Chapter 87
That evening, Elena and Zachary sat across from each other in the restaurant.
Tiny light fragments from the crystal chandelier were reflected on the surface of the creamy mushroom soup as Elena stirred it. Opposite her, Zachary held the fork and knife with his slender fingers, cutting the steak patiently and meticulously.
After a moment, he put the sliced steak in front of her.
“Thank you,” Elena said politely.
– Zachary’s gaze turned a little dark as he looked at Elena. His voice sounded strained as he said, “Ms.
Miller, you don’t have to be so polite to me. We… Our families are going to form a marriage alliance soon.
You know that.”
“Yes, I do.” Elena smiled.
She put down her spoon and said it like she meant business, “Mr. Golden, we aren’t that close right now, but since I’ve agreed to this marriage alliance, I’ll take it seriously.”
Zachary felt like something was stuck in his throat, stopping him from speaking.
Elena continued, “If I’m not mistaken, you take our marriage alliance very seriously as well. So, I think we could get along well in the days to come. If you feel anything is wrong, you can let me know anytime. No matter what happens, we’ll have to communicate properly. Is that alright?”
Zachary coughed, and he reached for the glass of water.
A piercing screech sounded as the glass scratched against the marble table. Only then did Elena realize that Zachary’s ears were flushed and that his knuckles were white as he grabbed the glass.
“Actually…” He gulped with great difficulty, swallowing his words.
Elena stared at him with a serious expression, waiting for him to continue.
At that moment, Zachary didn’t dare to look her in the eye at all.
He felt incredibly conflicted. She had such an earnest attitude, yet he was a despicable liar. But if he were
to tell her the truth, he would completely lose any chance at being together with her.
He took a deep breath before he finally said, “Actually, Ms. Miller, I’ve always been very fond of you.”
Elena was slightly taken aback.
“Maybe it was five years ago or maybe even sooner… I saw you when you were dancing, and you looked
truly beautiful,” Zachary said.
The color drained from Elena’s face when she heard that.
“Ms. Miller?” Zachary noticed that something was off with her and asked, “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” Elena put on a forced smile. It was time for her to get used to it. She couldn’t keep losing her composure every time someone mentioned dance.
“But I didn’t have the guts to confess my feelings for you at that time. When I heard that…you were my fiancee a short while back, I was overjoyed,” Zachary added.
Clenching his fists tightly, he asked, “Ms. Miller, we…will be alright, right?”
“Of course,” Elena answered, her gaze sincere.
But her firm answer didn’t make Zachary feel relieved. It made him feel more and more uneasy instead.
“Mr. Golden?” Elena was confused. Something seemed off with Zachary.
“I… I was just too happy.” Zachary smiled. “You’ll be coming to my exhibition, won’t you?”
