The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

No wonder Annalise only gave up on Steven when things had already gone that far. Maybe, in her mind, she was still holding on to the old him who would have once done anything for her.

Jessica gave Steven a gentle pat. "It's over now."

"Annalise was so naive," Steven said, his voice thick with tears. "I won her over in less than half a year. Honestly, the things I did for her were just me letting out the frustration I felt after losing you.

"But she actually thought I loved her and stuck by me for years without a word of complaint. Why didn't she see it sooner? She wouldn't have been hurt so badly if she had."

His sobs grew louder.noveldrama

Jessica couldn't understand why he had gone through all of that if he was just going to fall apart now.

But to keep her meal ticket secure, she could only say quietly, "Maybe she knew long ago but loved you enough to give you another chance."

"But in the end, I never changed, did I?" Steven asked.

Jessica said nothing.

He continued, "I thought I was still in love with you when you returned. That's why I let you be with Zach. And I can't deny it-I enjoyed being with you. But that only

worked because Annalise was still my wife. If I'd known that bringing Zach to see you would cost me her, I would've stayed away."

Jessica barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes.

"Why did I only realize I loved her after she was gone?" Steven asked.

"Because when you had Annalise, you were certain she loved you too much to leave," Jessica said flatly. "You used the fact that she had no family or friends in this city against her. You assumed that even if she left she had nowhere else to go."

Steven broke down into uncontrollable sobs.

Jessica closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him. "It's okay, Steven. Even if she doesn't want you anymore, you still have me. I'll stay by your side. I won't leave you."

Steven's reddened eyes locked onto hers.

"You're not just saying that, are you?" he asked, uncertainty in his voice.

"I mean it," Jessica said firmly.

Only then did Steven slump against her, murmuring, "You're all I have left."

I got out of bed in the morning and headed downstairs, the scent of something delicious drawing me in. I quickened my pace and stepped into the kitchen, only to find Zane with his back to me.

Surprised, I asked, "You're making breakfast? Where's the chef?"

Zane glanced over his shoulder. "We finally have some time alone, so I gave them

a few days off. I didn't want anyone else around. It's just you and me for the next two days."

I arched an eyebrow. "Doesn't it bother you to cook for yourself?"

"Not at all," Zane said without hesitation. "When a man loves a woman, he should

put in more effort—to make himself more competitive."