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Home / Urban / THE UNFORSEEN DOMINANCE OF ZACH MARLOW / ~ 74 ~
~ 74 ~
Author: Gem Lynne
last update2025-04-18 18:13:06

In a dimly lit underground lair that reeked of oil and iron, Darius Fitzroy leaned against a rusted pillar, flexing the sharp fingers of his mechanized arm. It whirred softly each time he clenched his metal fist.

A cigarette hung from the corner of his lips, and smoke curled around his chiseled face. His grimace was harsh, his jaw sharp, and his mismatched eyes—one steel, one hazel—were hollow with fury.

He puffed on the cigarette again, exhaling a thick cloud that faded toward the ceiling. His expression softened, curiosity replacing irritation, when the heavy iron gate screeched open.

He turned to face it, shoulders tense, eyes narrowed.

Two of his men dragged in a barely conscious Daniella, her wrists limp, her legs dragging across the floor. Dirt clung to her clothes, and a bruise bloomed near her temple. Her breathing was shallow, chest rising and falling with faint effort.

Darius grinned.

“Put her on the chair,” he ordered, voice deep and amused.

The men carried her to the iron
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  • ~ 156 ~

    Yvonne’s shadow stretched long under the dim hallway light. Her hair was loose, brushing against the silk of her robe as she stood facing her father. Her eyes, still sharp despite the hour, narrowed in faint suspicion.“Father. What are you doing here?”Dawson’s throat bobbed. For a moment, he said nothing, his gaze flicking to the closed door behind him before meeting hers again.“I… I was just—”Her brows lifted slightly, waiting.“I heard something,” he finished, voice low.Yvonne stepped closer, her gaze trailing past him toward the ornate wooden door at the end of the hallway. “Did you go to Grandpa’s room?”His shoulders stiffened. “No,” he said quickly, his lips curling into a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I just… heard a slight noise, so I came out to check.”“To check?” She tilted her head, eyes narrowing further. “I saw you leaving Grandfather’s room.”Dawson blinked, the smile faltering for half a second before reappearing. “You must’ve been mistaken. I did

  • ~ 155 ~

    Dawson’s breath caught. The stale, cold air in the underground chamber seemed to thicken, curling heavy in his lungs. The dim oil lamp flickered, stretching Lex’s shadow long across the stone wall, sharp, angular, like a predator looming over prey.The hand gripping Dawson’s collar was unshakable, the fingers digging into the tender skin at his throat. His father’s gaze burned into him, dark irises swirling with something unnatural.Dawson had grown up knowing Lex could kill without blinking. The man’s history was written in blood and whispered threats. But tonight… tonight the promise in those eyes was more than a threat, it was a deadly vow. And worse, Dawson knew if Lex willed it, he could crush him here and then go after Yvonne without anyone in Yorktown daring to intervene.His voice trembled. “F–Father… please, give me more time. I can fix this.”Lex’s jaw tightened. “More time? You’ve had years, Dawson. YEARS. You couldn’t find the boy when he was barely ten years old, wanderin

  • ~154~

    The house lay wrapped in the stillness of midnight, and shadows pooled deep along the walls. Dawson eased his bedroom door open, the faint creak swallowed by the thick silence. He lingered, his eyes drawn down the hallway toward Yvonne’s room. The door stayed shut. No light leaked from underneath.He waited, counting slow, steady breaths, five… ten… fifteen, until he was certain she wasn't awake. Then he stepped out, shutting his own door with a careful, muted click.To his right, the hallway stretched toward the west wing, an archway yawning open into another corridor. Dawson’s gaze swept the corners, instinctively checking for movement, before he slipped toward it.The west wing was colder, the air heavy with the smell of age, dry wood, old paint, and faint mildew. At the very end stood a door with a rusted keyhole. From his pocket, Dawson produced a single, tarnished key. It slid in with a quiet scrape, turning smoothly despite its years.The hinges gave a faint groan as the door o

  • ~ 153 ~

    In the middle of the night, the city slept under a blanket of silence, but Zach’s balcony was steeped in a different kind of stillness, one that pulsed with focus.Barefoot on the cool marble floor, he sat cross-legged, the night air brushing over his skin. His eyes were closed, his breathing deep, rhythmic, each inhale drawn down to the pit of his stomach, each exhale slow enough to feel his pulse in the tips of his fingers.His mind had long since learned the art of shutting out the world. Tonight, however, the meditation was more than calm, it was a hunt.Zach had trained himself to channel his mental strength, to cut through the fog of his memory loss like a blade. It wasn’t easy; every attempt before had left him drained, sometimes even dizzy. But tonight, the pull inside him felt sharper, hungrier.His inner strength wrapped around his thoughts like a steady current, guiding him deeper, farther back.Find her.The words formed inside his head without sound, like a command from s

  • ~152~

    The villa was quiet when Zach returned, its soft lighting spilling across polished marble floors. He unbuttoned his shirt, crossed the living room, and disappeared into his bedroom quietly after confirming that his sister, Mary, was already asleep. The day’s noise faded as he sank into the leather chair beside his desk and picked up his phone.He scrolled briefly, then tapped Daniella’s contact.The call connected on the third ring. “Hello, Zach,” her warm voice greeted.“Hi, Daniella,” he said, leaning back. “I would like to entrust you with something.”There was a short pause. “Sure. What’s on your mind?”“I want to build an orphanage,” he said plainly. “In Bellwood Estate.”Her intake of breath was audible. “Wait, you mean the Bellwood Estate? Zach, that’s prime land. How…why…” She broke off, a mix of disbelief and curiosity tumbling into her tone. “How could you possibly acquire something like that for an orphanage?”He smiled faintly, as if amused by her reaction. “I already acqu

  • ~ 151 ~

    Dawson Weather, better known to the world as Chairman Weather, sat stiffly at the head of the long dining table, his eyes locked on his plate. For the first time in Yvonne’s life, his voice had risen sharply at her over something so trivial. At least, it seemed trivial to her.He couldn’t even meet her gaze now. The lines around his mouth were set in stone, and though his fork moved, she could tell he wasn’t tasting a thing. It was unlike him.Yvonne stared, more startled than hurt. Her father had always been the patient one who had control of himself. This sudden snap felt foreign.Even Ricky had glanced over at the unexpected outburst before quickly averting his eyes, resuming his post like nothing had happened.The tension pressed on her like a weighted blanket. She finally set her fork down with a soft clink and asked quietly, “Why shouldn’t I forget about them, Father? Are they… inauspicious?”Dawson’s brows drew together. “Don’t just talk about them. Can’t you obey that?”She si

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