Chapter 16
But in the next second, Immanuel shook his head and rejected Zara without hesitation. He said, “I don’t need one.”
Zara wasn’t disheartened. She hadn’t expected instant success, and this outcome was well within her expectations.
“Alright then. But if you ever do need one, can you consider me first?” she asked brazenly.
He neither agreed nor refused. Instead, he raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Why does it have to be me?”
This question caught Zara off guard, but she quickly composed herself. “You don’t need a reason to have a crush on someone.”
Zara pursed her lips, and her gaze drifted into the distance. “But if you insist on one, I’d say…. because it’s you.”
Her voice grew quieter toward the end, and it became tinged with a hint of melancholy.
She wasn’t lying.
A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the occasional clink of his spoon against the cup as he stirred his coffee.
After a moment, Immanuel glanced at his watch and stood up. “Break time is almost over. You should head back as well, Ms. Cobain.”
“Yes, sir!” As her slightly playful tone reached his ears, the sadness from moments before
seemed like an illusion.
Without looking back, he waved a hand and said, “Coffee is on me.”
Zara smiled and thanked him. Her eyes lingered on his retreating figure. If Immanuel had turned around at that moment, he would have seen the wistful look in her
eyes.
She lowered her gaze and let out a bitter laugh. “I miss you so much, Andy…
A shadow suddenly fell across her table. She looked up in surprise. As soon as she saw who it was, all the emotions in her eyes vanished. Only a calm indifference remained in her gaze.
Soren was standing before her, looking disheveled from the rushed journey. His face was pale, and
is chin was covered in stubble. It made him look tired and haggard.
Upon seeing her polished appearance and recalling the man he had just seen her chatting with, the apology he had rehearsed transformed into sharp words.
“Is he your new target? I underestimated you, Zara. You’re quite the actress. Does he know you’re only interested in his heart?”
Cliapter 16
She ignored his harsh words and calmly finished the last sip of her coffee. Her eyes remained detached as she stood and walked past him without a word.
As they brushed shoulders, his hand reached out to grab hers. She glanced down at his slightly trembling hand that had become thinner since she last saw him.
Frowning, she pried his fingers off one by one. Then, she patted the spot he had touched as if she was disgusted by getting into contact with him. The disdainful gesture cut him deeply.
Without Andy’s heart, even his touch seemed repulsive to her.
Zara had already prepared herself for Soren to uncover the truth when she left. She thought he would feel relieved and embrace the chance to be with Winry. She hadn’t expected that he would chase after her across the country.
But she didn’t care about his feelings. She didn’t even bother engaging in conversation and was about to leave when he raised his voice and called her name loudly.
“Zara!”
His shout drew the attention of everyone around them. Zara sighed in frustration and turned back to face him. Her expression was distant, and her tone was coldly polite as she addressed. him.
‘What brings you all the way here, Mr. Blight? If it’s nothing important, I have to return to work. It’s almost time.”
Soren’s eyes reddened. He looked at her like a pitiful, abandoned puppy that was begging her
to show mercy.
When he spoke, his voice trembled with emotion. “Zara, you schemed your way into my life. because of a heart. Then, you discarded me without hesitation. How dare you come and go as you please?
“Divorce should have been a mutual decision. Yet, you carried it out on your own. I never even knew about those papers–it doesn’t count!”
Zara shook her head as a mocking smile graced her lips. “But Mr. Blight, I did ask for your permission.”
Chapter 17
