I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra and Steven) novel Chapter 417

“However, the manager didn't take my money. They were willing to let Horace continue competing because he, too, knows that Horace is worth it!”

Those two simple sentences were a powerful rebuttal. Many of Horace’s fans in the audience jumped to their feet, overcome with emotion.

Horace's fans rallied to my side, defending him. The host quickly had security escort the emotional contestant offstage and scrambled to control the situation, insisting there was no rigging and that the off-stage votes were all from genuine fans and couldn't be faked.

I was also asked to return to my seat.

But Horace suddenly grabbed my hand, his gaze deep and intense, his joy unconcealable. “So, you’ve been doing all this for me behind the scenes.”

I had never planned on telling him any of this; I only spoke up today out of necessity. I pressed my lips together and smiled at him.

The host asked with a smile, “And what is the relationship between you two?”

Worried about harming his career—it seemed he had a lot of female fans who saw him as a potential boyfriend—I quickly answered, “I’m just a huge fan of Horace. I've been following him for years.”

Many cameras in the audience focused on us. The corners of Horace’s eyes reddened slightly. He didn't deny my statement. Instead, his lips curved into a slight smile, and he made a direct confession.

“In that case, are you willing to be my girlfriend now?”

I froze. The arena erupted in screams even wilder than before. Even the other contestants were stunned.

Everyone knew that career was more important than love, yet Horace, at the peak of his rise to fame, chose to confess to me publicly.

I could barely manage a smile on my face. “Horace,” I whispered, “this is a live broadcast.”

I didn't mind keeping things quiet. My marriage to Steven had been a secret, too. I didn't want to ruin Horace's future.

“I know.” Horace’s eyes were serious. He pressed his hands onto his wheelchair and, with great effort, struggled to his feet. “So, will you?”

Camera flashes flickered around us. I tilted my head up slightly, gazing into his eyes, not daring to think about the immense courage it took for him to choose me over his career at this moment.

With a mix of complex emotions, I lifted my lips into a smile.

Almost no one ever called me, so I always kept my phone on silent in my bag and hadn't heard it ring.

I checked the missed calls. They were all from an unknown number. The earliest was from three hours ago, with several attempts, and then another burst of calls from just a few minutes ago.

Just as I was about to call back, the number rang again. I answered, “Hello?”

The voice on the other end was one I knew all too well. “Zephyra!”

My pupils contracted. “Steven?”

Was he calling to settle the score over the jade chess set, or... to humiliate me for loving him?

But it was neither. His usually cool and indifferent voice was now laced with suppressed fury as he warned through gritted teeth.

“I forbid you from being with Horace! Zephyra, the person you love is me! Why should you be with him? And besides, we haven’t...”