Chapter 6

A thick, heavy silence hung between Cyan and Zach. He was momentarily paralyzed, taken aback by her sudden demand. This was the first time Cyan had uttered that word since they were married, but after a few seconds, a harsh, sarcastic laugh broke from his lips.

"Annulment? Really, Cyan? Do you think you can handle the consequences of that fúcking annulment you’re talking about?" he asked, his tone loaded with a dark warning.

Cyan froze. Of course, she knew the cost. Her father was hopelessly indebted to Zach's grandfather; that was the only reason they were in this mess. One wrong move from her, and her parents would suffer the full weight of the law. It was Don Sebastian’s way of punishing Roberto Natividad, though she could never understand why she had to be the one caught in the crossfire.

"See? Just the thought of it makes you weak," Zach sneered. "If it were up to me, you would have been out of my life a long time ago. But we are both stuck in this fúcking setup! This is your fault! You should never have come home when Chloe died! If you hadn't, we wouldn't be trapped like this!"

Cyan felt a surge of indignation. "Are you telling me that coming home to see my sister one last time was a mistake? Do you even hear yourself, Zach?" she asked, her voice trembling with disbelief.

His statement was irrational, driven by pure spite. Chloe was her twin; it was only natural for her to return and see her sister to her final resting place.

"What’s wrong with what I said? Didn't you abandon her years ago? You should have stayed away. Then that old man wouldn't have had the idea to marry us off," he said, roughly releasing her arm.

Her knees felt weak, and she sank onto the edge of the bed, her strength failing her. When she looked up, she met Zach’s cold, unforgiving eyes.

"Don't ever hurt Laureen again, Cyan. The next time you touch her, you’ll pay tenfold for what you did," he warned, turning to leave the room.

For a few seconds, she remained frozen. Then, drawing on a sudden burst of desperate courage, she asked the one question that had been haunting her.

"Did you really love my sister as much as you say you did, Zach?"

Zach stopped in his tracks. He turned back slowly, his aura shifting from merely intimidating to something truly chilling. His expression was shadowed, unreadable, and dangerous.

"And what makes you think you have the right to question what I felt for my late wife?"

Cyan let out a hollow laugh. "I’m just wondering. I understand that you can't love me, even if we are married. But the concern you show for Laureen is... suspicious, Zach. Did you cheat on my sister with her best friend while she was sick? Is that why your bond is so deep now?"

Her words were like a match to a powder keg. In two long strides, Zach was back in front of her. He grabbed her chin so forcefully his fingers dug into her skin.

"I respected your sister immensely, Cyan, so you have no right to accuse me of things I never did! Didn't I tell you not to meddle in my personal affairs? Why are you so damn nosy?"

"Because I love you, Zach!" she cried out, unable to hold it in any longer.

His eyes widened, the shock visible on his face. But the surprise was fleeting, replaced almost instantly by a cruel, mocking laugh.

"Are you trying to be funny?"

Cyan didn't answer with words; she only sobbed. It hurt so much to see him constantly shielding Laureen like she's a damsel in distress. She was drowning in envy at how he protected her—how he gave Laureen his attention, his gentle smiles, and a warmth that Cyan had never once experienced in two years.

She often wondered what Laureen had that she didn't. Why, after two years of living together, could Zach still not see her as his wife?

Zach slowly let go of her face and stepped back. The expression in his eyes was complex, but she was too lost in her own grief to decipher it.

"

I'll pretend I didn't hear what you said tonight, Cyan," he said coldly.

But Cyan wasn't ready to back down. Now that she had finally confessed, she wanted to see it through to the end.

"If I hadn't run away... if I hadn't escaped our wedding years ago... would there have been a chance for us to be a happy family now?" she asked, her voice shaking.

A heavy silence filled the room before Zach finally spoke.

"No. Our relationship would be exactly the same as it is now. Like I said, I don't love you, Cyan, and I never will. Remember that. So stop these feelings of yours, because I can never reciprocate them. I have already given my heart to someone else... and that is Laureen.”