I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra and Steven) novel Chapter 465

I quickly explained the situation with the shortened deadline, but Leonard’s voice was cool. “As long as he hasn’t actually broken the law, this is easy to handle. Do you want my help?”

Before I could answer, Leonard continued calmly, “If Horace needs the Lopez family to step in for something this minor, I’ll have to question his ability to protect you.”

“No, that’s not it,” I said immediately. “He told me to wait patiently. I’m the one who wants to help. Even if we were just friends and not a couple, I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing if he was in trouble.”

Leonard’s tone was chillingly pragmatic as he laid out the pros and cons.

“If he were just your friend, I could help him right now. But he’s the man you want to spend the rest of your life with. If he’s constantly this weak, passive, and getting into trouble that he expects you to clean up, then the Lopez family will not allow you to be with him, no matter how handsome he is. He’d be useless.”

“Zephyra, at the very least, you should choose a partner who is your equal. Being with him is already a charity case. He can’t help you in the slightest, and now he’s threatening to drag you down into the abyss with him. A partner like that, I suggest you discard.”

I bit my lip, the stark difference between Leonard and me hitting me hard. Like Steven, he was born into a powerful, wealthy family with a silver spoon in his mouth. As an heir, he received the finest education and training, which molded him into an emotionally detached and calculating man.

For them, weighing the pros and cons was instinct. They were shrewd and realistic; emotion was just an unnecessary burden.

“I understand, I… won’t bother you then.”

He was silent for a moment, perhaps realizing he’d been too harsh. “Horace is being targeted,” he said. “Don’t make any rash moves yet. See what the other party’s objective is and where this is all leading before you act.”

Targeted? By someone in the industry, or…

Suddenly, an image of Steven’s cold, emotionless face from the afternoon flashed in my mind, along with the words he’d said that day—

That bastard. I was now at least eighty percent sure Steven was behind this.

A flame of rage ignited inside me, and I ground my teeth. I sent a message to Gordon, asking him to play my voice notes for Steven.

“Steven, I know you’re behind what’s happening to Horace. You are unbelievably petty! If you want to torture me, then come at me directly. Why do you goes after him?!”

“Let me tell you, I will never bow down to you! You’re rich? So do I! I won’t let you hurt him. If it comes down to it, we’ll both go down together!”

“And another thing, I will always believe in Horace. In my eyes, he is the most capable man there is. Even if you try to frame him with all sorts of ridiculous accusations, I’ll still trust him! He can handle this. You may have all the money and power in the world, but there are things you can’t control. We will not surrender!”

“And the more you try to crush him, the harder I’ll fight back. I refuse to believe you can really get away with anything and everything—”