The following day, Nathan woke up feeling drained. Elena's words kept replaying in his mind, stabbing him like a thousand knives. No one had ever made him feel so weak before. The thought of her loving Aiden shattered something inside him, something he feared he might never be able to fix. He wanted to see her, to hold her, to convince her that they were meant to be. But he decided to respect her space, even though it was killing him inside.
Dragging himself to the bathroom, he took a long, cold shower, hoping it would clear his mind. It didn't. Instead, memories of Elena flooded his thoughts—the way she smiled at him, the way she teased him, the way she always made his world feel lighter.
After dressing up, he went downstairs for breakfast, but even that felt meaningless. He barely noticed Allision setting the table for him.
"Sir, would you like water or fruit juice?" she asked gently.
Nathan didn't respond. He just stared blankly at the table.
She placed a plate of his favorite meal in front of him, hoping it would lift his mood. But for 40 minutes, he simply sat there, staring at the food without taking a single bite. Eventually, he stood up and walked to the library without saying a word.
Allision exchanged worried glances with the other maids. "He hasn't eaten anything since yesterday," she whispered. "I don't think he's even slept properly."
One of the other maids nodded. "Should we inform Mrs. Reed? She might be able to help."
Allision hesitated. She knew how fragile Nathan's relationship with his mother was. "I don't want to disturb her just yet. Let's keep an eye on him first."
The entire mansion felt dull and lifeless. Without Nathan's usual presence, the warmth in the house seemed to fade.
Aria had been trying to get closer to her mother all morning, but Mrs. Reed barely acknowledged her. The older woman's coldness was a clear sign that she was still angry about what Aria had done.
"Mom, please talk to me," Aria pleaded. "I was just trying to fix things. I wanted our family to be whole again."
Mrs. Reed sighed, shaking her head. "Fix things? Aria, you made everything worse. You had no right to interfere in your brother's life like that."
Tears welled up in Aria's eyes. "I thought I was doing the right thing," she whispered.
"If you truly want to fix this, then make it right," her mother said firmly before walking away.
Aria stood frozen, feeling the weight of her mistake pressing down on
Thomas had been trying to reach Nathan all morning, but his calls went unanswered. Worried, he left the office and drove straight to the mansion.
As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Allision pacing nervously.
"How's the boss?" Thomas asked.
Allision's expression darkened. "He hasn't eaten. He hasn't talked to anyone. He just sits there, lost in thought."
Thomas sighed and walked into the library. There, he found Nathan lying on the couch, looking weak and lifeless.
"Boss," Thomas called out. No response.
He stepped closer. "Boss, you need to pull yourself together."
Nathan didn't move. He just kept staring at the ceiling.
Thomas sighed. "Boss, I know things are hard right now. But you can't give up on yourself. If Elena is meant to be with you, she will come back to you."
Finally, Nathan spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "That's not going to happen."
Thomas and Allision exchanged worried looks.
"Why would you say that?" Thomas asked cautiously.
Nathan turned his head slightly, his eyes filled with pain. "Because she doesn't love me, Thomas. She's in love with someone else."
Hearing those words made Thomas's chest tighten. He knew how much Nathan loved Elena. He also knew that it would take a long time for him to heal from this, just like when he lost Katrina.
Nathan closed his eyes, lost in thought once again.
Mia was on her way to check on Elena, hoping she had changed her mind about forgiving Nathan.
As she approached the house, she saw Elena sitting outside, staring at her phone. Mia quietly walked up behind her and peered over her shoulder. That's when she saw it, Elena was staring at Nathan's picture.
Mia crossed her arms. "Stop hurting yourself and fight for your love."
Elena gasped, quickly locking her phone and stammering, "I—I was just scrolling through Instagram."
Mia raised an eyebrow. "Lena, please. We both know that's a lie."
Elena let out a shaky sigh.
Mia sat beside her. "Hurting yourself won't help. If you love him, fight for him before it's too late."
Elena hesitated, then whispered, "Mia… I miss Nathan so much."
Mia's face lit up. "Then call him!"
Elena shook her head. "No. He'll come back. And when he does, I'll tell him everything."
Mia frowned. "Lena, what if he doesn't come back? What if he thinks you've truly moved on?"
Elena bit her lip. "I just… I know he will."
Mia sighed. "Fine. But don't wait too long, or you might lose him forever."
After spending some time with Elena, Mia left, still worried about her friend's decision.
Elena woke up with a new determination. Today, she would go to Nathan's office and finally tell him the truth.
She dressed up nicely, took a deep breath, and opened her door—only to find Aiden standing outside, looking miserable.
"Aiden?" she asked, concerned. "What's wrong?"
Aiden sighed. "I lost my job, Lena."
Elena's heart sank. "Oh, Aiden, I'm so sorry."
She instinctively pulled him into a hug, trying to comfort him.
"Come inside," she said gently. "You need to relax."
Meanwhile, across the street, Nathan sat in his car, watching.
His grip tightened on the steering wheel as he saw Elena hugging Aiden.
His heart felt like it had been shattered all over again.
Without waiting another second, he sped away, his mind made up.
"This is it," he whispered to himself.
For the first time, Nathan accepted the painful truth—Elena was happier without him.
And maybe… just maybe… it was time to let her go.
Nathan stormed into his room, his heart pounding with a mixture of rage and pain. He stood in front of the mirror, staring at his own reflection as a bitter laugh escaped his lips.
"Nathan, you're a loser," he muttered, his voice filled with mockery. "You lost her again. Just like before. You really thought she would stay?"
His laughter grew louder, almost hysterical, as he gripped the edge of the dresser. The sound of his voice echoed through the mansion, sending chills down the spines of the maids downstairs.
Allision and the other maids exchanged worried glances. They had seen this before—this was exactly how Nathan had started acting when he lost Katrina.
Allision quickly grabbed her phone and sent a message to Mrs. Reed:
"Ma'am, I think we have a problem. Mr. Nathan… he's not okay. He's acting like he did when Katrina died. I'm really scared."
Within seconds, Mrs. Reed called back.
"What do you mean, Allision?" she demanded, panic lacing her voice.
"He's laughing to himself, talking to the mirror, and acting… strange. He hasn't been eating properly, and he refuses to talk to anyone. It's just like before."
Mrs. Reed's heart dropped. She gripped her phone tightly, her nails digging into her palm.
"I will handle this. Keep an eye on him," she instructed before ending the call.
She turned and called for her daughter.
"ARIA!"
Aria, startled by the loudness of her mother's voice, rushed out of her room and into the living room. As soon as she saw her mother's furious expression, she knew something was wrong.
"Mom? What happened?"
Mrs. Reed let out a bitter smile, tears forming in her eyes.
"Do you see what you've done, Aria? Nathan is breaking apart again because of you!"
Aria's eyes widened.
"What do you mean?!" she asked, panic setting in.
Mrs. Reed exhaled sharply. "Ever since you told Elena about Katrina, Nathan has been falling apart. Just like before. He's locking himself away, refusing to eat, talking to himself exactly how he was when Katrina died."
Aria's stomach twisted in guilt. She had only wanted to protect her family, but instead, she had pushed her brother to the edge.
"Mom… I didn't mean for this to happen," she whispered.
"Oh, really?" Mrs. Reed scoffed. "Then why didn't you fix your mess when I told you to?"
Aria lowered her head in shame. "I was scared…"
"Well, now you should be terrified!" her mother snapped. "Because if anything happens to your brother, I will NEVER forgive you!"
Aria flinched as her mother stormed out of the room, leaving her alone with her regret.
Meanwhile, back at the mansion, Nathan suddenly got up from his chair. He took a long shower, dressed up sharply, and stepped out of his room with a confident smirk.
Allision blinked in confusion. Just minutes ago, he was breaking down, and now he looked completely fine?
"Sir, should I prepare breakfast for you?" she asked hesitantly.
"Of course," Nathan said with a charming smile.
Allision rushed to the kitchen to prepare his food before he changed his mind. When she returned, she was shocked to see him eating properly.
"What's going on?" she mumbled under her breath.
Thomas walked in after receiving Nathan's call earlier. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening as he saw Nathan eating as if nothing had happened.
"Boss… are you okay?" Thomas asked cautiously.
Nathan looked up and grinned. "I'm perfectly fine."
Thomas didn't believe him for a second.
"So… does that mean you and Elena are back together?"
Nathan leaned back in his chair and smirked. "Thomas, we were always meant to be together. She's mine. We will never be separated."
Thomas froze. This didn't sound like the heartbroken man he had spoken to yesterday.
"But, boss, you told me Elena was in love with someone else."
Nathan chuckled. "I was an idiot for thinking that. She's mine, and I'm getting her back today."
Thomas gulped. "Okay, boss… I trust you."
Nathan finished his meal, grabbed his jacket, and headed out.
As Nathan arrived at the office, his employees were stunned.
"Is he… smiling?" Sharon whispered to Jessie.
"I think so… this is weird," Jessie replied.
For the first time in days, Nathan was laughing with his staff. He even cracked a few jokes before heading into the boardroom.
During the meeting, he was focused, sharp, and in complete control. The board members were shocked by his sudden turnaround.
Thomas, however, wasn't convinced. Something felt off.
Secretly, he texted Nathan's doctor:
"Be on standby. Something isn't right."
After four hours in the office, Nathan suddenly stood up.
"Thomas, get the car ready. We're going to Elena's house."
Thomas hesitated but obeyed.
As they pulled up to Elena's house, Nathan took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
To his surprise, Aiden opened it.
Nathan smirked. "Ah, Aiden. Good to see you."
Aiden frowned. "Oh, hey… you're here."
Nathan's smirk widened. "Of course. This is my fiancée's house, after all."
Aiden's fake smile twitched. "Right. That's true."
Elena, who had been in the kitchen, heard Nathan's voice and rushed to the living room. Her heart pounded as she saw him standing there, holding a bouquet of roses.
Nathan walked straight to her and pulled her into a warm embrace.
"I missed you," he whispered.
Elena hesitated but took the flowers. "Nathan… I need to tell you something."
Nathan braced himself for rejection, but to his surprise, she wasn't pushing him away.
Aiden sat on the couch, watching them with jealousy. Thomas leaned against the wall, observing the situation.
Elena took a deep breath. "I lied about everything I said earlier. It was—"
Before she could finish, Nathan cupped her face and kissed her.
Aiden's mouth fell open in shock.
Thomas, enjoying the moment, quickly walked over to Aiden and dramatically covered his face with his suit jacket.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Aiden protested.
"You are not permitted to watch when Mr. and Mrs. Reed are having their moment," Thomas declared dramatically.
Elena gasped against Nathan's lips and tried to push him away, but after a few seconds, she gave in, wrapping her arms around his neck and deepening the kiss.
Aiden, disgusted, stood up and pushed Thomas's suit away. "I'm out of here!" he growled before storming out of the house.
Thomas followed him, grinning. "Good choice, bro."
Meanwhile, inside the house, Nathan and Elena were still lost in their passionate embrace.
For the first time in weeks, everything felt right again.