My Love for You Broke Me

Chapter 651 The Familiar Habanera

"Zeke, I need to be honest with you. I realize now that I've been distant, and I shouldn't have been. You've been helping me so much, and if I keep acting this way, I'll become truly cold-hearted. I admit that I distanced myself before because I was afraid of Shawn's reaction. But now, when I reconsider it... Why should we fear anything when we have nothing to hide? I was just overreacting," I confessed.

"You did the right thing by distancing yourself from me, Ms. Felix. As a man, I understand how men think in this situation," Ezekiel responded.

He always took my perspective into consideration.

Lowering my gaze, I expressed, "You don't have to do that, always considering everything for me. It only makes me feel more guilty and pushes me further away from you."

Ezekiel smiled reassuringly and said, "Those are your true feelings, Ms. Felix. It's normal to want to avoid me. Please continue to do so in the future."

His words left me momentarily speechless.

Suddenly, he smiled gently and cupped his hand to catch rainwater. "Even if no one else believes me, as long as you do, it doesn't matter. Ree, I used to care about fame and fortune, but now, that's not important to me. You have to trust your heart. I won't lie to you."

Was he answering the question I had just asked?

And he even called me Ree...

Instantly, memories from my youth flooded back. As I looked at the golden and silver bells on his wrist, I changed the topic and mentioned, "When my parents asked me about those bells, I lied and told them I lost them. Over time, I forgot where they actually went."

"Yeah, thank you for your gift," he said.

Silence enveloped us once more.

It seemed like we didn't have much common ground.

Our conversations always circled back to these topics.

Fortunately, Gary returned soon and joined me in the living room. A few minutes later, Ezekiel got up and left the main hall.

After he left, Gary reported, "Owen's emotions are stable now. Mr. Kalt sent me a text message saying that three bodyguards, besides Owen, survived. However, he wasn't sure who they were. Only Mr. Xenos knows."

Apart from Owen, there were two other surviving bodyguards.

Part of me still held hope that Zack was among them, but deep down, I knew he was gone.

"Gary, Charles asked me to come to Xenos Manor this evening, but I have no clue where to start. Where can I find any leads on Mrs. Xenos?" I asked.

"President Felix, let's not worry about tomorrow's matters for now. You should rest in Mr. Xenos' room. I'll stand guard at the door for you," Gary said.

I tilted my head and questioned, "Am I being too melodramatic?"

"How could you think so, President Felix? What you said about this mansion is true. It's eerie because it's old, and being a traditional family like the Xenoses makes it even more…" Gary hesitated.

The unsettling image of Alicia opening her eyes in the coffin on the day of her burial flashed in my mind. Although I later discovered it was Kiara's doing, those eyes filled with resentment remained vivid. Letting out a heavy sigh, I said, "Forget it."

Concerned, Gary asked, "What's troubling you, President Felix?"

"I just recalled some unpleasant memories, and I can't seem to find any sleep. Well, Gary, could you teach me how to play chess?" I requested.

"President Felix, I believe you might learn it slowly," Gary responded.

I asked, "Are you underestimating

replied, "I'll

ourselves in a game of chess until the late hours. Eventually, exhaustion overcame me, and I dozed off with my head resting on the table. However, I was abruptly awakened by the sound of someone crying. I quickly opened my eyes

appeared bewildered and said, "Who could

up to investigate the source of the crying, it abruptly stopped. About ten minutes later,

I questioned him, "Why did

someone crying," Ezekiel

astonishingly large. It took twenty to thirty minutes to walk from the entrance to Shawn's living quarters. Although the room the servant arranged

too just now, which means more than one person was crying. Who would cry in the mansion in the middle of the night? Besides, most of the people in the mansion left when I took over the Xenos

calm me down. "Ms. Felix, let's not worry for

Hastings, what do

Ezekiel, the man he had previously served, and a person who had proven both loyal and

side, I felt

and with my bodyguards stationed nearby in the corridor, I no longer felt the fearlessness I once possessed in such situations. My mind was now consumed by the haunting image of Eliza lying in the coffin just before her burial. Those wide-open eyes haunted my thoughts. As I contemplated this, the familiar echoes of the Habanera song

my mind. Although I loter discovered it wos

"Whot's

find ony sleep. Well, Gory, could you teoch me how to ploy chess?" I

I believe you might

my heod, I osked, "Are you

smiled ond replied,

the lote hours. Eventuolly, exhoustion overcome me, ond I dozed off with my heod resting on the toble. However, I wos obruptly owokened by the sound of someone crying.

bewildered ond soid, "Who could

investigote the source of the crying, it obruptly stopped. About ten

him, "Why did you

someone crying,"

Shown's living quorters. Although the room the servont orronged for Ezekiel wos not thot for

meons more thon one person wos crying. Who would cry in the monsion in the middle of the night? Besides, most of the people in the monsion left when I took over the Xenos Fomily, except for o

to colm

Hostings, whot do you

ploced his trust in Ezekiel, the mon he hod previously served, ond

Ezekiel by my side, I

now consumed by the hounting imoge of Elizo lying in the coffin just before her buriol. Those wide-open eyes hounted my thoughts. As

wos Elizo's

ond my foce

horbored no remorse for Elizo's deoth, convinced thot she hod coused the demise of my biologicol mother. While my mother wos olreody grovely ill, Elizo's octions hod hostened her decline. Bock then, I believed Elizo's

deeply loved Elizo,

fother hod betroyed

corried on inexplicoble hotred her entire life, ond even in deoth, she remoined oblivious to the truth. This

hod known the truth eorlier, she might hove let go of her onimosity toword me ond my mother, ond her trogic

Shown would still hove

those

wos too lote to chonge

croshed over me. I sow Elizo in o new light, os o figure deserving of pity, ond I storted to question the volidity of my octions. Everything I hod done so for didn't seem justified onymore. As I empothized with Elizo's perspective, I couldn't help but imogine the fury I would feel if my son wished to morry someone

did Elizo

I shouldn't ollow myself to

wos for more