"Who said that?" She snapped at him. "Who said I don't have feelings for you anymore? Because I do!"  As soon as the words escaped her lips, shock took over her senses. Biting down on her lower lip—hard, Ayla buried her face into her palms. She didn't have the strength to look in his direction let alone meet his intense gaze. Though she did not see the look on his face, she could feel the man's eyes boring into the top of her head as the car slowed down further until it came to a stop.  "Ayla?" He called out her name in a low whisper but she refused to look up.  It was no secret that she still had feelings for him, but saying it out loud made it all too real. And it scared her.  "Ayla?"  Claude spoke up again, this time he wasn't whispering. Something else laced his voice, something she could not put a finger on.  "Will you

"What?" Her eyes wandered around as Ayla took her surroundings in. It wouldn't be wrong to say that the breath was knocked out of her lungs right away. Everything looked so beautiful, almost serene.    They were sitting by the bank of a small lake with nothing but greenery surrounding them. Golden fairy lights hung from the branches of trees, engulfing the couple in a glow so warm that she was finding it hard to tear her gaze away from the sight. The cold wind played with the locks of her hair as Ayla took her time in admiring the arrangement. It wasn't until minutes later that she found her voice.    "So, this is what you have been up to." It wasn't a question. She didn't need any confirmation from the man to know that he was the one behind it all. And that it was all for her.    "You have been working too much these past few days. A small break from everything wouldn't harm you." Claude muttered next to

[The next day…] "What do you think?"  Ayla was pulled out of her mind with a slight tap on the shoulder.  "Huh?" She glanced at the intruder as she drew her brows together.  "Where are you lost?" Claude squinted his eyes down at her as he leaned forward to have a better look at her face. "Are you tired already? We can come back another day." He proposed. The idea of her being unwell didn't settle well with the man. He was already planning on giving his doctor a call to come and check on her as soon as they arrived back at his penthouse.  "What? No!" Ayla shook her head. "Why would we need to come back here? We are already here and have seen half of the place."  The duo decided to come and check out the old, abandoned mansion for themselves the very next day. More precisely, it was Claude who came up with the idea. According to

Several minutes later, Claude walked in with a tray in his hands and a hot water bottle tucked under his arm. Ayla watched him make his way further into the room with squinted eyes. The frown from earlier was no longer there and his brows seemed to have relaxed in the time he was gone. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she eyed the man. She hated it when she was the one causing him pain.  "Where are you lost?" Claude settled down next to her on the bed, placing the tray in between the two of them.  "Just thinking…"  "About?" Claude probed. He was eager to know what could be so important that she barely acknowledged his presence. But he wasn't expecting the reply he got in return. "You." Ayla shrugged as if it was only normal for her to be thinking of him.  "I hope it's all good." He glanced up at her with hopeful eyes.  "It

"No, you don't, Claude." Ayla shook her head. "You can not go around taking my decisions for me all because it will make you feel better. You lost that right a long, long time ago. You lost that right when you chose to ruin our marriage!"  It was too late when realization dawned on her.  "I-I… I didn't mean it like that."  Claude scoffed as he looked down at his own slippers clad feet. With a shake of his head, he smiled at her, a smile which was a reflection on his emotional turmoil. "No, Ayla. What you said is true. I lost that right a long, long time. But you know what?" He paused but didn't wait for her reply. "I may have ruined our relationship, but it wasn't me who ruined our marriage. It was you."  "Claude, don't, please." Her voice quivered as she took a step back.  "Why?" He scoffed. "Since we are setting the scores correctly, why should I