Chapter 1 Nothing About Zora Is Ever Urgent

• “Sir, Madam is not feeling well," the butler of the Gannon mansion reported on the phone. The man at the end of the line spoke in a nonchalant tone.
• "So, take her to the hospital. I’m not a doctor." The line died immediately. The butler was so pale, beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
• Zora relaxed her back against the sofa, feeling weak from abdominal pains. Trying to mask the pain, she asked hopefully. “What did he say?”
• The butler instantly put on a calm smile when he turned in her direction. “Madam, sir said he will meet us at the hospital.”
• Zora’s eyes lit up. Ezrah had not been home for almost three days, and she was missing him so much. This sickness seemed to be her lucky charm to get him to her side again. “Okay. Let’s go.”
• Zora’s heart warmed at the fact that Ezrah at least cared about his child. Both of them were caught in a scandal two years ago, so getting married was the only way to curb the situation.
• Ezrah’s stance was clear through it all. “When everything calms down, we are getting a divorce.”
• Zora hoped that by that time, she would have been able to melt his cold heart and make him fully hers, so her hopes were high. However, over time, she found him slowly drawing away from her, even when they worked together in the same company and shared the same bedroom.
• Two months ago, Ezrah returned and asked Zora for a divorce but chanced upon the pregnancy test results. His expression was dark.
• “Let’s hold off on the divorce until after the child is born, but don’t expect to remain Mrs. Gannon. That title belongs to somebody else, but it’s definitely not you.”
• The marriage after those words had been terrible. Ezrah barely returned home, barely got intimate with her. The only reason she still bore Mrs. Gannon was because of the child in her womb.
• Zora thought that his reason for being away was because of work since he was the CEO of the Gannon Group, a multibillion-dollar company where Zora also worked as an assistant manager.
• Unknown to Ezrah, Zora had been secretly in love with him for five years, but that drunk night at her best friend Coco’s birthday party, Zora woke up in bed with Ezrah.
• She decided to keep it a secret and a memory she would forever cherish when the media picked up the news. Ezrah could not allow the scandal to ruin his well-kept reputation and cause him losses, so he announced that he and Zora were already dating secretly and were soon getting married.
• Zora, who had been madly in love with him, was excited about the news of getting married to Ezrah.
• Zora hoped that with time, his heart would warm up towards her, but that did not happen. Even in her state, Ezrah hardly spent the night at home.
• On the way to the hospital, Zora’s phone beeped, and looking at the content, her heart dropped.
• Ezrah was holding the delicate hand of a beautiful woman, a proud smile on his face. The caption read,
• ‘Mr. Ezra Gannon admits to reigniting his love for his old flame, Miss Piper Henshaw.’
• Zora’s eyes were swollen with tears. As they dropped down her cheeks, she refused to believe it. Maybe it was photoshopped.
• There was never any news about Ezrah dating any woman before she got pregnant for him. He never even warmed up to women. The man had long been secretive and kept his face from the media.
• Also, the butler Rudolph had said that Ezrah promised to meet them at the hospital, so the media must be spreading this false news to gain popularity.
• Even after everything, she still could not help the unease in her heart, instantly dialing his number.
• Despite him warning her to only communicate with him through the butler, Zora took the bull by the horn this time.
• Her call went through, but there was no answer. Her old self would have given up, but due to the unease in her heart because of the news, she couldn’t bring herself to do so. On the fourth ring, a woman answered the call.
• Her melodious voice made Zora feel less of a woman. “Ezrah is in the bathroom.”
• Zora’s hands holding the phone shook, her heart in tatters. Ezrah never allowed her to touch his phone, but this woman casually answered his call, and was he really in the bathroom? Zora felt the pain in her chest worse than that of her abdomen.
• “Who are you?” The words forced themselves out of her mouth. The woman responded casually,
• “Piper, his fiancée. And you are?”
• “Whatever he saved my name with,” Zora responded calmly. The pain of the news was more than she could bear.
• Though knowing that Ezrah never loved her, she thought they could live in peace for the sake of the baby in her womb, but Ezrah never meant to make her dreams come true.
• The woman at the end of the line moved the phone from her ear to have a better view of the caller ID.
• “Oh, Zora. If it’s urgent, I could drop a message for you when he comes out.”
• The nights Ezrah spent away when Zora thought he was busy at work, it was a great disappointment that he was with the woman he loved, leaving her to suffer with her unborn child.
• She was still in her first trimester, and due to all the morning sickness and other health issues, Zora had taken a break from working at the company to recover first.
• Her mind lacked clarity, and she was beginning to doubt all the responses she got from Rudolph when she asked him to get in touch with Ezrah.
• “Just tell him to call me.” Zora ended the call.
• At the hotel room, Ezrah returned from the meeting in the conference room. Since he never allowed anyone to answer their calls during meetings, he equally left his phone in the presidential suite meant for his relaxation.
• “What are you doing with my phone?” He asked as soon as he entered the bedroom. Before Piper spoke, he asked again, “and I made it clear that you should wait for me at the lounge. How did you have access?”
• The pout on Piper’s lips only made her cuter as she faked anger. “Is it wrong for me to come? We would have gotten married if Zora had not appeared.”
• Ezrah was a man who loved to keep his love life private. He and Piper had been in a secret long-distance relationship.
• The night they arranged to meet at the birthday party of one of his business partner’s sister, Piper had an emergency and could not attend as planned.
• That night, he mysteriously ended up in bed with Zora, an incident that should have been brushed under the carpet until the media took hold of it.
• Not wanting his well-maintained reputation to crack, he apologetically married Zora, promising Piper to divorce Zora secretly after two years when the news dies down.
• Things took a different turn when he found the pregnancy test result after promising Piper that he was ending things with Zora.
• “I told you I was working on it. You should keep yourself hidden away from the press. We shouldn’t be seen together.” Ezrah’s voice was stern. It was business for him first, and he didn’t want Piper’s presence to ruin it for him.
• Piper was uneasy at the reminder. Forcing a smile, she relayed, “I could be your confidential secretary. Please Ezrah, I don’t want to be away from you anymore.”
• Ezrah did not give a response. His actions were always well thought out. It wasn’t easy for him to be the CEO of the legendary Gannon Group as the youngest of three sons.
• Any wrong move and his elder brothers would begin to fight for the position. “Did anyone call?”
• He was scrolling through his phone when he caught sight of Zora’s name.
• “Yeah. Zora. She said you should call her,” Piper responded with a smile, her fingers sliding over her exposed thighs as she lay seductively on the luxurious king-size bed.
• “What did you tell her?” Ezrah frowned a little. He wanted to keep Piper a secret until after the divorce.
• “I pretended not to know about her existence.” Piper lifted herself to a sitting position, and due to the long slit of the dress, her full thighs were exposed, but Ezrah’s attention was on the phone in his hand.
• “Do me a favor and don’t answer my calls again.” His voice had lost its warmth.
• Piper faked remorse. “I’m sorry. I thought it was urgent.”
• Ezrah finally held her gaze as he spoke roughly, “Nothing about Zora is ever urgent.”