One Lucky Night

Chapter 4

Scylla did not dare to face him, but Zach was not the kind of man to wait. He approached her with slow, deliberate steps until they were standing face to face.

Zach’s eyes locked onto hers, and she felt like a piece of ice melting under his intense stare. Every second stretched out, the air between them thick with things unsaid.

"I don’t care anymore for this interview," she whispered, her gaze falling to the floor.

"You believe this is an interview?" Zach let out a short chuckle. It was not one of amusement but of mockery, a sound that cut her deeper than his words. She realized too late that she had walked into a trap set by this man.

If only she had known it was him. If only she had recognized the company from her past. Why would someone be so eager to invite her for a last-minute interview at night? By all logic she should have sensed something strange, but she hadn’t. She had been excited, hopeful even; that she had finally found a chance for a job.

"I get it now," she whispered again, her voice small and trembling.

Zach chuckled once more, and how she wished it was from happiness and not from the bitterness that seemed to roll off him.

"I waited for this time to come, Scylla," Zach said quietly, studying her face.

He tried to hide his fascination. The woman standing before him had become more beautiful than he remembered. Her features were sharper now, more mature, her aura different, yet painfully familiar.

"Zach, I don’t know where to start. And I know sorry is not enough for all of this," Scylla said, trying to steady her shaking voice. Her limbs trembled under his gaze. His stare was too much for her to bear.

"I don’t need your sorry. Sorry doesn’t fix anything that’s been broken. If it did, there wouldn’t be shattered hearts in this world."

His words stabbed into her, cold and merciless. He belonged to the shattered ones now.

"Now tell me, Scylla. Give me an acceptable reason for all of this," he demanded, his tone sharp with rage.

He was not trying to hide his anger anymore. He wanted her to see it, to feel it. The intensity of it made her want to vanish, to crawl away from the wrath she had created.

"I’m sorry, Zach," she managed, her legs giving way beneath her.

She wobbled, and before she could hit the floor, he caught her. Their sudden closeness sent a jolt through both of them, like opposite poles of a magnet forced together. She was weak enough to lean on him; he was strong enough to hold her, even as he despised himself for it.

Zach hated his reaction to their nearness. It would destroy his plan if it continued. He quickly guided her back to the seat she had occupied earlier, forcing distance between them before he forgot everything and took her into his arms again.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Only her scent lingered, soft and familiar, filling his lungs and weakening his resolve. He opened his eyes and saw her hands resting on her chest. A glint of metal caught his attention.

A ring.

For a moment, Zach froze. He had not even considered the possibility that she might already be married. Scylla was a beautiful woman; of course men would notice her. Of course someone else would claim her. The thought made his blood boil.

He leaned closer, staring intently at the ring. That was when he realized it was not just any ring. It was the same one he was wearing. Their promise ring.

He looked at her in disbelief. Why was she still wearing it? He had given it to her as a symbol of their love, a promise of their future together. Did it mean she still loved him? She would not have left him in the first place if she truly did not.

His thoughts swirled, a storm of hope and fury.

Scylla noticed Zach staring at her hand and realized, with a start, that he had seen the ring. She had never taken it off since the day he gave it to her. She instinctively moved to hide her hand, but Zach caught her arm before she could.

"No, don’t," she begged softly.

"I need to confirm something," Zach said, his voice low, making her blush.

How could she have forgotten to remove the ring earlier? But the truth was, she felt incomplete without it. It represented Zach. Her love for him, her memories of him.

"I’m married!" she blurted out.

Zach’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing.

She instantly regretted the lie. Deep down, she wanted to admit that she still honored their promise of love even after she had left him. She wanted to tell him that she still loved him. But she could not.

She had already hurt him once, and she could not afford to hurt him over and over again. Letting go of him would free him from five years of agony. This night, painful as it was, would be their closure. It would finally cut the last fragile thread between them, even if it killed her inside. She told herself she was doing it for him, to give him peace, even if it meant dying of heartache.

She was almost thankful this night had happened, if only because it would finally end the torment.

"Why are you hiding it?" he asked, still staring at the ring.

"Because it’s not anymore for you to see," she said.

But Zach yanked her arm gently yet firmly, ignoring her resistance. He held her hand in his, studying both rings, his and hers.

"You lied," he said flatly.

"You still wear yours?" she asked at the same time, her voice catching.

She was shocked. Scylla could not believe he was still wearing the ring. For a moment, hope flickered in her heart. She had resolved to cut the thread, but how could she ignore this? How could she ignore the possibility that they might still fix everything?

Her heart wavered between guilt and longing.

She had come here expecting a chance for a job, perhaps a brief, awkward conversation with a man she had once loved. Instead, she had found herself standing in front of a man who still wore their promise ring, a man whose anger was rooted not in hatred but in pain.

And yet she had lied.

She knew she was at a crossroads. The night could still end in destruction, but part of her believed it could also bring redemption. She decided, in that moment, to go with the flow of whatever was about to unfold.

Because despite everything, she still believed this night might somehow be a lucky night for her.