Chapter 17

Zoe turned away. "Hurting yourself won't erase the pain you caused me," she calmly said. Blood had soaked Elijah thoroughly, staining the floor crimson, but he seemed oblivious as he whispered, "What will it take for you to forgive me?" She quietly answered, "Elijah, let's part ways peacefully." From that day on, he carried on as if nothing were amiss. But he doubled down with even more extravagant gestures of devotion. In the past, Zoe had bent herself to fit his world. She pushed herself to learn things she disliked for his sake, but now, the tables had turned. She loved quietness, so Elijah abandoned billion-dollar projects and spent his days sitting by her side, watching the sea silently. She loved tea, so he went into the mountains every morning. He picked the freshest tea leaves and brewed them for her. She loved fish, so he stood under the burning sun for hours, casting his line until he caught one. Watching Elijah now, Zoe felt a bittersweet ache for the person she had