LIANAI stepped out through the front door of the café and found Zaylen waiting outside, his expression tense with worry."Where is Leonel?" Zaylen demanded as soon as he saw me."He left," I replied simply, also mentally noting that Leon's actual name was Leonel.Zaylen's eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. "How could you let him leave, Liana?"I rolled my eyes, feeling a twinge of frustration at his accusatory tone. "Why? So that you could accuse him of murder?""Murder? What? No!" he exclaimed, looking genuinely confused."Then why were you so mad at him?" I pressed, crossing my arms over my chest.Zaylen paused, seeming to reconsider his approach. "That's because he returned to the town and didn't even inform me. He only contacted Noelle! That's why I was so mad."I sighed, feeling exasperated by the misunderstanding. "Maybe you should have started the conversation with that. For some reason, Leon thinks you were there to accuse him of murder."Zaylen's brows furrowed deeper in confus
ZAYLENAs we pulled up to Liana’s hotel, I felt a knot of regret tightening in my chest. I turned to her, my heart heavy with everything that had happened tonight. “Hey, I am so sorry for ruining our first date,” I said, my voice low and sincere.Liana cupped my cheek gently, her touch soft and reassuring. “It’s alright, I get it. Things like this happen, don't worry. We can always make up for it later,” she replied with a warm smile that eased some of the guilt gnawing at me.I nodded, grateful for her understanding. “Thank you for everything,” I murmured, feeling a rush of affection for this incredible woman.“I’ll get going now. Goodnight,” she said, opening the car door.Before she could step out, I reached for her hand, tugging her closer to me. “By the way, I never got to mention… you look absolutely gorgeous tonight,” I uttered, my eyes locking onto hers, hoping she could see how much I meant it.She laughed softly, a teasing glint in her eyes. “Glad you finally noticed,” sh
ZAYLENLiana lay on my chest, her fingers lazily tracing patterns on my skin. The room was dimly lit, the soft glow from the city outside casting gentle shadows across her face. We were both naked, bodies tangled together. A comfortable silence enveloped us after the intensity of our lovemaking.“Hey,” I murmured, breaking the silence. “How long are you planning to stay in this hotel?”She sighed, her breath warm against my chest. “I know, right? I should finally get to searching for an apartment.”I tightened my arm around her, feeling the contentment in the moment. “Let’s do it together. I will help you find a place.”Liana lifted her head to look at me, a small smile playing on her lips. “You should first fix things with Leonel.”I sighed heavily. “I really want to, but he won’t talk to me. Plus, I will have to hunt down his address too. Noelle won’t give it to me.”Liana frowned thoughtfully. “Okay, okay, I will talk to Noelle. I will do my best to get the address out of her.”I
LIANAAs I stood inside my hotel room, I could faintly hear voices in the hallway. Curiosity got the best of me, and I cracked the door open just enough to catch a glimpse of Zaylen and Leonel talking. Their voices were low, but carried a sharp edge that spoke of unresolved pain.“Oh, right. You made it far as an author. I never got to congrat—” Zaylen started, but Leonel cut him off. “Thank you, but I don’t want to talk anymore,” he said curtly before walking away.I watched Zaylen’s shoulders slump, the weight of their strained relationship pressing down on him visibly.My heart ached for him. I knew how much he cared, how much he tried to protect his siblings. Seeing him so hurt and defeated made something inside me twist painfully.I closed the door softly and leaned against it, my mind racing.Zaylen had done so much for me, always putting my happiness and well-being first. I couldn’t stand to see that look of hurt on his face ever again. I had to do something to fix this, to
LIANA“It seems like the rogue is on a spree. We need to put an end to it as soon as possible. The elders are mad as to why we haven't found the killer yet,” Jordan continued, his voice tense.“Okay, I will come to the murder location immediately,” Zaylen responded, his voice steady but I could sense the underlying tension.Once Jordan hung up, I looked at Zaylen, noticing the worry etched on his face. His jaw was clenched, and his knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel.I felt a pang of pity for him, wishing there was something more I could do to ease his burden.“I’ll drop you at the office and leave, okay?” he said, trying to keep his tone casual.“Alright. But are you okay?” I asked softly, my concern evident.“Yeah, of course,” he replied, but I could tell he was hiding his emotions. The strain in his voice and the tightness in his shoulders gave him away.I reached over and squeezed his hand gently, trying to offer some comfort. “Hey,” I said softly, “you don’t ha
LIANAI stood there, stunned by Leonel's admission. "What? You intentionally booked the same hotel as me?"Leonel shook his head quickly, his expression earnest. "No, no, this one is a real coincidence. I meant the restaurant and café.""How did you even find out?" I asked, trying to process his words.He sighed, looking slightly sheepish. "I wanted to meet Zaylen that day at the office, but I couldn't gather the courage. On his way out of the office, I overheard him talking about his plans to someone. He mentioned to someone that he wanted to bring someone named Liana to this restaurant and then to the café."My mind reeled with this new information. "So you actually wanted to meet Zaylen, to begin with?" I asked incredulously, still trying to piece together the implications of his confession.I listened intently as Leonel continued to explain. "Yes, I did want to meet Zaylen. But then he canceled on your plan. After that, I stopped expecting it and was just casually talking to you.
LIANAAs I stood there, enveloped in the warmth of Zaylen's embrace, a whirlwind of emotions churned within me. It wasn't just the sudden realization of Zaylen's difficult past that had driven me here tonight. It was the searing anger I felt towards everyone who had made his life so unbearably tough.I thought about his father, Ryan—the abusive man who had inflicted so much pain and suffering on Zaylen. My fists clenched at the thought, my anger boiling over at the injustice of it all. How could someone be so cruel to their own flesh and blood?And then there was his mother, who died, abandoning him when he needed her the most. My heart ached for the boy Zaylen must have been, left to shoulder responsibilities far beyond his years.The thought of him enduring all that alone, without a mother's love and support, filled me with a sorrow so deep it threatened to overwhelm me.His siblings, too—how could they have taken him for granted? They had relied on his strength, his sacrifice, w
LIANANoelle crossed her arms, her expression a mixture of disbelief and curiosity. "You and Zaylen? Am I seeing this right? Really?"I nodded, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. "Yeah, really."She shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. "I can't believe I had to see that. When did this happen?"I laughed, feeling a sense of relief at her reaction. "It's a long story. But for now, let's just say it was a long time coming."Noelle rolled her eyes playfully. "Well, you better spill the details. I need to know everything.""Deal," I agreed, linking my arm with hers. "Now, how about we get inside and wait for Zaylen to come back? I can tell you whatever you want to know during this time.""Sounds like a plan," Noelle said, her initial shock giving way to excitement. "But seriously, Liana, you and Zaylen? My brother being romantic? I can't imagine that. This is going to be interesting."I chuckled, feeling a sense of contentment settle over me. "Yeah, it sure is."Once we were in he