Zara studied the dress more closely. The fine thread work, the crystal beads—everything complented the diamond necklace he had given her earlier.
’So he chose this dress with the necklace in mind,’ she realized.
She beca so absorbed in examining it that she completely forgot she wasn’t alone.
Three pairs of eyes were fixed on her, waiting for a response. But Zara remained silent, gazing at the dress.
Gracie and Paulina exchanged a concerned glance.
"You don’t like the dress?" Gracie asked gently.
"It’s alright, dear," Paulina added quickly. "If you don’t like it, we can always change it."
Zara snapped out of her daze. "No... I like it. It’s beautiful."
A collective sigh of relief escaped them.
"That’s good, then," Paulina said. "You should go try it on. See if it fits. If it doesn’t, we can get it altered."
Zara knew without trying that it would fit her perfectly. Nathaniel had always known her size. At that mont, the dress hardly mattered to her. All she wanted was to see him, to talk to him.
"He went shopping with you?" she asked, ignoring the suggestion to try it on.
Paulina nodded. "Yes, he did."
"Then where is he?" Zara asked, impatience creeping into her voice. "He dropped you ho, didn’t he? Why didn’t he co inside?"
"Oh, don’t ask ," Paulina waved her hand. "After dropping us off, he went straight back to the office."
A knot of unease twisted in Zara’s stomach. She could tell that he was deliberately keeping his distance. ’He must have seen my car outside,’ she thought. ’He knew I was here. That’s why he didn’t co in.’
An impulse to call him, to stop him, to speak to him right then and there rose sharply within her.
"I..." She began to stand.
"Mommy, look..." Zane’s excited voice cut in. He proudly held up a navy-blue suit. "This is my suit. Daddy bought it for . Will you help wear it?"
Zara hesitated. She wanted to call Nathaniel, but as she looked at Zane’s eyes, full of excitent, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse him.
"Co on. Let’s go to the bedroom."
Zane hopped happily, clutching the suit as he followed her inside.
Gracie watched them disappear down the hallway. "I don’t know what the future holds," she said quietly, her shoulders dropping. "But I truly want Zara and Nathaniel to find their way back to each other."
Paulina rested a reassuring hand on hers. "They will," she said with certainty. "They love each other, and they love their children more than anything. That bond will bring them back together. I’m sure of it."
Gracie wasn’t as confident as Paulina. She had witnessed the cold distance Zara had kept from Nathaniel. Yet, despite her doubts, she clung to Paulina’s words, wanting them to turn into reality.
"I hope you are right," she whispered, her gaze distant.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Instead of returning to the office, Nathaniel went to a bar. For three long months, he had waited, day after day, for a call or even a ssage from Zara. He kept hoping she would contact him, but nothing ever ca. Her silence had wounded him, yet he had refused to give up.
He had convinced himself that her love hadn’t disappeared, that she was still angry and needed ti. So he had waited, willing to give her as much space as she wanted. But as the days dragged on, his patience slowly began to erode.
Every day, he found himself standing outside the Moore mansion, yearning to go in and see her. Fear stopped him—fear that his presence would only upset her further.
He had spoken to Bree occasionally, asking about Zara, taking updates on her health, but he could never gather the courage to call her himself.
When his parents’ wedding anniversary drew near, he saw it as a chance to reach out, to see if she would finally talk to him. He had bought her a necklace and sent it over, hoping it would prompt so response. But there was nothing.
Still unwilling to give up, he had gone shopping and selected a dress for her, certain that this ti she would reach out.
She didn’t.
Each unanswered gesture chipped away at his heart. His hope dimd, his patience thinned, and even his determination to nd their broken relationship began to falter.
What if Zara never forgave him?
He was afraid that she wouldn’t take him back. The thought tore him apart.
He lifted his glass and drained it in one gulp.
"No... she can’t just stop loving ," he muttered, slamming the empty glass onto the counter.
"Another," he demanded.
The bartender silently refilled the glass.
Nathaniel swirled the glass in his hand, staring into the amber liquid. He couldn’t tell whether it was the light or his own mind betraying him, but Zara’s face seed to surface in the drink.
Liam’s words suddenly echoed in his head. ’Her happiness should co first.’
A hollow chuckle slipped from his lips.
Nathaniel nodded slowly as if he had realized sothing. It was painful yet inevitable.
"Alright... I get it now," he murmured bitterly. "You don’t want anymore. Fine...If you are happy without , I’ll step back. I won’t disturb you again."
He pulled out his phone and dialed Liam’s number. When the call connected, he forced his lips into a smile, but it never quite ford. The ache in his chest was unbearable, almost suffocating.
"Hello," Liam’s voice ca through.
"Hey... my dear friend," Nathaniel said hoarsely. "Are you free?"
Liam imdiately sensed sothing was off. "Are you drunk? Where are you?"
"Co have a drink with ," Nathaniel replied. "There is sothing I need to talk to you about."
There was a brief pause. "Send the address."
"Moon’s Bar."
"Stay there. I’m coming." Liam pushed back his chair, grabbed his suit jacket, and headed out.
Within half an hour, Liam arrived at Moon’s Bar. The mont he stepped inside, his eyes locked onto Nathaniel sitting at the counter with a drink in hand.
His brows knitted together in concern.
Nathaniel had sworn off alcohol ever since he had suffered severe gastritis after losing Nora. Seeing him drink again imdiately alard Liam.
He walked straight up to him. "Stop drinking." Liam snatched the glass away before Nathaniel could take another sip. "Do you want to end up in the hospital again?"
Nathaniel lazily waved a finger at him. "I’m just celebrating," he said with a hollow chuckle. "I finally learned how to let go. Now I understand what true love really ans. It’s about letting go."
"What are you even saying?" Liam asked, frowning in confusion.
"Didn’t you once say my love was selfish?" Nathaniel scoffed. "That I only cared about my own comfort? That I treated her like a possession, soone ant to satisfy and take care of my family?"
He shook his head. "I don’t want to be that man anymore. I truly want her to be happy."
Liam couldn’t follow his train of thought. He assud Nathaniel was far too drunk to speak rationally.
"You’ve had too much," Liam said firmly, grabbing his arm. "You need rest. Co on, let’s leave. I’ll take you ho."
"Relax, I’m not drunk," Nathaniel said dismissively, brushing his hand away. "I know exactly what I’m saying. I’ve never been this clear-headed."
"Nathaniel..." Worry clouded Liam’s face.
"I’m not done yet," Nathaniel cut in. "I’m going to have a divorce agreent drafted. This ti it’s real, not an act."
"What?" Liam stared at him in disbelief. "You are divorcing Zara?"
"I’m setting her free," Nathaniel said quietly. "I won’t bind her to anymore—not with obligations, not with responsibilities. She deserves the freedom to go wherever she wants and find her own happiness. I won’t stand in her way."
"Have you completely lost your mind?" Liam snapped, irritation flaring. "You are talking about divorce again, knowing how badly it hurt her last ti. She couldn’t forgive you for that so-called fake divorce. And now you want to make it real? Are you even thinking straight?"
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "You are not in the right state of mind. You are drunk—completely. Enough of this nonsense. You are coming with right now."
He grabbed Nathaniel’s arm again, ready to pull him up. But Nathaniel stopped him, gripping his wrist.
"She doesn’t want anymore," Nathaniel rasped, locking his gaze with Liam’s. "She won’t see . She won’t talk to ."
Liam’s face fell into confusion. That couldn’t be right. Zara loved Nathaniel. How could she give up on him?
"It’s been three months," Nathaniel continued. "Three long months, and she hasn’t reached out even once. I thought ti would ease her pain, that she’d eventually forgive . So I stayed away. I gave her space. I kept my promise and never went in front of her, never contacted her."
His voice wavered. "But I couldn’t wait anymore."
The weight in his chest grew heavier as he rembered all the days he had spent waiting, hoping for a single ssage.
"I finally tried," he whispered, his head dropping. "I bought her a diamond necklace and sent it with a note. She didn’t respond. Then I bought her a dress, hoping she’d at least text — say anything. But there was nothing."
He let out a hollow laugh, pain twisting his features. "It’s obvious now. She doesn’t need anymore. It doesn’t matter what I give her or whether I reach out. She is happier without ."
Liam remained conflicted. Yet he couldn’t completely ignore the truth—Zara did seem better than before. In all these months, he had been in constant touch with her. Zara hadn’t spoken Nathaniel’s na even once. It made Liam wonder if she truly had moved on.
"I just want her to be happy," Nathaniel went on, pulling Liam back to the mont. "That’s why I’m stepping aside. I’m letting her go." He paused, then added, "But I need your help."
Liam’s heart thumped. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what ca next.
"You still love her, don’t you?" Nathaniel asked. "I want you to be with her. Take care of her. Give her the love and happiness she deserves."
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