I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra and Steven) novel Chapter 565

Words I had buried deep in my heart instantly resurfaced.

— "Zephyra, you chose Steven again! You chose him again, do you understand?! Am I that worthless that you have to cast me aside for him every single time? Am I just someone to be hidden away?"

— "That's enough, Zephyra. I won't be a fool who just waits around for you anymore. You only get to hurt me like that once."

It was Horace. The Horace I had failed time and time again.

I clutched my bag, finding it hard to meet his gaze. "Thank you."

I started to leave, but he gripped my wrist tightly.

His gaze was searing, his voice tinged with a coldness that couldn't quite hide his concern.

"I saw you from a distance. You looked completely lost. Did you fight with Steven again?"

I froze, then shook my head. "No, I'm fine."

Horace released my hand. I bit my lip. "I'm sorry, I couldn't find your ring. I... I'll buy you a new one to replace it, okay?"

Horace put one hand in his pocket. "One you buy and one I buy are not the same."

I pressed my lips together, unsure how to respond, ashamed.

Horace looked down at me for a moment. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

I remained silent and shook my head.

No one except Noah knew what I was doing.

Horace was probably getting his composing career on track by now. His future was looking brighter.

"I was angry when I said those harsh things to you. You keep abandoning me, so you have to allow me to have a temper. But my feelings for you have never changed. I can only be okay if you're okay."

"I came here specifically to find you. We'll figure out a way to solve your brother's situation together, and I'll help you escape from Steven. Even if we don't get married, you shouldn't have to live under his thumb."

My brother's situation?

I had thought Horace might have misunderstood, assuming Steven had used some trick to keep me here. While that was partly true, the bigger reason was that I wanted to stay. I was the one plotting against him. And Steven had started acting human these past few days, no longer threatening me but actively trying to win me over.

But at his words, my expression changed. "You know about my brother's situation too?"

"Because I didn't believe you would suddenly leave me for Steven. I didn't believe you could fall back in love with him overnight and not want to leave. So I looked into whether he might have been threatening you."

"And, just as I suspected, I found something," Horace said, his dark eyes seeming to pierce through me to my very core. "He teamed up with Monica to get your brother thrown in prison, just a few days before our wedding—"