"You're prepared to face death? Really…"
His tone was mocking, lips curled into a cold, contemptuous smile. "Back when you used every means to get what you wanted, did you ever consider it might come to this?"
Every means necessary?
Sana's lips parted slightly, her voice barely a whisper as she looked into his eyes, eyes filled with hatred and turmoil.
Yes, she had done whatever it took.
She remembered clearly the night seven years ago when she held the Kim Group's equity certificate and stood before him.
"Enrique," she had said, "let's make a deal. I know the Kim Group is in crisis, and no one will help. This is the equity certificate. If you marry me, the Vellore Group will invest in Kim immediately."
She could never forget the way he looked at her.
Under the vast starry sky, with the streetlights casting long shadows, his gaze was like the glow of a firefly fading into the dusk—beautiful and distant.
Disappointment? Humiliation?
She hadn't understood back then.
She was young, reckless. She believed love could be nurtured. That even if he didn't like her now, time would soften his heart. That someday, he would see her worth.
But she was wrong.
A single misstep had cost her seven years.
It took her that long to realize—love can't be forced. If someone doesn't love you from the start, they may never love you at all.
"Yes, I did whatever it took! But is it wrong for me to love you?"
Sana's voice trembled. Her eyes, filled with pain and desperation, locked onto his.
"I've loved you for so many years. Every day, I hoped you'd come home. All I wanted was to sit with you at the same table for one simple meal. But even that became a luxury. Enrique, do you even know how I've lived all these years? You're in pain, but don't you see that I am, too? I've been hurting just as much… maybe even more."
Her voice cracked. Tears welled in her eyes, but she held them back, refusing to let them fall. She stared at him, her gaze growing more distant with every second.
Enrique froze. Something about her expression made his heart twist in fear.
Before he could speak, she choked out another sentence, her voice barely holding together.
"You don't have to love me, but why be so cruel? You forced the Vellore family into ruin. You caused my father's death. And still, you keep me by your side. Do I really have to die for you to let go of your hatred?"
Her final words were laced with hopelessness.
Enrique's Adam's apple bobbed. His body trembled. His dark eyes narrowed sharply, hands clenched so tightly he seemed ready to crush everything in his grasp.
"Die?" he growled. "If you die, I'll drag the entire Vellore family to the grave with you."
His voice was cold, piercing.
How could she die?
How could she disappear from his life?
Suddenly, he let go of her and staggered back, his sharp features etched with rage and restraint. He brushed the creases from his clothes and stood by the lounge door.
When he looked up again, all warmth had vanished from his eyes.
"Leave the share certificate. You can go."
His footsteps echoed away. The office door opened. Closed.
And then, silence.
Sana remained on the bed, motionless. Her eyes were empty, unfocused.
This had been the first time Enrique ever touched her willingly.
The man who had always rejected her had nearly taken her by force.
If it had been in the past, she would have convinced herself that it meant something, that maybe he still had her in his heart. Maybe his anger proved he still cared.
But now, all she felt was bitter shame.