I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra and Steven) novel Chapter 356

I was still sobbing uncontrollably.

He didn't understand. In our past life, when the police recovered his body, all they found was one of his hands, missing several fingers, and a mangled leg. They said the rest of his remains couldn’t be recovered, and the coroner concluded that his body had likely been eaten by fish.

In that moment, I truly wished it had been me who died.

After that, my life was filled with pain and hardship. I had thought that by some miracle, I was the only one reborn with those painful memories, but I never imagined Horace was reborn too.

Suddenly, I didn’t know how to face him. My guilt was stronger than ever before.

“Zephyra, Zephyra, look at me.” Horace suddenly gripped my shoulders, his dark, clear eyes fixed on mine.

I looked at him, my vision slowly clearing from a blur, and saw his pale, serious face. I heard him speak with earnest intensity.

“I was going to wait until I stood on the biggest stage to say this, but I want to say it now—Zephyra, I love you.”

“Not the platonic love between friends, but the love a man has for a woman. I’ve only ever loved you, and there has never been anyone else. We were childhood sweethearts, we know everything about each other, and our families are of similar standing. If it weren’t for Steven, you should have been mine. We are the ones who are truly meant for each other.”

For the first time, I saw an assertive side to the usually restrained and gentle Horace. I saw the raw desire in his aggressive gaze, no longer concealed.

Even though I had been preparing myself for this, my heart still trembled, and I was at a loss. “Horace…”

He placed a finger on my lips, his gaze so fiery it felt like it could melt me.

Everything he said was a reference to how Steven had treated him in our past life. Steven didn’t love me, but he had asserted his ownership over me in front of Horace countless times, leaving Horace speechless and forced to watch as Steven took me away.

So, he remembered all of that too.

I looked into his pleading, yearning eyes. If I didn’t know he was reborn, I would have refused, no matter how difficult it was. But I knew.

I managed to say, “If you don’t mind that I’m newly divorced, that my heart isn’t yours, and that you really just want a title…”

“Of course I hope you can love me, but feelings can grow. Right now, I just want the title.” Horace looked at me with a bitter smile, his eyes filled with a struggling hesitation. “I know I’m being despicable right now, emotionally blackmailing you into being with me. But Zephyra, I’ve waited for so long, and I can’t wait anymore. No matter how long I wait, the outcome is always the same.”

“I don’t want to be just your good friend for another lifetime. I want to be your man, your husband. Let’s get married, okay?”