Chapter 21
“Zara, who is it that you truly hold dear in your heart? How much of what you’ve said to me was real, and how much of it was a lie?” Immanuel asked.
Hearing those words, Zara’s heart skipped a beat, and a flicker of panic flashed across her eyes. Immanuel caught the fleeting expression and let out a derisive chuckle.
Zara snapped back to her senses and forced herself to calm down. As she locked eyes with Immanuel, her free hand ventured boldly to rest against his chest as she offered him a playful
smile.
“The person I hold dear in my heart is you, of course.”
“Is t
that so?” Disbelief filled his eyes, yet he didn’t push her away. Instead, he leaned in closer until his breath was brushing against her neck. Upon feeling her shivering slightly, he finally pulled back but still fixed his gaze on her.
“Did you say the same thing to that man named Soren Blight too?”
At the mention of Soren, Zara froze momentarily. It took her a while to grasp his meaning. But instead of panicking, her smile grew bolder.
She said teasingly, “Are you jealous, Mr. Nielsen? Well, this makes me happy because it means you’ve started to care about me. But I can assure you that I don’t like him at all. I only have eyes for you.”
Her eyes sparkled, and her words were brimming with sincerity. For a moment, Immanuel felt himself being drawn to her and nearly lost himself in the brilliance of her gaze. If he didn’t know the truth, he might have been captivated and ensnared.
But now, he felt nothing but bitterness. For someone who was no longer alive, she had gone to such great lengths. She’d researched his preferences and made sure to always be there when he needed her.
In other words, she was the quintessential ideal partner. A significant other like her would be irresistible to anyone, regardless of gender.
Yet the more she did for him, the more it left an acrid taste in his heart.
Finally, Immanuel pushed her away. The light in his eyes dimmed entirely, and it was replaced. by an expression that was devoid of emotion.
“I know you don’t love Soren,” he said with a bitter smile while lowering his gaze. “But you don’t love me either. The only person you’ve ever truly loved is Andy–the childhood sweetheart you spent 20 years with, the man who promised to marry you and only you.
“Who you love is the man who died protecting you four years ago, whose heart was eventually donated to me. You say you love me. But look at me, I don’t look anything like him.
Chap 25
“Aside from the heart that once belonged to him, I’m nothing like him. Tell me, Zara. Should I admire you for your devotion or berate you for your cruelty?”
Zara hadn’t expected to hear Andy’s name from Immanuel’s mouth. The moment he exposed her so mercilessly, her face went pale, and a loud buzzing sound filled her ears.
The waterworks that had just stopped flowed freely again. She opened her mouth and struggled to speak, but all she could manage was a very faint and broken, “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want your apology. I think we should never see each other again,” Immanuel stated.
He watched as Zara slid down the door in despair with tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. Watching her fall apart, Immanuel felt a pang in his heart. For a brief moment, he wasn’t sure if the ache in his chest was his own or Andy’s.
But in the end, he relented. He bent down and scopped her up from the floor gently. Her tearful, questioning gaze met his as he carried her to the bed. He carefully placed her on the soft, spacious mattress.
After all this was done, he turned and walked toward the door.
Pausing for a moment, he glanced back over his shoulder but didn’t look at her. With a heavy sigh, he advised, “He’s gone, Zara. But he’s not the only one in this world who could love you. It’s time for you to leave that closed–off world of yours.”
As soon as his words fell, he left the room without looking back.
