The Rose He Showed Off Is Putting Down Roots in a Garden of Her Own novel Chapter 80

Sitting in the passenger seat of Elara's car, Zane glanced at his screen. Seeing Jocelyn's name flashing, he immediately hit the mute button. Assuming it was a confidential business call he didn't want her to overhear, Elara offered, "Do you want me to pull over so you can take that, Zane?" "No need."

His phone continued to buzz relentlessly against the console, creating a stiff, awkward tension in the cabin. Zane finally offered an explanation. "It's not a corporate secret. It's my ex-wife." Elara had witnessed Zane and his ex-wife clash before, and he was usually left entirely defenseless against her wrath. "Oh... go ahead and answer it. I'll stay quiet." Zane offered a sheepish smile. "Let it ring. Nine times out of ten, she's just calling to yell at me."

He had been divorced for four years, yet he still spoke of his ex-wife with such mild, accommodating patience. Elara couldn't help but glance over at him. "Have you ever thought about getting back together with her, Zane?" "Never," Zane answered without a second of hesitation. "As you've seen, we aren't exactly compatible. She needs to find someone she truly loves." *Someone she truly loves.* The words struck a chord deep within Elara. A bitter smile touched her lips. "Even if it's true love in the beginning, who can guarantee it will last forever?" Zane didn't dare look at her. He kept his eyes locked on the road ahead. "True love doesn't require a guarantee."

A heavy, sorrowful regret washed over Elara. "Even if it starts as true love, the ending is always the same. We all end up at the exact same destination; we just foolishly believe our journey will be the exception." Zane knew exactly how much pain she was in. She had given the best years of her life to a man of equal standing, only to end up shattered. It made his chest ache for her. "Maybe it doesn't have to be," Zane said softly.

Elara didn't believe him. She let out a cynical laugh. "True loyalty is a myth among the elite. We were born into these families with heavy legacies on our shoulders. We're wired to be ruthless and calculated, always putting profit above everything else." Realizing she was sounding far too bitter, Elara quickly backpedaled. "I'm only talking about Julian and myself, Zane. I don't mean anything else by it." Zane smiled gently. "You don't have to walk on eggshells around me."

She was literally relying on Zane's company to acquire Vance Properties and save her family. Of course, she had to be careful. He was the buyer, her absolute lifeline. He could tell her to relax, but she couldn't actually afford to do so. "Thank you, Zane."

Her sudden burst of raw emotion confirmed Zane's suspicions: she had definitely heard the filthy rumors, or Julian had heard them and confronted her. People were incredibly cruel these days. Even if Julian hadn't sought out the gossip, someone would have eagerly whispered it in his ear. There were two sides to every coin. In a way, the fallout was advantageous to Zane—it was rapidly accelerating the destruction of her marriage. And while he fully intended to teach Caleb a permanent lesson, he hated seeing Elara suffer in the crossfire. This wasn't the collateral damage he wanted.

"Elara, do you want to grab a drink?" "Can you even stomach another glass, Zane?" Zane hadn't actually touched a drop of alcohol all night. "I haven't quite reached my limit yet." Zane was the lifeboat for the Vance Group; she wasn't about to turn him down. "Sure." "Take a left at the next intersection," Zane instructed.

Knowing Zane had a massive, custom wine cellar in his home, Elara absentmindedly asked, "Aren't we going back to your—" She caught herself instantly. It was highly inappropriate for a married woman to go up to a single man's apartment for late-night drinks. She quickly corrected herself. "Are we going to pick up a bottle?" Zane definitely wanted to invite Elara up to his place for a drink, but dragging a woman home under these circumstances would make him look like a total predator, practically begging for lines to be crossed. "My ex-wife couldn't get through to me on the phone, so there's a good chance she's waiting to ambush me at my front door. Let's skip the house. We can just grab a couple of bottles from my club down the street."