Love Faded With the Light novel Chapter 3

Alyssa frowned slightly. "I'm not."

Enzo took a few steps closer, carefully studying her evasive gaze. "And you're still saying you're not? You leave early and return late every day, and when you see me, you don't even say hello before walking away. If that's not avoiding me, then what is?

"Why? Just because I'm dating Nadine now?"

Alyssa quickly shook her head. "No! Mr. Slater, you've found someone you love, and as your junior, I'm truly happy for you. I sincerely wish you both a lifetime of happiness. Don't worry, I've accepted the fact that you will never have feelings for me. I won't love you anymore."

Her voice was calm as she simply stated a fact.

But Enzo's face darkened. Those words somehow grated on his ears.

Alyssa not liking him was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard.

"I rejected you when you confessed. I rejected you when you clung to me. And now you're trying a new trick to get my attention?"

As he spoke, he closely observed her reaction. The brief flicker of surprise in her expression only confirmed his suspicions.

He slowly advanced toward her. Then his gaze fell on the box in her arms, and his tone grew even colder.

"You claim you don't like me anymore, yet you wrote me all these love letters, drew so many sketches of me, and chased after me for years. And now you suddenly say you don't like me anymore? Alyssa, do you even realize how ridiculous you sound?"

Alyssa silently looked at the man before her.

Of course, she knew how ridiculous she sounded. No one would believe someone who had cried wolf too many times.

But these absurd words were the truth.

"Mr. Slater, I did like you for a long time. But since you will never love me back, I've truly given up."

With that, Alyssa dumped the contents of the box onto the ground right in front of Enzo. Then, one by one, she ripped the letters and sketches to shreds.

As the paper fragments fluttered through the air, she noticed that Enzo's expression didn't show the slightest bit of relief. On the contrary, it turned even darker.

Just as Alyssa began to doubt whether she was seeing things, she suddenly heard him saying in an icy voice, "Keep putting on a show, Alyssa. Remember this—no matter what tricks you play, Nadine is the only person I love."

From that day on, Alyssa and Enzo never spoke again.

For Alyssa, there was nothing left to say.

For Enzo, he believed she was playing hard to get, so he chose to ignore her.

This tense standoff lasted until the Slater family's banquet.

In the past, Alyssa had always been the center of attention at such gatherings, as she was beloved by the Slater family's elders. They would fuss over her, and it was always Enzo who had to step in to "rescue" her from their enthusiastic questioning.

But now, all of the Slater family's attention was on Nadine.