Contract Marriage: I’ve Always Loved You

Jace’s P. O. V.

I can no longer conceal the truth from Steve, the truth that has shattered my life. Perhaps he understands and doesn’t take any action.

“I didn’t do this,” I finally speak up.

“What? Then what the bracelet-”

“Zara did this.” As I reveal, his grip on my collar loosens and his expression shifts to one of confusion.

“So you were protecting her?” He asks, walking towards my room. “Where is she?”

“Steve, I can explain,” I plead, grabbing his arm to stop him.

He pushes me away, seething in anger. “You can’t protect her anymore, Jace,” he yells. “She committed a crime.”

“Steve, please listen to me.” He is about to take a step towards my room, but stops, listening to my words. “Zara isn’t fine.”

“What do you mean?” Steve turns towards me, his brows narrowed in confusion.

It’s time for me to lay bare the truth, to reveal the pain and struggles that Zara has been facing. Only then can Steve truly understand the situation.

“Zara was pregnant with a baby girl almost two years ago, but she fell from the stairs and had a miscarriage.” My voice shakes as I tell him about the incident that turned our life upside down. “That day, I lost my Zara along with our baby. No matter how much I tried to cheer her up and explain, she couldn’t accept the pain of losing our child. She became withdrawn and distant. The thought that haunted her the most was that she could never bear another child due to the internal injuries sustained during the fall.”

Steve’s expression softens, his anger giving way to concern. “Jace, why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“You were already grappling with the pain of separating from Grace. I didn’t want to burden you with our struggles,” I explain, feeling a pang of guilt for keeping this from him. “And I never thought that Zara would do something like this in the future. e. She found happiness again after meeting Grace and your babies. Believe me, Steve, if I had known she was planning to kidnap Giana, I would have never let that happen.”

“How didn’t you come to know that she kidnapped Giana?” He asks, staring at me in disbelief.

“She took Giana to Australia, claiming she was going on a business trip…”

Flashback (A month ago)

I travelled to Australia to surprise Zara, but as I entered her room, the bouquet slipped from my hand in shock when I saw Giana with her.

She was taken aback to see me and approached cautiously. “Jace-”

I grasped her arms firmly, my voice laced with anger and disbelief. “What the hell, Zara? You kidnapped my friend’s daughter. Are you out of your mind?”

“Jace, she is our daughter. Our Giana. God gave our daughter back-”

We had decided to name our daughter ‘Giana,’ and coincidentally, Steve and Grace also chose the same name for their daughter.

“Why don’t you understand, Zara? Our daughter, Giana, is gone. She is Grace and Steve’s daughter. How could you kidnap a baby?” I shot her an incredulous look, struggling to comprehend her actions.

Tears trickled down Zara’s eyes. “No, please stop saying this, Jace. Our daughter is alive.”

“You’re coming back to New York with me and I’m going to return Giana to Steve and Grace.” I approached Giana, who was playing with the toys, sitting on the bed.

“Please, don’t do this, Jace. Please don’t take her away. I will die without her. She is my daughter. Jace, please…” she begged, crying, hugging me from behind when I was about to lift Giana in my arms.

It hurt me deeply to see her in such a state. I wished I could grant her wish, but I knew what I had to do.

“Zara, we can adopt the baby. Kidnapping someone’s baby isn’t right. Steve and Grace are suffering without her.” I explained to her, cupping her face after turning towards her.

“You can’t see my suffering, Jace,” she said, her voice filled with despair. “I have been enduring this pain for over a year. Giana is our daughter. Why don’t you understand? I only want her.”

Zara’s desperation tore at my heart, but I couldn’t ignore her actions. “Zara, I understand your pain, but kidnapping isn’t the answer. We can find other ways to heal and move forward.”

She hugged me, her sobs shaking both of us. “Please, Jace, I can’t lose her. I can’t lose our daughter again.”

Her grip on me tightened as if holding onto her last hope. But I couldn’t ignore the reality of the situation. Giana wasn’t our daughter, and what Zara had done was not only illegal but also morally wrong.

I held her close. “I promise we’ll find a way through this together,” I explain, stroking her hair. “We can’t take someone else’s child and claim her as our own. It’s not fair to Giana, Steve, Grace, or anyone else involved. We need to return Giana to her rightful parents.”

She broke the hug and stared at me with immense pain in her eyes. “I don’t know if I can let her go, Jace. I don’t know if I can survive without her.” Her loud sobs echoed through the room, shattering my heart when she hugged Giana. “I can’t let you go, baby. You are my daughter. I can’t lose you again.”

It was evident that Zara wasn’t mentally stable. She needed help, and I regretted not realizing it sooner.

As silent tears streamed down my face, I watched her in her worst state, wishing I could ease her pain.

Flashback over

“It was so difficult for me to bring Zara back to New York, Steve. She wasn’t ready to accept that Giana wasn’t her daughter. Although she’s undergoing treatment, she is still struggling to accept reality and keeps begging me to bring her daughter back.” As I tell Steve everything, he stares at me, speechless.

“I don’t know what I should say, Jace. I wanted to kill my daughter’s kidnapper for making our family suffer. But now, after listening to Zara’s story, I don’t know if I should be angry or feel sorry-”

“Steve.” Zara’s voice catches our attention. She stands at the door of our room, staring at Steve. “Please give my daughter to me.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Steve looks at her with sympathy in his eyes. I’m glad he doesn’t hate her.

As I walk to Zara, she implores, “Jace, ask Steve to give my daughter, please. I need her.”

“Let’s go inside, baby. I’ll talk to him.” I guide her inside, wrapping my arm around her and shut the door after the last time, glancing at Steve, who is sitting there in shock.

Steve knows the truth. It feels like a burden has been lifted from my shoulders. One month ago, knowing who was the kidnapper of her daughter, I couldn’t meet my eyes with him.

***

Steve’s P. O. V.

I step out of Jace’s mansion, my mind spinning with the revelation of an unexpected truth. Zara’s desperate plea echoes in my ears. Her pain was clearly visible in every word she spoke. Despite the anger and frustration I initially felt, hearing Zara’s side of the story, I felt a pang in my heart.

Losing a child is a devastating experience, one that no parent should ever have to endure. I can only imagine the torment she must have been going through.

Part of me wants to hold onto my anger, to blame her for the suffering she’s caused. But another part of me recognises she is a mother who has been driven to extremes by her agony.

One thing is certain: she needs help. Whether I can forgive her actions or not, she deserves the chance to heal and find peace.

As I settle inside the car, taking a deep breath, I start the car’s engine and drive away, my mind twirling with thoughts of how to approach Grace with this truth. I know it won’t be easy, and the revelation may cause her immense pain and confusion. But she deserves to know the truth, just as much as I did.

My mind races with questions. How will Grace react when she learns that the woman who kidnapped our daughter is also a grieving mother herself? Will she be able to find it in her heart to forgive Zara, or will she be consumed by anger and resentment?