Chapter 63: Marriage Proposal
Evelyn stood frozen, her breath catching in her throat as the weight of Zevian’s revelation settled in. The truth lingered between them, thick and suffocating. She found herself staring at Kiana, her heart aching with the realization that the little girl she had grown to love wasn’t his by blood. Yet, she was his in every other way. Every single way that mattered.
"But—" Evelyn’s voice faltered, struggling to find the words. Her mind swirled in confusion and disbelief, trying to process the layers of pain that Zevian must have been carrying for so long. So Kiana wasn’t his child? Her gaze darted back to Zevian, who was now sitting at the edge of the bed, his eyes glued to the floor, lost in thought. His strong, composed exterior seemed to crack slightly, and Evelyn’s heart clenched at the sight of the unshed tears that glossed his eyes.
"What happened between you and Katherine, Zevian?" she asked quietly, unable to keep the question buried any longer. She had to know. She had to understand the pieces of his past that had driven him to this moment, the ones she had once cursed him for when she believed he had moved on so easily after their breakup.
Zevian’s eyes flickered up to hers before he sighed deeply, pulling himself to his feet and taking her hand. Wordlessly, he led her through the hidden door on the shelf that connected their room to his study. She sat down obediently at his gesture while he crossed to the table to pour himself a drink. His hand shook slightly as he raised the glass to his lips, the liquid providing him with just enough courage to speak.
Zevian had no intentions of hiding it from her, but things escalated rapidly around them and they never got to sit down and talk about it. With a sigh, he began slowly, his voice filled with exhaustion and regret. "Katherine... she acted like marrying me wasn’t just about her family’s demands. She made it seem like she had feelings for me. That was my first mistake—believing her lies and feeling guilty that I couldn’t return her feelings."
He sighed again, swirling the wine in his glass before taking another sip. His gaze turned distant as he sank into the couch, memories resurfacing. "The truth was, she only married me for power. Greed. Her mother had filled her head with the idea that if she could give the Reign family an heir, she would be untouchable. No one would be able to challenge her position and stop her from conquering our business."
Evelyn sat silently, absorbing each word, her heart aching for him. She could feel the weight of his sadness, a burden he had carried alone for so long. She watched as Zevian closed his eyes for a moment, struggling to maintain his composure and her heart ached. She couldn’t stop cursing herself in her head for thinking he was having a splendid life while she struggled to get over him.
"One night, I got drunk—really drunk," Zevian said, his voice growing quieter. "I’m still not sure how, but I ended up in our bedroom. I always stayed in the study ever since we married and it was strange."
"We had been married for two months at that point, and the next week, she told me she was pregnant." He paused, his hand tightening around the glass. "At first, it was hard to accept. But as time went on, I started accepting it. The thought of being a father was something I never imagined for myself, but it grew on me. By the time Kiana was born... I was the happiest I had ever been. She became my world."