Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow - Chapter 404

Chapter 404: Let Go
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CHAPTER 404

~Zara’s POV~

I nodded, eager to get out of there. The walls of the lounge suddenly felt suffocating, and I needed space—space to breathe, to think, to process.

As we walked toward the exit, I kept glancing down at the envelope, my fingers running over the sealed edges. I had half a mind to rip it open right now, but something held me back.

Not here. Not with Kaid watching.

The valet brought Kaid’s sleek black car to the curb, and he opened the passenger door for me.

“Your chariot awaits,” he said smoothly.

I rolled my eyes but slid in without protest. Kaid walked around to the driver’s seat and climbed in, the engine purring to life as he pulled away from the hotel.

The car ride was quiet at first. Kaid didn’t push, and I was grateful for it. My mind was still tangled in thoughts of Snow, of what was in the damn envelope, of what freedom meant coming from him.

Halfway through the drive, Kaid finally spoke. “You okay?”

I turned to him, offering a small, tired smile. “Just exhausted.”

He nodded, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. “Understandable.”

A comfortable silence settled between us, the city lights flashing past the windows. When we finally pulled up in front of my apartment complex, Kaid shifted the car into park but didn’t immediately unlock the doors.

Instead, he turned to me, his gaze unreadable. “I meant what I said earlier, you know.”

I blinked. “About what?”

He smirked. “Liking this side of you. The woman who takes charge, who makes bold moves. It’s… sexy.”

I huffed a laugh. “Is that so?”

“Mm-hmm.” His smirk deepened, and before I could react, he leaned in slightly.

I felt the moment his intent changed. The air in the car grew heavier, charged with something unspoken. His gaze flickered to my lips, and slowly—too slowly—he leaned in.

I froze.

Kaid had always been forward, always flirted, but this… this was something else. Something deliberate.

And for a brief second, I considered letting him.

But then—I moved.

Just enough for his lips to brush mine but not fully meet them.

The barest, softest peck.

Kaid stilled. Then pulled back slightly, amusement flashing in his eyes. “Swift,” he murmured, his lips curling into a knowing smile.

I exhaled, shaking my head. “Goodnight, Kaid.”

His eyes glinted with something unreadable before he finally unlocked the doors. “Goodnight, Zara.”

Without another word, I stepped out of the car, gripping the envelope tightly as I made my way inside.

I didn’t look back.

But I felt his eyes on me the entire way.

The moment I stepped into my apartment, I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, exhaling deeply. My fingers curled tighter around the envelope as if it carried the weight of everything I had been trying to ignore.

I dropped my bag onto the couch, my phone right next to it, and glanced at the envelope once more. My stomach twisted as unease curled around my heart like a vice. But instead of opening it, I turned away.

Not yet.

First, I needed a shower. A long, hot bath to wash away the tension of today—the meeting, Kaid’s almost-kiss, Snow’s unexpected appearance.

My mind still trailed back to Kaid. He was handsome and domineering, no les,s and almost every girl would swoon to be that close to him, but not me.

The one whom my heart desired was a different person, but if we truly dissolved our marriage, did that mean I could give Kaid a chance?

I shook my head, not wanting to think about it. It was already too much stress.

Immediately, I headed for my room and took off my clothes, leaving them as a pile by my feet as I stepped towards the bathroom.

The water was warm against my skin, soothing but not enough to calm the storm brewing inside me. I stayed under the spray longer than necessary, letting the steam surround me as I pressed my hands against the cool tiles.

It’s for the best.

The words echoed in my mind, a mantra I kept telling myself, but it didn’t make the ache in my chest disappear.

By the time I stepped out, I felt marginally better, but the envelope still sat on my bed like an unspoken challenge. A decision waiting to be made.

Dressed in a simple crop singlet and a pair of shorts that barely reached mid-thigh, I towel-dried my hair and finally settled onto the bed.

With hesitant fingers, I tore the envelope open.

The moment my eyes locked onto the papers inside, my breath caught. My heart thudded painfully, my vision blurring as I scanned the familiar signature at the bottom of the page.

Snow’s signature. On the divorce papers.

Astrid growled lowly in my mind, a sound of anger and pain. “He actually signed them.”

I swallowed hard, gripping the edges of the papers as if they might disappear if I held them tightly enough. My chest felt tight, and for the first time in a long while, I didn’t know what to do with the emotions crashing over me.

He let me go.

This was what I wanted, right? This was what I asked for. Then why did it feel like my heart had just been ripped out of my chest?

Astrid snarled again. “This isn’t right. He’s supposed to fight for us. For you.”

“He is,” I whispered, my voice barely audible in the silence of my room. “But I told him to let me go.”

“And he just did?”

Silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken emotions. I could feel my wolf’s anger, her grief intertwining with my own.

Astrid’s voice softened. “Then… will you reject him as your mate?”

My fingers trembled as I traced over Snow’s signature, my throat tightening.

I hesitated. Seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity while I contemplated my answer.

And then, I nodded. “Yes,” I whispered. “I will reject Snow.”

The words tasted bitter on my tongue, but I forced myself to accept them because I had to. Because if he had let me go, then I needed to do the same.

Even if it shattered me in the process.

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~Snow’s POV~

I didn’t leave.

After walking out of that hotel, I had every intention of driving home, of leaving things alone for the night.

But then, I saw them leave the hotel. Immediately, I drove after them.

From my car, parked across the street, I watched as Kaid pulled up in front of Zara’s apartment building. I clenched my jaw as I watched him lean in, his face inches from hers.

Glacier growled low in my mind. “If he kisses her, I swear to the Moon Goddess—”

I silenced Glacier. I did not need his opinion now. But before Kaid could do so, Zara moved.

It wasn’t obvious—just a subtle shift, a slight turn of her head. Instead of a full kiss, Kaid’s lips barely brushed against hers in the lightest peck before she pulled back completely.

Relief coursed through me, but my grip on the steering wheel remained tight, my knuckles white.

She stopped him. But she hadn’t pushed him away either.

I exhaled sharply as Kaid smirked at her before she alighted the car, and he finally drove off.

For a moment, I considered getting out and going to her, telling her how much I still wanted and needed her.

But I hesitated. Not yet. Not until I got the answers I needed.

“First, I need to do some digging,” I muttered, reaching for my phone. “Before I go after Zara again and make her mine, I need to know who I have brought into my life.”

I scrolled through my contacts and hit the name I had been saving for times like this.

Dare Devil.

The call barely rang twice before he answered. “Snow. Been a while?”

“Yeah,” I said, my voice rough. “I need your help.”

“Name it.”

I glanced toward Zara’s apartment one last time before turning the key in the ignition. “You must be discreet. Look into Vera. Or Vani. Whatever she calls herself. The new maid in my mansion. Her story doesn’t add up, and I want to know everything about her and who she is. Leave no stone unturned.”

Dare Devil was silent for a beat before responding. “You don’t trust her?”

“At this point,” I said darkly, “I don’t trust anything about her.”

He exhaled sharply. “Alright. I’ll dig into her background.”

I nodded. “Be thorough. If there’s anything out of place, I need to know.”

“Understood,” Dare Devil replied. Then, after a short pause, he asked, “What if she’s innocent?”

I clenched my jaw. “Then that alone proves something is off. Since she arrived, Zara and I have been falling apart. That’s no coincidence especially when she came to work in my house.”

Dare Devil hummed in thought. “Alright. I’ll get back to you once I have something.”

“Good,” I said. Then hesitated.

“What?” Dare Devil asked, catching onto it immediately.

I exhaled. “I also can’t lose Zara.”

There was a pause. Then Dare Devil let out a low chuckle. “Figured as much.”

“I’ll call you when I find the truth.”

“Yeah.”

I ended the call and tossed my phone onto the passenger seat, gripping the wheel tightly.

Zara… I had let her go once. But I wouldn’t make that mistake again. No matter what it took, I would get her back.