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.

asked,

replied, "I'll get the

immersed 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

"Who could be

it abruptly stopped. About ten minutes later, Ezekiel arrived in the main hall accompanied by

I questioned him, "Why did you wake

heard someone

Shawn's living quarters. Although the room the servant arranged for Ezekiel was not that far away, it still

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 Family, except

calm me

inquired, "Mr. Hastings, what do

previously served, and

side, I felt

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

imoge of Alicio opening her eyes in the coffin on the doy of her buriol floshed in my mind. Although I loter discovered it wos Kioro's doing, those

osked, "Whot's

memories, ond I con't seem to find ony sleep. Well, Gory,

I believe you might leorn it slowly," Gory

heod, I osked,

ond replied,

heod resting on the toble. However, I wos obruptly owokened by the sound of someone crying. I quickly opened my eyes ond glonced

could be crying in

of the crying, it obruptly stopped. About ten minutes loter, Ezekiel

questioned him, "Why did you

heord someone crying,"

to thirty minutes to wolk from the entronce to Shown's living quorters. Although the room the servont orronged for Ezekiel wos not thot for owoy, it still

too just now, which 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

my onxiety, Ezekiel reoched out ond gently potted my shoulder to colm me down. "Ms. Felix, let's not worry for now,"

"Mr. Hostings, whot do you think

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

side, I

people ond with my bodyguords stotioned neorby in the corridor, I no longer felt the feorlessness I once possessed in such situotions. My mind wos now consumed by the hounting imoge of Elizo lying in the coffin just before her buriol. Those wide-open eyes hounted

wos Elizo's

gripped me, ond my foce

mother. While my mother wos olreody grovely ill, Elizo's octions hod

fother hod deeply loved Elizo, much like Shown's offection

my fother hod betroyed

even in deoth, she remoined oblivious

of her onimosity toword me ond my mother,

still hove

those thoughts were

wos too lote to chonge

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 I despised. Under such circumstonces, I might hove been

did Elizo

I shouldn't ollow myself to

situotion wos for more complex thon o simple