Chapter 117 Cold Dinner

Chapter 117 Cold Dinner
Each day in this mansion was becoming a burden for me. 
I see Vince and every time I did, it hurt me more than I wanted to accept.
In order to keep my mind away, I decided to go to work early and return late. 
But, sadly, nothing was working.
One night, I returned late, only to find Vince waiting for me. His eyes locked with mine with an intensity that made my breath hitch.
“You’re late.”
“I had work.”
“I was waiting for you.” He trailed off cautiously, scanning me up and down.
I mumbled, already walking past him. “You didn't have to.” 
“Freshen up. I will reheat the dinner for us.”
“Vince, I told you I—” 
HIs stare left no room for arguments or refusal. 
Maybe it wasn’t his stare, or the way he said it.
Maybe it was his voice I had gotten so used to that I tend to follow it nonetheless.
“Fine.” I muttered, pushing my hair behind and came down for dinner after freshening up.
At the table, silence stretched long between us, no longer comfortable.
I stared down at the bowl of soup. Absent-mindedly twirling the spoon around without taking a single bite.
Vince watched me carefully from his seat, his own plate completely untouched. 
The suffocating muteness was becoming too much until he finally let out a weary breath.
“Alyssa,” He began in a low, softer tone, pressing the plate of food towards me.
“You’ve barely had three bites.” So do you. But, I didn’t mention it.
“I'm not hungry, Vince,” I replied coldly, my eyes fixed on the tablecloth.
“You need to eat,” he urged, standing up and bringing his chair right beside mine. 
He picked up the spoon, filling it with the warm broth, and held it out toward my lips, narrowing his eyes.
“At least finish half of it. Please.”
I looked at the spoon, then turned my gaze to his face. 
The dark circles under his eyes showed he hadn't slept either, but I was too hollow inside to care.
“Why are you doing this? Is this another lie? Another act?” I asked quietly, too afraid to trust him now. 
My voice was devoid of any anger, leaving only a dead, exhausted quietness.
“Because I need you to stay alive, Alyssa,” Vince said softly, keeping his hand steady. 
“Because even if you despise me, I cannot watch you fade away like this.”
I didn't argue. I simply opened my mouth and let him feed me, taking bite after bite in complete silence.
I was lifeless inside my own body.
Once the bowl was half empty, Vince set the spoon down.
“There. Thank you.” He reached out, closing his hand around my cold ones. 
“Alyssa…” He began hesitantly, giving my hand a squeeze.
“I know I destroyed your trust,” Vince whispered, his sapphire eyes searching my hollowness with a rare vulnerability. 
“I know I ruined the image of the man you loved. But I am still here, Alyssa. Every single day, I am right here.” 
“That's the problem, Vince,” I spoke emptily, staring at our joined hands. 
“You're here... but the man I gave my heart to never existed.”
“I am the same man who held you when you cried,” he argued softly, his thumb gently brushing over my knuckles. 
“I am the same man who promised to protect you. The moments, the protection… they weren't all a lie, Alyssa.”
A bitter, heartbroken smile touched my lips.
“But my marriage to Ken was. My love for Ken was all a lie created by you. You wanted to take my faith from love away ....” 
I looked back at him, a single tear escaped, tracing down my cheek as my lips began to quiver.
“Congratulations. You did it, Mr. Lysander.” 
Lowering my head, I bit the inside of my cheek to suppress the heartache, to suppress the tear and not shatter more than I already did.
“Alyssa, please….” He whimpered, giving my hand a firm squeeze before placing it under his cheek.
“It doesn't matter if your emotions were real or fake," I sniffled, wiping my tears with my free hand, not daring to look back anymore.
“Because every time I look at you now, all I see is the wreckage of my life. I don’t think I will be able to trust you after what you did to me.”
“I needed revenge from Arden—” Furious by his useless explanation, I roughly pulled my hand away from him.
“That doesn’t change the fact you ruined my life!” 
My voice unintentionally rose but I quickly covered it by placing a hand over my mouth. 
Hating how tears were stealing my ability to see that they spilled even after I held them back.
“Whatever hatred. Whatever revenge. None of it justified why you manipulated me so badly, Vince.” 
Vince ended up lowering his head in shame. What else could he have done anyway?
He went silent. He knew there was nothing he could do to reduce my ache. 
This was his irrecoverable mess.
“You saved me from the rain, Vince... but you were the one who made it storm.” 
Vince’s hand trembled slightly around mine, agony crossing his features as my words pierced right through him.
“Is there nothing left?” he asked, his voice cracking into a quiet whisper. 
“Not a single piece of love for me?” His eyes widening, shaking his head in denial. 
“I don't even have a piece left for myself,” I replied, gently rising from the seat and began to walk away. 
“How could I have anything left for you?”
I almost left him sitting alone in the quiet, empty room with the cold food between us but then my heart tingled. 
I stopped.
“Vince.”
“Yes?”
“If your revenge cost my life then….”
I glanced over my shoulder, glaring at him from the depth of my heart, hoping one day I will be able to hate him too.
“I pray this revenge will become the biggest regret of your life.”