Merrick

I stare at her in disbelief. Her eyes are so intense that I find myself being unable to look at them for too long.

I look away for a moment and then turn back to her. "So your friend and Dean are what?" I ask her, trying to divert the topic. It's hard to miss the look of disappointment that washes over her face the moment I say that. I clench my jaw as she drops her hands immediately and takes a step back. Fuck. Way to ruin the mood, Merrick.

Zelina lowers her gaze and begins to walk again. "I don't know exactly, but I just found out that they have been hanging out a lot together." She says. "Apparently, they met on the same night when you dropped my drunk ass home." She looks up at me and half-smiles. "The same night you ditched Dean for me."

I don't know why but I suddenly feel embarrassed. "Woah...that's..."

"Crazy, right?" She says, and I shake my head.

"Now, that explains why he's been acting all strange since then."

"I think Dean is cool," Zelina says with a smile, and I try not to frown. I know it's silly, but it bothers me to think that maybe she likes him more than me. Of course, Merrick, she'd like you too if you'd stop acting weird.

"Though I'd warn my friend if I were you...because Dean is quite a heartbreaker." I shrug.

"Really?"

"However, for the past few days, I didn't see him flirt around. He seems to not have been himself lately, so I can't say anything." I say. "Maybe for once, he is trying to be serious about something in his life. Maybe he really likes her."

"That's great and even if it's not the case then I think Alexa can still handle him." Zelina chuckles, and I take a moment to admire how good she looks when she laughs.

She stops on her way and then looks at me. "What's that?" I follow her gaze and see that she is pointing to the gate on the back.

"Does that come under your territory?" Zelina asks as she reaches there and looks out.

"Yeah..."

Her eyes twinkle with curiosity as she asks. "Can we go there?"

It's been a long time since I went there, and I hesitate for a moment. "Okay..." I finally say. I call Owen to unlock the gates, and then we make our way inside.

Zelina looks around curiously as she walks through the road. There are huge trees on both sides of the path and I smile when I see Zelina gets excited listening to the chirping of birds. The ground begins to elevate, and we can feel the crackling of dried leaves under our feet as we walk through it.

"Woah...this seems more like a private hill." She grins as we climb the slope. It's bumpy and bushy but still nice. It's a hilltop that we have right behind our house. We own the entire landscape and it's very scenic. My grandfather had a very vintage choice, and when it came to building a house, he wanted it to be away from city life and close to nature. I love the countryside vibe that we have here. It's refreshing.

We reach the top and I grin when Zelina's eyes grow big when she notices a pond out there.

"Oh my god, this isn't real." She says as she rushes to get close to it. I see her lean down and put her hand in the water. She lets out a sigh of satisfaction, and I know she likes it. She then turns to look at me, and her face glows with happiness. I smile at her in response. I know it's because there are fish in the pond.

I put my hands in my pocket and stare at her when she turns towards the water again. It's nice to see the smile back on her face. I am glad that I didn't stop her discover this place. After a moment, she sits down on the grass. I walk over to her and I sit next to her. We have a nice view of the sky and the pond with all the greenery behind it.

"This is amazing. I can't believe you get to live here." Zelina says without turning to look at me.

"Yeah...I feel lucky. It's nice to spend time away from the hustle-bustle of the city." I say to her as I stare at the sky with the bright sun.

"Seems like this place has been well taken care of." She says after a moment as she looks at me.

"Owen has a team that looks after it," I say to her.

"How often do you come here?" She asks, moving closer to me and I look at her.

I sigh. "Not that much since my father passed away,"

I look away for a moment and then turn back to her. "We used to explore the woods together when I was a little kid." I smile, reminiscing those memories. "It was my favorite pastime."

Zelina doesn't say anything. She just nods.

"You know we have this in common." She says after a moment. "We both shared good memories with our fathers."

There is a sad smile on her lips as she continues to speak. "When I was five I used to every day watch my dad get ready for work. I hated that he had to leave for the office, so what I would do is that I would ask him to let me do his tie...and then I'd mess it up." She chuckles and I smile. "Funny thing...that never kept him from going."

My eyes roam all over her face, and I realize how relaxed she looks right now. We turn our gazes back in front of us and enjoy the view in silence. The sun is bright above us, but it doesn't feel hot because of the proximity of the pond. I know we need to get back because Claire would be wondering where we went, but I just want to dwell on this moment a little longer.

After some time, I look back at Zelina. "Zelina, can I ask you something?" I ask her.

"Yes." She says.

I don't know if it's right to bring this up now, but it's been something that I wanted to ask her since what she told me last night. "What did you mean when you said your mother was cruel to you all your life?"

She doesn't look rattled by my question, but she doesn't answer either. After a moment, she gulps slowly and asks me. "Do you really wanna know it?" Her voice seems barely a whisper.

"Yes," I say.

"Why?"

"Why? Because there's something that makes me think that the bitchy billionaire that's known to the world isn't the real Zelina..." I reason. "I want to know the real Zelina, and I am sure she has a different story."

She bites her lower lip, and I can see that she is struggling with her next words. When she doesn't say anything, I look at her with concern.

"What's wrong?" I ask her.

"Nothing." She looks up at me, and I see her eyes shine. "No one has ever stayed close enough to me to wonder what I was before I became the Zelina everyone knew." She says. "I never thought anybody would want to know about her."

"I am not anybody," I look into her eyes as I place my hand over hers and squeeze it. "I want to know you, Zelina," I say softly.

She looks down at our hands and then looks up to meet my gaze again. I nod at her, and she takes a deep breath before she starts speaking. "I was 7 years old when I realized my mother wasn't like the other mothers that I've known. She wouldn't make me breakfast in the morning or kiss me goodnight. She wouldn't get me ready for school or drop me at school or ask me how my day was when I came back home. She never cared. I barely saw her be home."

"Hanging out with her friends and partying were her priorities. But that didn't bother me because dad was always there for me. No matter how busy he was, he wouldn't forget about me. He wouldn't forget taking me out on picnics or telling me stories when I couldn't sleep at night." She smiles and looks at me. I nod, urging her to keep going.

"I realized later that she didn't care about him either. She probably used him just as her personal bank." She shakes her head, and I see her eyes harden a little. "I don't know why he would assure me that my mother loved us despite the fact that she never showed it."

"Maybe your dad was too good to realize it," I say slowly.

"Yes, he is." She answers. "My dad put everything he had into building the Miller Enterprises. The fact that he was able to keep up with the years of hard work was because of the support of his dear friend..." She pauses and looks at me before she says. "Ashton...They were close. Almost like brothers. My father trusted him with his life...but that all changed when he found out about Ashton's reality. He discovered what he actually did to keep his game on, and my dad was disgusted. My dad never liked the thought of getting his hands dirty to stay on top of business, and Ashton was exactly opposite to him with his principles."

My body tenses with the arrival of Ashton's name, but I don't say anything. I notice that Zelina has a pained look on her face as she continues. "He wanted to no longer be tied with his company, so he broke off the partnership. It didn't go well with Aston's ego, and of course, Jamie didn't like it either. The pearl was a big name in the market and breaking the ties with it would make our company suffer. She tried convincing my dad to get back with Ashton but he refused."

"I would hear them fight every day, but my dad always stood by his decision. Things were rough at the start but eventually, my dad got everything under control. I thought it was going to be alright...until one day when his car crashed." Her voice cracks when she says that. "I was in school when I got the news about his accident. I was shocked but it was nothing compared to what I felt when I heard the doctor say that he suffered from tetraplegia due to the injury. They also said that the chances of him having a fast recovery from paralysis were less." I stare at her in disbelief.

"I am so sorry..." I say to her.

"When he got discharged we brought him home along with a nurse to take care of him. That night as I saw him lie there on the bed I couldn't control my emotions. I cried and cried until I felt someone's arms around me." Her eyes fill up with tears and I feel a strange ache in my heart. "It was the first time when my mother hugged me. I felt relieved because after knowing about dad's condition I thought I was completely alone...but with Jamie's changed behavior I found hope again. She started taking care of me which was unbelievable because she never bothered to do that before."

I don't get to realize that I've moved closer to Zelina until our arms brush. I reach for my handkerchief in my pocket and hand it to her. She smiles sadly and takes it before she looks away. "We started to get along well...and one day she insisted that we should send dad to rehabilitation. So he could recover better."

"I thought it was a good idea but I didn't know how stupid I was to believe Jamie. Dad was moved soon to Rehab and then I was left alone with Jamie. I didn't know then what a hell my life was going to be..."

I clench my jaw angrily. The anticipation is killing me but at the same time, I feel dread knowing what's going to come next. "What did your mother do?" I ask her in a low voice.

"She did something that no mother would ever do." She says and tears roll down her cheek. Her chin trembles and I can't help but reach out and put my arms around her. I suddenly feel guilty for bringing up this because she looks more devastated than what she was yesterday.

I pull her against my chest as she continues to sob. After a moment I pull her back. She looks up at me with her sad eyes. I reach up and wipe the tears off her face. I clench my jaw and look into her eyes. "I am sorry. You don't have to continue if you don't feel like..." I pause for a moment. "I can't see you in pain."

She looks at me and bites her lip. "No, Merrick. You should know. I've never felt the need to bare myself to anyone as much as I feel to do it to you." I look at her in disbelief and she lowers her gaze.

After a moment she looks up at me. "Can you just hold my hand? It felt good." She asks hesitantly and my eyes soften. I reach for her hand and take it in mine. Her palm feels warm against mine and I give her a small smile as I hold it.

She takes a deep breath and I look at her. "She took over the company in dad's absence and she started taking me to the office with her. After cutting off with Ashton...her predictions turned right. We suffered a huge loss. Ashton was mad about my dad's decision to not work with him. He made sure if he couldn't work with us then no one else got to do it either."

Her hand begins to shake a little and I grasp it tightly, letting her know that it's okay. "We rarely got any clients. It was a really bad phase for our company. Even our associates refused to stay with us. But then something happened. I don't know how but later things changed...Jamie began to get clients. She would introduce me to them and close the deals in front of me." She pauses to look into my eyes. "It was all normal in the beginning but then it got weird when she would leave me alone with them during meetings." After saying that, she looks down for a moment as if she is ashamed of what she is going to say.

"She would just excuse herself out of the room and I had to be there with those creepy men. I hated it when they tried to touch me..." She says that and I can't help but clench my jaw in anger.

"Then it got worse when I had to go with them at night. I was so fucking stupid...I refused to do what Jamie wanted but she said it was the only way we could save my father's company. She used me to get her clients. I had just turned 19 at that time and I couldn't get to go to school because of how much of my time went on seducing men to get our deals done." I look at her and all I want to do is explode with rage. Of course, it's not directed towards her. I can't believe how a mother can have the heart to do something like that to her daughter.

I've been in this business for long enough to know how blinded rich men can be when it came to their thirst and the fact that this woman Jamie was ready to throw her young daughter in front of these vultures makes my blood boil.

"But that wasn't enough for Jamie. She reconnected with Ashton because she knew what others can offer would be nothing compared to the deal that Ashton was willing to give us. She started sending me to him and after I started being with Ashton, he asked me to not continue sleeping with other men."

Thinking about her being with Ashton stirs something more inside me than just anger. I don't know why but I feel a kind of jealousy that I never even felt before when I was with Monica.

"I became his mistress." She lowers her gaze. "Sex with other men wasn't as satisfying as it was with Ashton. He cared about pleasing me while no other men bothered about it before. I enjoyed being with him so much that I never desired to be with someone else." She says and I can hear the shame in her voice.

I clench my jaw as I place my hand under her chin and make her look at me. "Did you...did you love him?" I ask her in a low voice.

She looks into my eyes and I hold my breath to hear her answer. "I don't think so..." She responds and it eases my nerves a little though I still feel very tense.

She wipes her tears and looks at me. "I could never feel anything for him because he hurt me. My world was shattered the night I discovered that he was behind my dad's accident."

"What?" I ask her in disbelief.

"Yes, I heard him talk over the phone about it," Zelina says. "That wasn't an accident. It was a planned attack by him."

"Again I was a fool to believe him. I thought he wasn't like the other men. I guess I was right because he was worse than them." She chuckles dryly and then I see her jaw tense. "While it broke me completely, I knew I wasn't going to be his whore forever. That was the day when I swore to myself that I won't let him use me anymore. I was going to make him suffer and I wanted to start by cutting him off completely again. I didn't care what Jamie wanted because I was tired of being her puppet. I knew dad was right in putting Ashton in his place and I did the exact same thing.

"I was trying to figure out what to do for a long time and when I got your offer, I knew it was a perfect time. I immediately agreed to work with you." She smiles slowly as she looks up at me.

I try to process everything that she told me. "Is that why Ashton confronted me at the launch," I ask her. "He doesn't like you working with me?"

"He wants me back." She says in a disgusted tone.

"Why haven't you gone to the police yet?" I ask her.

"I didn't have anything against him. How was I supposed to prove anything?" She says. "However, I tried hiring a PI to look into everything he has been doing but Ashton caught me and threatened me."

It's crazy to think about everything that Zelina told me. When I don't say anything, Zelina speaks again.

"To be honest, I am not trying to play the victim here by telling all this, Merrick." She says and I look at her. "I know I am far from innocent. Although Jamie pushed me into this dirt but...carrying on to stay in it was my choice. By the time I decided to leave Ashton, I was already a sex addict. It's not something to be proud of but I am also not going to deny it. That's the reason why I ended up going to Alexa's bar every day. That's where I hunt for my hook-ups."

She looks at me and bites her lip. "But in a way, I am glad I didn't stop going there because...I got to meet you."

I just stare at her. I don't know why I am suddenly speechless.

Zelina turns away for a moment and when she looks back at me, I see tears in her eyes. "Merrick? I can understand if you feel disgusted by me."

I frown and reach up to wipe the tears off her cheek. "Of course not. Why would I? Zelina what you have been through is not at all disgusting." I sigh and shake my head. "You have endured so much more than what I could have imagined. I didn't know this was something that people didn't know. You don't deserve any of this, Zelina."

I wait for a moment, trying not to ask her a ridiculous question but I eventually say it. This should be the last thing bothering me in this situation but I can't help. "I just...do you still go to that bar?" I ask her slowly.

She gulps and looks at me. "I haven't been there since I met you."

"Really? How are you able to...?" I let it trail off because I know she understands what I mean.

She half-smiles but I see her eyes gleam in a certain way that makes my heart flutter. "You have no idea how hard it has been for me but...I think waiting for someone worth is much better than doing it with the wrong guy."

I feel my body tense and I look away. When I look back at Zelina, I feel my whole body shaking with anger as I realize each and every word she said. "Zelina, your mother...she's been so fucking wrong. I can't believe the extent of the damage she caused you...For god's sake, you were her daughter and she used you...and all that for what? Her company? Money?" I shake my head in disbelief. "She is a fucking sadist. But don't you worry. I am going to make sure she would pay for what she did to you."

I realize now that her words make sense now. It's better to not have a mother than have one like hers. Something tugs at my heart and I can't stop myself from thinking about my mother and what's going to come next month. It makes me sad.

"What are you going to do?" She asks.

"I don't know but I have Aiden. I am going to speak to him and I am going to make sure that we find a way to put her behind the bars for good." I say. "She deserves to be punished."

"Thank you, Merrick," Zelina whispers and I see her lips tremble. She puts her arms around me, taking me by surprise. I wrap my arms around her and she rests her cheek against my chest. "I didn't know how scared I was to tell you everything until this moment...I guess it's because of all those lonely nights that I went to sleep thinking that no one would ever hear me out. Thinking that they wouldn't believe me. But I feel so relieved now that I shared this with you."

She sighs and pushes herself closer to me. "For so long I thought I was going to be alone in this."

"You are not alone, Zelina," I say as I tighten my arms around her. "You never will be...because now you have me."