Chapter 61: Unspoken Farewells
A faint flicker of jealousy flashed through Ares’ eyes, but he quickly blinked it away, suppressing any further emotion.
There was no longer a way for him to be part of her world. What he needed now was simple, though painfully difficult: to speak his heart and leave.
The thought of trying to talk to her freely, especially with Zylan’s oppressive presence beside her, weighed heavily on him. It wasn’t just the gaze—displeasing though it was—it was Zylan himself. His presence made it almost impossible for anyone else to compete, to be heard.
Ares cleared his throat, trying to steady his nerves. But when he opened his mouth, his voice came out unwarm than he intended. "It seems you’ve been busy," he remarked, the words slipping out before he could soften them.
Naomi nodded, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, though she didn’t know what exactly had caused it. Her heart raced with the unexpected heaviness in the air, yet she held herself steady, unwilling to let her discomfort show. Ares was standing right there, but it was like the space between them had grown miles wide.
Ares paused, took a slow breath, and for a moment, it felt as though the world had stilled around them. Time stretched and pulled, as though the moment had been suspended for some deeper, unspoken reason. Then, he spoke again, his tone more deliberate now, almost mechanical, as though he was forcing the words out. "I’ll get straight to the point. I’ll be traveling abroad."
To Naomi’s surprise, the words that left Ares’ mouth weren’t met with the familiar sting of pain she had felt before. It was different this time. When Rose had told her about Ares planning to go abroad, she had been struck with an ache she couldn’t ignore. But now, with Ares’ announcement, she felt a strange sense of relief. There was no hurt, no sharp pang. Instead, she felt a warmth, as if it were an opportunity for him—an opportunity to meet new people, better people.
A smile crept onto her lips, her response soft but sincere. "Well, wow. That’s really awesome. Great news. Congratulations."
She truly was happy for him, genuinely glad. He deserved it. Naomi had no doubts that he would go on to do something fulfilling. She hoped the experience would help him find whatever he had been searching for all this time. Ares, perhaps caught off guard by her unexpected reaction, blinked. It seemed he had expected something different, though what exactly, he couldn’t pinpoint. His chance had long passed, though part of him still felt the need to make some kind of connection, some last grasp at something that could’ve been.