The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

"No!" Tears spilled down Steven's cheeks, his voice catching in his throat. In the past, every time he felt Annalise slipping away, it hurt. But it was never like this.

This time, there was a marriage certificate tying her to Zane, a legal bond that made it clear Steven had no chance at all.

Steven bit his lip hard. "No, Otis. You promised me, so you have to follow through, no matter what! You can't just back out now!"

Upon hearing the desperation in Steven's voice, Otis simply ended the call. He wished he could help, but there was nothing he could do.

When Yelena got home, the more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. How could someone as "old" as Annalise end up with such an amazing man? And worse, she kept him on such a tight leash without letting him interact with other women.

Yelena switched to a new number and called me. "Just admit it-you're jealous that I'm younger and prettier, aren't you?"

joke. I didn't hesitate to call out the flaw in her

same age? Your parents love pretending you're my younger sister to cover up their affair. Have they repeated it so much that you've started believing you're actually a

was at a loss

point is, if you keep Zane on such a tight leash and never let him meet anyone else, he'll eventually get tired of it, find someone

you, I'd let him do whatever he wants. He'd go out and have fun, but in the end, he'd still come

smug, as if she was convinced

has self-control. He doesn't fool around. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been with

II

someone as incredible as Zane to have such a perfect relationship track record? He'd never even

jealousy. Why Annalise, though? She searched for any excuse that might give her the upper hand, but nothing came to mind. Desperate,

it's no wonder Dad doesn't like