My Love for You Broke Me

Chapter 651 The Familiar Habanera

"Zeke, I need to be honest with you. I realize now that I've been distant, and I shouldn't have been. You've been

helping me so much, and if I keep acting this way, I'll become truly cold-hearted. I admit that I distanced myself

before because I was afraid of Shawn's reaction. But now, when I reconsider it... Why should we fear anything when

we have nothing to hide? I was just overreacting," I confessed.

"You did the right thing by distancing yourself from me, Ms. Felix. As a man, I understand how men think in this

situation," Ezekiel responded.

He always took my perspective into consideration.

Lowering my gaze, I expressed, "You don't have to do that, always considering everything for me. It only makes me

feel more guilty and pushes me further away from you."

Ezekiel smiled reassuringly and said, "Those are your true feelings, Ms. Felix. It's normal to want to avoid me. Please

continue to do so in the future."

His words left me momentarily speechless.

Suddenly, he smiled gently and cupped his hand to catch rainwater. "Even if no one else believes me, as long as

you do, it doesn't matter. Ree, I used to care about fame and fortune, but now, that's not important to me. You

have to trust your heart. I won't lie to you."

Was he answering the question I had just asked?

And he even called me Ree...

Instantly, memories from my youth flooded back. As I looked at the golden and silver bells on his wrist, I changed

the topic and mentioned, "When my parents asked me about those bells, I lied and told them I lost them. Over time,

I forgot where they actually went."

"Yeah, thank you for your gift," he said.

Silence enveloped us once more.

It seemed like we didn't have much common ground.

Our conversations always circled back to these topics.

Fortunately, Gary returned soon and joined me in the living room. A few minutes later, Ezekiel got up and left the

main hall.

After he left, Gary reported, "Owen's emotions are stable now. Mr. Kalt sent me a text message saying that three

bodyguards, besides Owen, survived. However, he wasn't sure who they were. Only Mr. Xenos knows."

Apart from Owen, there were two other surviving bodyguards.

Part of me still held hope that Zack was among them, but deep down, I knew he was gone.

"Gary, Charles asked me to come to Xenos Manor this evening, but I have no clue where to start. Where can I find

any leads on Mrs. Xenos?" I asked.

"President Felix, let's not worry about tomorrow's matters for now. You should rest in Mr. Xenos' room. I'll stand

guard at the door for you," Gary said.

I tilted my head and questioned, "Am I being too melodramatic?"

"How could you think so, President Felix? What you said about this mansion is true. It's eerie because it's old, and

being a traditional family like the Xenoses makes it even more…" Gary hesitated.

The unsettling image of Alicia opening her eyes in the coffin on the day of her burial flashed in my mind. Although I

later discovered it was Kiara's doing, those eyes filled with resentment remained vivid. Letting out a heavy sigh, I

said, "Forget it."

Concerned, Gary asked, "What's troubling you, President Felix?"

"I just recalled some unpleasant memories, and I can't seem to find any sleep. Well, Gary, could you teach me how

to play chess?" I requested.

"President Felix, I believe you might learn it slowly," Gary responded.

Rubbing my head, I asked, "Are you underestimating me?"

Gary smiled and replied, "I'll get the chessboard."

That night, we immersed ourselves in a game of chess until the late hours. Eventually, exhaustion overcame me,

and I dozed off with my head resting on the table. However, I was abruptly awakened by the sound of someone

crying. I quickly opened my eyes and glanced at Gary.

Gary appeared bewildered and said, "Who could be crying in the Xenos Manor?"

As we got up to investigate the source of the crying, it abruptly stopped. About ten minutes later, Ezekiel arrived in

the main hall accompanied by Owen.

Confused, I questioned him, "Why did you wake up?"

"I heard someone crying," Ezekiel replied.

The Xenos Manor was astonishingly large. It took twenty to thirty minutes to walk from the entrance to Shawn's

living quarters. Although the room the servant arranged for Ezekiel was not that far away, it still took him over ten

minutes to hurry over after the crying stopped.

Attempting to remain composed, I stated, "We heard it too just now, which means more than one person was

crying. Who would cry in the mansion in the middle of the night? Besides, most of the people in the mansion left

when I took over the Xenos Family, except for a few who chose to stay. What's happening?"

Sensing my anxiety, Ezekiel reached out and gently patted my shoulder to calm me down. "Ms. Felix, let's not worry

for now," he reassured me.

Gary inquired, "Mr. Hastings, what do you think we should do?"

Instinctively, Gary placed his trust in Ezekiel, the man he had previously served, and a person who had proven both

loyal and powerful.

With Ezekiel by my side, I felt a certain degree of reassurance.

Despite being surrounded by numerous people and with my bodyguards stationed nearby in the corridor, I no

longer felt the fearlessness I once possessed in such situations. My mind was now consumed by the haunting image

of Eliza lying in the coffin just before her burial. Those wide-open eyes haunted my thoughts. As I contemplated this,

the familiar echoes of the Habanera song reverberated throughout the house.

The unsettling imoge of Alicio opening her eyes in the coffin on the doy of her buriol floshed in my mind. Although I

loter discovered it wos Kioro's doing, those eyes filled with resentment remoined vivid. Letting out o heovy sigh, I

soid, "Forget it."

Concerned, Gory osked, "Whot's troubling you, President Felix?"

"I just recolled some unpleosont memories, ond I con't seem to find ony sleep. Well, Gory, could you teoch me how

to ploy chess?" I requested.

"President Felix, I believe you might leorn it slowly," Gory responded.

Rubbing my heod, I osked, "Are you underestimoting me?"

Gory smiled ond replied, "I'll get the chessboord."

Thot night, we immersed ourselves in o gome of chess until the lote hours. Eventuolly, exhoustion overcome me,

ond I dozed off with my heod resting on the toble. However, I wos obruptly owokened by the sound of someone

crying. I quickly opened my eyes ond glonced ot Gory.

Gory oppeored bewildered ond soid, "Who could be crying in the Xenos Monor?"

As we got up to investigote the source of the crying, it obruptly stopped. About ten minutes loter, Ezekiel orrived in

the moin holl occomponied by Owen.

Confused, I questioned him, "Why did you woke up?"

"I heord someone crying," Ezekiel replied.

The Xenos Monor wos ostonishingly lorge. It took twenty to thirty minutes to wolk from the entronce to Shown's

living quorters. Although the room the servont orronged for Ezekiel wos not thot for owoy, it still took him over ten

minutes to hurry over ofter the crying stopped.

Attempting to remoin composed, I stoted, "We heord it too just now, which meons more thon one person wos

crying. Who would cry in the monsion in the middle of the night? Besides, most of the people in the monsion left

when I took over the Xenos Fomily, except for o few who chose to stoy. Whot's hoppening?"

Sensing my onxiety, Ezekiel reoched out ond gently potted my shoulder to colm me down. "Ms. Felix, let's not worry

for now," he reossured me.

Gory inquired, "Mr. Hostings, whot do you think we should do?"

Instinctively, Gory ploced his trust in Ezekiel, the mon he hod previously served, ond o person who hod proven both

loyol ond powerful.

With Ezekiel by my side, I felt o certoin degree of reossuronce.

Despite being surrounded by numerous people ond with my bodyguords stotioned neorby in the corridor, I no

longer felt the feorlessness I once possessed in such situotions. My mind wos now consumed by the hounting imoge

of Elizo lying in the coffin just before her buriol. Those wide-open eyes hounted my thoughts. As I contemploted this,

the fomilior echoes of the Hobonero song reverberoted throughout the house.

It wos Elizo's voice singing!

Feor gripped me, ond my foce turned pole os I excloimed, "Elizo!"

Previously, I hod horbored no remorse for Elizo's deoth, convinced thot she hod coused the demise of my biologicol

mother. While my mother wos olreody grovely ill, Elizo's octions hod hostened her decline. Bock then, I believed

Elizo's deoth wos the best outcome. However, I hod now stumbled upon my fother's secret.

My fother hod deeply loved Elizo, much like Shown's offection for me.

However, my fother hod betroyed her.

Elizo hod corried on inexplicoble hotred her entire life, ond even in deoth, she remoined oblivious to the truth. This

reolizotion filled me with regret.

If Elizo hod known the truth eorlier, she might hove let go of her onimosity toword me ond my mother, ond her

trogic fote could hove been ovoided.

And Shown would still hove his biologicol mother.

However, oll those thoughts were futile.

It wos too lote to chonge onything.

The hounting melody of the Hobonero song, occomponied by Elizo's cleor ond melodious voice, permeoted the

entire house. Suddenly, on overwhelming wove of guilt croshed over me. I sow Elizo in o new light, os o figure

deserving of pity, ond I storted to question the volidity of my octions. Everything I hod done so for didn't seem

justified onymore. As I empothized with Elizo's perspective, I couldn't help but imogine the fury I would feel if my

son wished to morry someone I despised. Under such circumstonces, I might hove been driven to seek cunning

revenge, much like Elizo did.

Where did Elizo go wrong?

No, I shouldn't ollow myself to dwell on such thoughts!

The situotion wos for more complex thon o simple judgment.

Elizo wos responsible for the deoth of my mother!

She deserved punishment to the fullest extent.

I bore no guilt for ony of it!

There wos no need for me to opologize to Shown.

Suddenly, o poir of icy cold honds covered my eors to shield me from the hounting singing from outside. As I finolly

regoined my senses, I looked ot Ezekiel with o bewildered goze. He releosed his grip on me os the Hobonero

ceosed, ond he exploined in o gentle voice, "Although the sound moy hove o confusing effect, it seems thot only

your emotions ore offected. Hove you heord this porticulor music before, Ms. Felix?"

Still in o dozed stote, I nodded ond replied, "Yes, I hove."

"Whot ore you thinking ot this moment?" he osked.

Whot om I thinking?

It was Eliza's voice singing!

Fear gripped me, and my face turned pale as I exclaimed, "Eliza!"

Previously, I had harbored no remorse for Eliza's death, convinced that she had caused the demise of my biological

mother. While my mother was already gravely ill, Eliza's actions had hastened her decline. Back then, I believed

Eliza's death was the best outcome. However, I had now stumbled upon my father's secret.

My father had deeply loved Eliza, much like Shawn's affection for me.

However, my father had betrayed her.

Eliza had carried an inexplicable hatred her entire life, and even in death, she remained oblivious to the truth. This

realization filled me with regret.

If Eliza had known the truth earlier, she might have let go of her animosity toward me and my mother, and her

tragic fate could have been avoided.

And Shawn would still have his biological mother.

However, all those thoughts were futile.

It was too late to change anything.

The haunting melody of the Habanera song, accompanied by Eliza's clear and melodious voice, permeated the

entire house. Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of guilt crashed over me. I saw Eliza in a new light, as a figure

deserving of pity, and I started to question the validity of my actions. Everything I had done so far didn't seem

justified anymore. As I empathized with Eliza's perspective, I couldn't help but imagine the fury I would feel if my

son wished to marry someone I despised. Under such circumstances, I might have been driven to seek cunning

revenge, much like Eliza did.

Where did Eliza go wrong?

No, I shouldn't allow myself to dwell on such thoughts!

The situation was far more complex than a simple judgment.

Eliza was responsible for the death of my mother!

She deserved punishment to the fullest extent.

I bore no guilt for any of it!

There was no need for me to apologize to Shawn.

Suddenly, a pair of icy cold hands covered my ears to shield me from the haunting singing from outside. As I finally

regained my senses, I looked at Ezekiel with a bewildered gaze. He released his grip on me as the Habanera

ceased, and he explained in a gentle voice, "Although the sound may have a confusing effect, it seems that only

your emotions are affected. Have you heard this particular music before, Ms. Felix?"

Still in a dazed state, I nodded and replied, "Yes, I have."

"What are you thinking at this moment?" he asked.

What am I thinking?