The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Zane's voice dropped to a deep, icy timbre. "I'd say you were the problem all along. If you had been generous enough to hire a nanny and a chef to help Annalise out at home, she might have had the time to do what she wanted. You would have been able to see her put her talents to good use. "She would have dazzled in whichever industry she chose to dabble in, and she would be popular among her peers. In truth..."novelbin

He slowed his speech as he drove his point home. "You're only putting her down because deep down, you know Annalise has always been perfect just the way she is."

Steven retorted without hesitation, "As if!"

"You wouldn't want her back so desperately if you thought any lesser of her, right?" Zane countered evenly.

Steven said nothing and instead kept his gaze on me, but the only person that mattered to me at that moment was Zane. He had, indeed, seen all of my strengths and sacrifices.

Steven's lips pressed into a thin, grim line, his heart tightening to the point of pain. "You'll find someone better than Annalise in the future-"

"There is no one better than her," Zane cut him off firmly.

I had heard all I needed to. I knew now that Steven was vilifying me so that Zane would think less of me and break up with me. "Do you see the huge difference between you and Zane now, Steven?" I asked indifferently.

When he did not respond, I continued, "I hope you'll do yourself a favor and stop pining after me. No matter how I look at it, Zane is better than you in more ways than you can count. I don't see why I should leave him for you when you aren't even half the man he is." Steven seemed to finally understand I had moved on from him, for he said, "Yes, he is a fine gentleman, that much I'll admit. But I was kind to you when we first started dating as well. How are you so confident that Zane won't turn out like me in the future?"

I did not answer him, so he added, "If Zane ever lets you down one day, Annalise, you can always come back to me."

"He won't," I bit out firmly, full of conviction.

I continued, "I know he won't betray

me. If he does, I'll leave him. But don't think for a second that I will get back together with you, Steven. Living alone might come with uncertainties, but I'd choose those over the six years I wasted on you."

My gaze bore into Steven's, and I felt

more resolved than I ever did as

said, "I've never thought about going back to you since the day we

The tears glistening in Steven's eyes finally spilled out, and he seemed flustered as he said bitterly, "I'll keep that in mind." Steven hurried off and slid into his car. He gripped the steering wheel tightly as he glowered in Annalise and Zane's direction.

Fiery hatred filled him as he cursed

them inwardly. He did not deserve to be punished by Annalise over a tiny mistake! Everyone made mistakes, so why wasn't he allowed a second chance?

Steven dried his tears, the brutal rejection threatening to shatter his heart. At that moment, his phone rang, and he put the call through. "Hello?"

The person on the other line cut to the chase. "Remember how you told me to look into Zane?"

Baffled, Steven asked, "Did you find anything?"

"Yes," the caller answered, sounding pleased. "I found something interesting, and it goes back to Zane's junior high days..."