THIRD PERSON’S POV
The night market had started to thin out. People were starting to leave but the lights still glowed warmly.
Zade stood where Sophia had left him. He kept his posture relaxed, but his mind wasn’t calm at all. He was worried about her. He couldn’t help it.
His eyes followed the direction she had gone, even though she was no longer in sight.
Tiffany stepped closer.
“Why didn’t you follow Sophia, really?,” she asked “You claim you love her. You should be with her. So, why aren’t you?”
Tiffany was standing beside Zade now. She was way too close to him. Zade noticed this.
Zade turned his head slightly to look at her. His expression was calm again.
“They were in a hurry,” he replied simply. “I would only slow them down. Besides, this is a serious issue that involves only them, Ashley’s parents. It has nothing to do with me. I don’t like to interfere”
Tiffany smiled, stepping even closer to him.
“You’re very considerate,” she said, tilting her head slightly as she studied him. Her eyes stayed fixed on his face a little longer than necessary.
Zade didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he looked away. His attention shifted to the river where the last few lanterns still floated.
“It depends on the situation,” he said calmly.
Tiffany took a small step closer. She finally closed the distance between them.
She turned to him fully and looked into his eyes.
“And what about now?” she asked. Her voice was quieter, almost teasing. “Are you being considerate... or distant?”
Zade glanced at her again. “Does it matter?”
Tiffany smiled “Maybe it does. Maybe I want to know.”
There was a pause between them. Zade didn’t know what to say.
He wondered why Tiffany was trying to get close to him and get his attention. Isn’t she Damien’s girlfriend? He felt a bit uneasy with the situation.
Tiffany didn’t look away. Instead, she looked him straight in the eye, as if trying to draw something out of him.
“You’re different from Damien,” she said after a moment. Her tone softened “He’s... predictable, cold in his own way, but also easy to understand.”
Zade said nothing.
“But you...” she continued. Her eyes narrowed as she observed him. “You don’t show everything. You say very little, but it feels like there’s more inside you.”
Zade’s expression didn’t change. “You’re reading too much into it,”
Tiffany shook her head “No. I don’t think I am.”
Zade looked away, not saying anything.
Tiffany was determined to shoot her shot. She was determined to make Zade see her. If Zade could fall for Sophia, then he could fall even more for her. What did Sophia have that she didn’t?
Zade was a catch. Asides Damien, he was one of the most powerful Alphas in the region.
“Do you know what I think?” she asked.
Zade didn’t answer, but his silence was enough.
“I think you’re not someone who settles,” she said. “And I think... you’re not the kind of man who stays where he doesn’t want to be.”
Zade looked at her for a moment, then let out a small breath.
“You’re very observant,” he said.
Tiffany smiled again “I have to be, especially in situations like mine.”
There was a brief pause before she added, “You’ve seen how things are with Damien.”
Zade didn’t respond, but his silence didn’t stop her.
“He and I...” she started, then stopped, as if choosing her words carefully. “It’s not what people think.”
Zade’s eyes went a bit wide, though his expression remained calm. He was a bit curious to hear what she wanted to say.
“Then what is it?” he asked.
Tiffany looked down briefly. She moved her fingers against her arm as if she was gathering her thoughts.
“It’s convenient,” she said quietly. “this whole thing between us, it’s for him, for his image, for everything around him.”
Tiffany hesitated for a moment, then looked into his eyes again.
“Now I think... I should stop waiting for something perfect,” she said. “Maybe what matters is finding someone who feels right.”
The meaning behind her words was clear. Zade understood it immediately.
He could have shut it down right there. He could have ended the conversation with a single sentence but he didn’t.
Instead, he let his expression soften slightly, just enough to give her something to hold onto.
“Maybe,” he said.
Tiffany’s eyes lit up just a little at his response. She took that as encouragement.
“Can I have your contact?” she asked “I mean... if you don’t mind.”
Zade nodded. “Sure,”
Tiffany’s smile widened. Her relief and satisfaction was clearly visible on her face. She quickly took out her phone. Her movements were more eager now.
Zade gave her the information she needed. She typed it into her phone.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “I’m glad we talked.”
Zade smiled. “So am I,”
The words sounded genuine but they weren’t.
As Tiffany stepped back slightly, her posture was more relaxed now. Zade’s eyes moved briefly. His expression didn’t change, but his eyes darkened just enough to reveal what he truly felt - disgust.
He hid it well. On the outside, he looked the calm. But inside, his thoughts were cold and precise.
He had seen through her completely. He knew what she meant by every word, every gesture, every sentence. None of it was real to him.
And yet, he had played along but not because he believed her. He did it because he had already decided something.
If she wanted to feel like she had won, he would let her, for now. He had a plan.
He would let her climb, just so the fall would hurt more.

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