Page 53 of Chloé

Zayne hadn’t heard or thought about his father since…well, since he’d publicly disowned him on national television. And since his mother did everything the senator told her to, he knew he wouldn’t hear from her either.

He should probably be more upset, but the truth was that his father had done Zayne a favor that day, and the fact he hadn’t reached out, or called to blackmail him about something, only solidified the fact that his father was well and truly gone from his—their—life. And that was that, as far as he was concerned.

“I’m fine.”

Ethan’s eyes softened. “Are you sure? I know it’s been several weeks now and you haven’t heard anything. I wanted to give you space, but I need to know, are you okay?”

Zayne stepped closer and took one of Ethan’s hands in his. He placed it over his heart and looked Ethan dead in the eye.

“I’m okay.” He nodded. “I promise. You know how my family was. How that house was. It was never a home. It was cold, tomblike. He’d been dead to me for a long time—you know that.”

“I do. But I also know loss can creep up on us when we least expect it.”

“Maybe if there was something to lose. But you know how it was. I existed in that house like a shadow.”

“That’s so unfathomable to me.” Ethan placed a hand to Zayne’s cheek. “When you’re the very thing that lights up my world. You’ll never be alone again, never not have a place to come home to.”

“I know, and that’s why I’m okay.”

Ethan leaned in and brushed a kiss across his lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“And so does our girl downstairs. What do you say we head down and see what she’s cooking?”

Zayne nodded but didn’t let go of Ethan’s hand as they headed back inside and over to the elevator. He might’ve been okay with everything that had gone down with the senator, but he wasn’t ready to let go just yet of the one who grounded him.

* * *

THE DELICIOUS SMELL of French cuisine found them before the elevator even reached the ground floor, and Ethan wondered how in the world they were ever supposed to eat anything else again.

They were lucky enough to have eaten at some of the finest restaurants in the world, but something about watching Chloé weave her magic right before their very eyes had made it difficult to want anything else.

She was a master in the kitchen—they’d known that the first time they walked into JULIEN and ate there. But after their trip to Paris, it had been confirmed. So Ethan wasn’t surprised in the slightest that Julien was challenging her now. He wanted to give his daughter every opportunity he could, and what better way than by showcasing her talents?

There was no doubt in Ethan’s mind that her fathers would one day leave the family business in her hands, no matter what the outcome was. But this way she would feel she had earned whatever accolades came her way, rather than getting them handed to her on a silver platter. No matter how much they loved her.

His parents had been the same in that retrospect. They’d left the family business, the estate, all their property to him. But it was contingent on certain matters, like finishing his education and earning a degree.

So while he’d been resentful at first for being sent away to Kings Boarding School after they died, he understood now why they did it. They’d wanted him to succeed. Wanted him to thrive even if they weren’t there to see it. It would’ve been so easy for him to wallow away out here at the estate with all that money. So easy to disappear from society and become a shell of a person.

But they’d made sure that wouldn’t happen. They’d sent him to a place where he would be watched over and guided—no matter what he wanted. A place where he ended up meeting Zayne.

Even in their passing they had been watching over him, and he knew that Chloé’s fathers were the same. He recognized unconditional love when he saw it. The pride in their eyes whenever she was in the room. He saw joy and happiness, a family like he’d once had, and being around them reminded him of just how much he missed his.

He glanced at Zayne as they stepped free of the elevator, and wondered if he really was as okay about the senator as he was trying to represent.

Sure, having that vile man out of their lives was a relief to Ethan, but Zayne? He was a sensitive soul. So kind and caring, which was crazy in itself, considering where he came from. To think he wasn’t feeling the sting of rejection would be naïve on Ethan’s part. But he would respect Zayne’s feelings and keep an eye on him, just as he had since Paris, and if and when Zayne ever needed to talk about it, he and Chloé would be there for him.

“Whatever she’s working on, it smells heavenly in here.”

Zayne grinned. “I know. It’s making my stomach growl.”

Ethan chuckled as they made their way through the living area and down the hall. He could hear the sound of pots and pans moving around. When they stepped into the kitchen, the sight that greeted them had Ethan smiling from ear to ear.

Chloé was by the stove in a flirty pink blouse and denim capris, with her hair tied up in a haphazard bun and an apron secured at her waist.

She had a set of headphones on and was singingbadlyas she stirred the pot. She swayed on her feet to the beat as though it were a well-choreographed number—and, for all Ethan knew, it might’ve been.

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