaving behind this mess to clean up, she wouldn’t be this desperate to wring money out of Zoya right now.

Whatever. Zoya owes me this, anyway,’ Daphne justified to herself.

If Zoya hadn’t meddled, Wren would still support her. Even if her dad embezzled a fortune, all Daphne needed was a word, and then the Lucero family would’ve fixed everything for her.

But things had changed. Wren had cut her off for real now, and those people in the Lucero family who used to suck up to her were just dying for a chance to stomp on her while she was down.

Since she didn’t have the nerve to use this secret to strike a deal directly with Wren, she figured she’d just milk Zoya for the cash instead.

Five years ago, Daphne and Wren ran into Zoya’s brother. Her jewelry was stolen, so they called the police in Dracorialand.

Then, the authorities pulled up all that security footage. If not for that incident, there was no way Daphne would have gotten her hands on that clip now.

Even then, it took her a lot of efforts to get that footage from the cops from Dracorialand.

If Zoya was sharp enough, she’d be able to trace the video back and eventually discover that Wren had crossed paths with her brother.

If all that sparked more drama between Wren and Zoya, Daphne felt that it would be considered a win for her.

Daphne was savoring her scheme, blissfully unaware that Zoya was already onto her, using that anonymous email to track her down.

Tracing an email would’ve stumped most people, but Zoya was in a league of her own when it came to that.

Back when she was restoring that drone footage from the fire, she’d borrowed the computers at the Richmond family’s tech company.

She could tap into their tracking systems just as easily.

In fact, Wren had given her full access to the Richmond family’s intel network.

With her access, she could tap into the Richmond family’s resources and track down any intel she wanted.

That night, Wren turned to her. “What are you digging into? Need a hand?”

“Not at the moment,” Zoya said. She knew that he was bound to notice that she tapped into their intel system.

She added, “If I need anything, I’ll let you know.”

“This got something to do with that email you got earlier?” Wren asked her.

“Yeah, but I’m not ready to talk about it yet,” Zoya replied.

After all, the sender had laid down the rules in the email that Zoya could not reveal this to anyone. They’d even called out Wren by name. So for now, she had to keep Wren out of the loop.

With her brother involved, she wasn’t about to gamble with this.

Maybe once she had more to go on, she could finally fill Wren in.

Zoya said, “But I do need to borrow some cash. If the time comes, I want full access to your bodyguards as

well.”

Wren just smiled softly. “Zoya, I’ve said it before-anything I have is yours. Money, people, whatever you

need.”

Zoya’s heart skipped a beat. She found herself spacing out as she stared at him. ‘So this is what catching real feelings must feel like, she thought.

Every time she was around him, her pulse did that helpless little dance, and before she knew it, those butterflies had turned into full-blown love.

Every little thing he did just made her love him even more.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

He closed the distance in a heartbeat, nose nearly touching hers, lips brushing against her as he teased, “If you really want to thank me, then how about doing it a few more times with me tonight?”

Zoya’s cheeks flushed bright red.

‘Damn, how am I supposed to resist him when he turns on the charm like that?’ Zoya thought.

“So, do you want me?” Wren teased.

He was so close. His gorgeous face and mesmerizing eyes seemed to ripple with mischief. His gentle breath glided over her cheek.

Zoya used to think she could never be the type to fall for looks alone, but standing here with Wren, all that conviction went right out the window.

“Zoya…” he murmured, his voice thick with longing.

“I want you,” she said, letting her desires take the wheel. She grabbed his face and crashed her lips against his, her boldness unleashing his passion as he kissed her back even harder.

They melted into each other, bodies perfectly intertwined, swept away in the heat of their desire.

Zoya asked Wren for 30 million dollars.

Wren didn’t even hesitate to transfer the money, but he just couldn’t shake off this gnawing feeling of anxiety.

Ever since they’d gotten together, Zoya had always been open with him.

But this time, she’d told him straight up that he couldn’t be in the loop.

Just what was in that message she got that day?’ Wren couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Wren watched Zoya sleep beside him, his gaze drifting to her phone resting on the nightstand.

Holding his breath, he moved as silently as possible, slowly reaching over her, his fingers inching toward her phone.

Wren thought, ‘If I just opened it now, maybe I’d finally see that message that made her face go white back in the car. And I’d know why she needed 30 million dollars and access to all my bodyguards.

‘If I found out everything, would this restless worry gnawing in my chest finally disappear?’