The President's Secret Daughter - Chapter #3 - by Passion Master

"Isn't this supposed to be her house?"

The whisper was loud enough for Zorina to catch as she passed by two women standing near the buffet table.

Their gazes flicked to her and then to the center of the ballroom, where Kael and Liora stood, their hands intertwined.

Zorina’s grip on the tray she carried tightened, but she kept her composure. She had spent the entire day ensuring this event ran flawlessly, yet no one seemed to acknowledge her efforts.

Instead, all eyes were on Liora, the supposed jewel of the evening.

“Zorina!” Liora’s high-pitched voice sliced through the air, silencing the murmurs.

Zorina turned, her steps measured, as she walked toward the couple. Liora’s smile was sweet, but her tone was anything but.

“Could you be a dear and let the staff know the dessert service is taking too long? It’s terribly embarrassing for such a grand event, don’t you think?” Liora’s eyes glinted with mock concern.

Kael said nothing, sipping his champagne, his eyes scanning the crowd as if his wife didn’t exist.

“I’ll see to it,” Zorina replied evenly, though the words tasted bitter on her tongue.

As she turned to leave, Liora’s voice stopped her again. “Oh, and Zorina?”

Zorina paused, her back straight. “Yes?”

Liora’s smile widened, dripping with false charm. “You might want to take notes on how to host an event like this. I’d hate for you to feel overshadowed in your own home.”

The room erupted in polite laughter, though Zorina could see some guests averting their eyes, uncomfortable with the blatant insult.

Kael chuckled softly, leaning closer to Liora. “She’ll learn,” he said dismissively.

Zorina felt the sting of humiliation burn deep, but she refused to let it show. She gave Liora a curt nod and walked away, her heart pounding in her chest.

When she moved away from the ballroom, she halted at a distance and turned to watch as Kael and Liora basked in the attention of the crowd.

Liora laughed at something Kael said, her hand resting on his arm possessively.

“Quite the pair, aren’t they?”

Zorina turned to see her father-in-law, Lord Veridan, standing beside her. His eyes, sharp and knowing, were fixed on the couple.

“Quite,” Zorina replied, her voice flat.

He glanced at her, his expression unreadable. “And what do you plan to do about it?”

The question caught her off guard. “Do about it?”

“You’re not one to sit quietly and let the world trample you, Zorina,” he said, his tone low. “I didn’t bring you into this family to be a bystander.”

Zorina looked at him, searching his face for any sign of the man who had once shown her kindness. “You brought me here to serve Kael’s ambitions. That’s all I’ve ever been to him—a tool.”

His eyes narrowed. “Kael doesn’t understand the value of what he has. But that doesn’t mean you should let him or anyone else diminish you.”

Before she could respond, he walked away, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

"Why is the salt too much, Zorina?"

The shrill voice pierced through her thoughts as she placed the last dish on the long table, the sweet aroma of her freshly brewed coffee wafting past her nostrils.

It was Kaela, her husband's younger sister, glaring at her plate as if it held poison. She dropped her fork with an exaggerated clatter. "Do you want to kill us all with this salt?"

Zorina’s jaw tightened. Normally, she would have brushed it off with a forced smile or a polite apology. But not today. Not after everything.

“What do you mean by that?” Zorina snapped, her voice sharper than she intended. “If you have a problem, maybe you should start going to the kitchen yourself and cooking your meals.”

Kaela’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Excuse me?” she spat, standing from her chair. “You dare to speak to me like that? You, who should be in the kitchen to begin with? You’re nothing more than—”

Zorina let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head as she set down the pitcher of juice in her hand. “You think I should be in the kitchen?” she said, her voice trembling with anger. “Do you even realize how much I’ve done for this family? How much I’ve sacrificed? You wouldn’t last a day in my shoes.”

Kaela’s face turned red with fury. “Sacrificed? Don’t make me laugh. You’ve done nothing but live off my brother’s wealth. You should be grateful we even let you stay here.”

Zorina’s breath hitched. Her nails dug into her palms as she fought to hold back the words threatening to spill out. Before she could respond, her mother-in-law entered the dining room, her face twisted in irritation.

“What’s going on here?” Lady Veridan demanded, her eyes narrowing at Zorina. “Why are you arguing with Kaela?”

“Ask your daughter,” Zorina said coldly, meeting her mother-in-law’s gaze.

Lady Veridan’s lips curled into a sneer. “This is exactly the problem with you. Always so arrogant, always so... difficult. I’ve told Kael from the start that you weren’t suited for this family.”

Zorina’s control snapped. “Arrogant? Difficult?” she repeated, her voice rising. “Is that what you call standing up for myself after being treated like a servant in my own home?”

“Servant?” Lady Veridan scoffed. “Don’t be dramatic, Zorina. You’re just bitter because of the governor’s daughter. You’re jealous, and it’s showing.”

The words hit Zorina like a slap. She turned sharply to face the older woman, her eyes blazing. “Jealous?” she hissed. “Do you think this is about jealousy? Your son made a mockery of me in front of the entire world last night. He announced his engagement to another woman without so much as a word to me. And now you dare to blame me?”

Lady Veridan opened her mouth to retort, but Zorina didn’t let her.

“No,” Zorina continued, her voice trembling with fury. “This isn’t about jealousy. This is about respect. Something I’ve never received from anyone in this family, despite everything I’ve done.”

At that moment, the door to the dining room opened, and Kael walked in, his jacket slung over his shoulder. He looked tired, but there was a smugness in his step that made Zorina’s blood boil.

He had been gone all night, probably with Liora, and Zorina hadn’t even cared. She had slept on the couch in her sitting room, too disgusted by the thought of sleeping on the bed she had always shared with him.

“Good morning,” Kael said casually, as if the tension in the room didn’t exist. He glanced around, his eyes finally landing on Zorina. “Is breakfast ready?”

Zorina laughed, a bitter, humorless sound that drew everyone’s attention. “Breakfast? Really, Kael? That’s what you care about right now?”

Kael frowned, clearly confused. “What are you talking about?”

She took a deep breath, her hands trembling as she faced him. This was it. She couldn’t do this anymore. “You know what? I’m done,” she said, her voice clear and resolute.

“Done with what?” Kael asked, his tone impatient.

Zorina turned, her gaze sweeping across the room, taking in the shocked faces of her in-laws. “I’m done playing the obedient wife turned slave to all of you,” she said, her voice growing louder with each word.

Then she turned to Kael, her eyes burning with unshed tears. “And you,” she said, her voice breaking slightly. “I want a divorce.”

The room fell silent, the weight of her words hanging in the air like a storm about to break.

Kaela gasped audibly, her hand flying to her mouth. Lady Veridan looked as though she had been slapped. And Kael... Kael simply stared at her, his face pale with shock.

Lady Veridan was the first to shatter the silence. “You want a divorce, Zorina? Really? Do you even realize the gravity of what you just said?”

Zorina stood her ground, her voice steady. “I don’t care. I want a divorce, and I’m not changing my mind.”

Kael snorted, leaning back in his chair with an air of indifference. “A divorce? Let’s be honest—this marriage was never a love match. I married you because Father pitied you and thought you deserved a family. Now I’m in love with Liora, and you’re upset about it?”

Zorina’s hand twitched at her side, her nails digging into her palm to stop herself from slapping him. “Upset? You think this is about jealousy?” she said, her voice trembling with barely contained anger.

Kael smirked. “Polygamy is legal here, isn’t it? Why are you making such a big deal out of this?”

Lady Veridan, seated across the room, chimed in with a venomous edge. “He’s right, Zorina. You know our customs. Why must you act so dramatic over a perfectly acceptable tradition?”

Kaela, Kael’s younger sister, added her own jab, her voice dripping with mockery. “Good riddance, honestly. But I’m going to miss having you in the kitchen. At least you saved the maids some work by cooking alongside them. Now they can finally listen to my instructions without you in the way.”

Zorina’s chest burned with a mix of humiliation and fury. She turned to Kael, her voice firm, her decision unwavering. “I’m divorcing you, Kael. And that is final.”

Kael raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’ve never been more serious in my life,” Zorina shot back. “I’m giving you a choice—me or her. You can’t have both.”

Kael’s laughter filled the room, sharp and derisive. “Pick you? Zorina, I would pick Liora over you a thousand times. You knew that the moment I announced our engagement.”

Zorina’s lips tightened into a thin line. She had expected him to say it, but hearing it aloud stung deeper than she had anticipated. She nodded slowly, as if confirming something to herself.

“Good,” she said, her tone colder than ice. “Then this is it. I’ll prepare the divorce agreement, and we’ll go to the courthouse this afternoon.”

Kael’s smirk faded, replaced with confusion and mild irritation. “This afternoon? Don’t be ridiculous. I can’t grant you a divorce right now. Not until I’m married to Liora. Getting divorced before a new marriage is a bad omen.”

Zorina’s eyes narrowed, her patience wearing dangerously thin. “I don’t care about your superstitions. If you refuse to give me what I want, I’ll have no choice but to visit the governor myself and tell him I’m divorcing you.”

Kael’s eyes widened and gasps filled the room. Even Lady Veridan looked genuinely alarmed, her calm facade cracking.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Kael hissed, his voice laced with disbelief.

Zorina’s gaze met his, unflinching. “Try me.”