AWAKENED INTO GODLIKE

Chapter 3: The promise of protection

"Daddy.. please.." Tara stuttered.

"Shut it!" Mr. Sterlings cut her off. Tara flinched. He glared at her. "You're an embarrassment to this family. You got married to a gambler and still had the gut to plead for his insult!

"Don't speak to her that way." Zane defended, his voice firm. "You have no right to throw her insults just because she lives under your roof."

He took her wrist gently and together they walked out, leaving the couple stunned.

None of them spoke for about five seconds as Zane's words hung in the air. Margaret spun to her husband, her voice raised angrily.

"Can you imagine. Zane had suddenly become bold to talk back at me!"

Mr. Sterling's eyes were fixed at the door through which Zane entered. His mind was still calculating, processing what had just happened.

"There is something different about him." He finally spoke, his voice quiet. "The way he looks at me earlier." He said, unable to shake off the steel in Zane's eyes earlier.

"What do you expect from a gambler, an alcoholist. I knew this day would come when the drug he takes will get into his head and spit rubbish at us."

She exhaled deeply, forcing herself to calm.

"How about the Plan? Are we still going along with it tomorrow?" She leaned over the desk with greedy interest in her eyes.

Mr. Sterlings nodded his head gently.

"We'll make him divorce her tomorrow." He said with his mind already on the plan ahead of them. "He already agreed. He has a huge debt to pay so he can't reject it."

"Jackson Blackthorn's sudden interest in her is surprising." She said, "At least, she would be useful for that one thing. Zane won't be an obstacle. He does abuse her. Tara is the one hopelessly in love with him. A token for the gambler and he'll dispose of her immediately."

She concluded, a satisfactory smile on her face.

The two continued the conversation in quiet whispers, concluding how they would sever Tara and Zane's Marriage for money and connection with the Blackthorn family, one of the most powerful families in the city.

Zane heard all the conversation made in whispers with his divine hearing. He scoffed, shaking his head at their ignorance.

"So, they are trying to break us apart." He scoffed, "I'll like to see them try."

He stepped into the room. Their room was at the end of the building, a cramped place that was once used as a storage room. Zane paused, frowning immediately he walked into the room that looked like a complete insult.

The paints were peeling, the single window in the room was broken, bringing in cold and insects and even the crack in the roof was proof that it would leak when raining. The room was empty, a wooden wardrobe and a tattered bag were the only things in the room.

"What the hell." He rasped.

In this mansion, they were given a rat hole to sleep. Back in his world, his junior servant shouldn't live in a place like this. It's an insult. And him? Everything he used was made of pure Gold.

A deep frown tightened his brow.

But yet he couldn't help but notice the neatness that made the frown on his face loosened slightly. The air held the smell of wax melt filling the room with its fragrance. Tara had arranged the room for him.

"Is this the room we have been sleeping in?" Zane glanced back at her.

Tara nodded her head, her fingers twisting together in front of her gown. She was scared , thinking Zane was angry at the room arrangement.

"I'm..I'm sorry.." She stuttered.

Zane turned to her completely, his expression softening.

"Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong." He said politely. "This place is too small for us. We can't sleep in a place like this."

His voice rose angrily now.

" So that bastard had been allowing her to sleep in this place." He exhaled sharply, controlling the storm inside. "It's time for everything to change."

Tara looked at him.

"I put the scent because you've always complained about the smell of rust." She said softly.

Zane's heart melted right there. This woman that faced constant insults from her family because he married him loved him despite the past abuse and she was putting efforts into things just to make him comfortable.

Zane's heart ached knowing everything she had endured. He was angry at the family for treating her like an outcast.

He walked to her gently and held her hand, taking her into the room.

Tara stood before him, her head slightly tilted, her finger twirling together in her front.

Zane held her shoulder. She flinched involuntarily, scared he was about to raise his hand on her.

In the past, Zane would hit her over a little mistake, venting the humiliation he faced from her family on her.

Zane's hand slides down her shoulder, touching the marks on her body gently, his heart was heavy with sadness seeing the inflicted scars on her body.

"Listen to me, Tara," his said dipped even softer. Tara looked up to meet his eyes. "As long as I am here, nothing will happen to you anymore. I promise you."

Tara smiled. It was a small smile at first then it stretched, the most genuine thing Zane had ever seen.

He smiled back at her. Suddenly a slight frown formed on his brow. With his divine eyes, he saw the black heavy chain with a smoking skull hung around her neck. She was cursed. Definitely it was what affected her vocal cord and why she stammered.

"I can cure her. The flute of Helo can break the curse." He said in his thoughts. "I'll find it."

"You are..are different today." Tara said.

"Really?" Zane raised a brow. "Well, that is because I want to be a better person for you." He said. Tara's cheek flushed red. "Thank you." She said quieter.

Then she suddenly looked up with slight fear in her eyes.

"I need to go back to the kitchen. I am yet to finish the work." She said.

Zane pulled her back, holding her gaze firmly.

"Henceforth, your hands are not for suffering anymore." He said. "You will sleep now. This house is big enough and yet you have been the only one doing everything for them. If they need someone to clean after their mess, they should get a servant."

He pulled her gently into the room and the door shut behind them.

"Starting from today, you won't have to suffer anymore, Tara. I'll protect you" Zane made a quiet promise.

Tara stepped into the corner of the room, facing the wall as she pulled her dress while Zane stared into the distant city. He turned and saw her undressing, the withered gown slipping off her body. Zane was momentarily entranced by the sight.

Her skin was flawless, smooth as silk despite having the little scars. Zane had seen a lot of beautiful women in his world, but this one standing in his front has a different charm about her.

Tara then changed her dress into something lighter and turned back to him. Her cheek flushed seeing his gaze linger on her.

She took a mat and spread it over the floor, creating a sleeping place for herself.

"You should take the bed as usual. I won't disturb you." She said softly.

Zane frowned slightly.

Zane was really angry now. Had she been sleeping on the hard floor while he'd been sleeping comfortably on the bed?

"We'll both sleep on the bed. We're couples after all." He said, making Tara's cheek to flush.

"Your voice, what happened to it? How long have you been like that?"

"Three years ago." She said, a bitter smile forming on her face. "I wanted to be a singer...I have always loved to sing. I was selected for a singing competition back then. The next day I woke up to hear my voice like this."

Zane exhaled softly. He activated his divine eyes to know the mystery behind the curse.

It was her step-sister, Dora who consulted black magician to curse her because she was jealous she would do better than her.

Zane frowned deeply seeing everything clearly.

"That slender cockroach. She'll pay for this."

"Tara," he said gently, his voice filled with assurance. "I will do everything to make sure you get back your voice."