12:44 Mon, Sep 29
Chapter 341 The Password Is Her Birthday
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the city, Southlake Residential District.
Since leaving Sunrise Residence, Zacharias had been temporarily staying here.
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Stepping out of the car, his gaze clouded, he slammed the door and froze at the sight of the villa illuminated, a shadow moving inside.
Zacharias‘ eyes widened. The figure was slender, unmistakably feminine.
He hadn’t hired a housekeeper. Though he had spent a week here, every night he returned to an empty, cold home that never felt like his own.
Yet this scene–the soft glow, the figure inside–evoked a memory of Sunrise Residence, when Anneliese would keep a light on, waiting for him no matter how late he returned.
His pace quickened, and he strode into the villa, through the living room.
A woman with long, wavy hair cascading down her back wore a loose white sweater dress. Bare–legged, she was bent over, tidying the scattered cushions on the couch.
“Anne! Honey!”
Zacharias, momentarily dazed, grabbed her wrist, pulling her into a tight embrace.
“Mmm…” The sound escaped muffled from her lips.
His eyes closed, heat prickling his eyelids as he inhaled deeply, catching the scent of an alluring, luxurious perfume–not the one Anneliese would wear.
Confusion immediately overtook him. He released her and frowned, staring down at the woman in his arms.
“Why are you here? How did you get in here?”
The woman’s long, dark curls framed her shocked face. Her demeanor mirrored Anneliese’s in some ways–but this was Selina.
Zacharias let go, tugged off his tie, and sank onto the couch, furrowing his brow.
“Zach, I heard something happened to your mom and Lenora. I was worried, so I came over. When you didn’t answer, I tried the password on a whim–it was our birthdays combined…” Selina’s eyes glimmered, her smile warm with emotion.
His frown deepened. “You’re overthinking it. The password is Anne’s birthday.”
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12:44 Mon, Sep 29
Chapter 341 The Password Is Her Birthday
Selina’s smile stiffened, a flash of irritation crossing her face.
Men could be infuriating!
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He hadn’t treated her like this before. Once, she had been his ideal girl, while Anneliese had been invisible to him.
Yet now, he had called out Anneliese’s name while hugging her, and she had seen the fleeting disappointment in his eyes.
Now, he was openly dismissing her, indifferent to her feelings.
Selina grabbed her purse. “I guess I shouldn’t have bothered checking in with you.”
She turned to leave, confident that a little distance would make him chase her.
But Zacharias‘ voice stopped her.
“Wait.”
A faint, knowing curve tugged at Selina’s lips. She understood that holding back, just a little, was often the most effective way to make a man chase.
It was exactly the same tactic Anneliese had once used on Zacharias.
Selina’s expression stayed calm as she faced him, but the anticipated pleas of regret never appeared.
Zacharias‘ eyes were dark and serious. “Were you the one who told my mom and Lenora?”
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