Chapter 37: Cold shoulder
Syres responded as he approached them, hands buried in his pockets, his composure unshakable and deliberate.
Zara scoffed, her voice sharp. "You might have saved her this time, but that doesn’t make you innocent. For all we know, you could be part of this twisted plan." Her accusation hung heavy in the air.
But instead of defending himself, Syres tilted his head slightly and replied, calm as ever, "You are right. I could be part of this game. Maybe I shouldn’t be trusted." He then lowered himself into the chair across from them, the tension thickening with every breath. "Still... if Patricia wants it, I will leave the mansion. You two can stay here."
Zara froze. Was he bluffing? Manipulating? Yet there was something about his tone...steady, stripped of ego, that made it impossible to call it a lie.
She didn’t know him well, but she knew enough to tell Syres wasn’t the type to speak carelessly or break a promise.
"What makes you think we will fall for your sweet little offers?" Zara narrowed her eyes, smirking as she tried to regain control of the conversation.
"I don’t think," Syres replied, his confidence razor-sharp. "I know. And you already have." He delivered the words with a quiet finality that sliced into her pride.
"No, thank you, Mr. Syres," Patricia cut in, her tone polite but resolute. "You have done more for me than I could ever ask of my own family. I will stay in a hotel."
Syres didn’t argue. He merely nodded, respecting her choice.
"I will stay with..." Zara began, but her words were cut short by a loud, echoing bang that silenced the room.
All eyes turned to the door, except Syres. He simply smiled, a knowing curve to his lips.