"You got a death wish or what?" Jonathan''s voice drifted over, low and icy.


    Only then did Zane realize how bad hisment sounded and how easily it could be taken the wrong way.


    But Jonathan knows I''d never look at Anneliese that way, so why''s he acting like this in the first ce?


    "Jonathan, I can''t get a hold of Jessica. Didn''t she spend New Year''s with Anneliese? Can you ask Anneliese what''s going on with her..."


    Jonathan pressed his lips together as he stared past the floor-to-ceiling windows. The garden outside was lit up with strings of bright colors. Somewhere in the distance, fireworks kept blooming across the sky.


    The whole ce looked like one big picture of warmth and celebration.


    Everyone he cared about was under the same roof, yet because one person wasn''t here, he couldn''t feel any of that joy at all.


    "So, you think if you can''t reach her, somehow I magically can?" He lowered his gaze. His voice carried this tired mix of irritation and self-mockery.


    Zane froze for a second, then almost burst outughing. Out of nowhere, he suddenly felt like he wasn''t suffering alone.


    Maybe his situation wasn''t the worst after all.


    "You can''t reach Anne either? Wow, that is... incredibly convenient."


    He did swap ''great'' for ''convenient,'' but Jonathan still heard every bit of that schadenfreude in his tone.


    "You sound thrilled."


    "Of course not. I haven''t been able to reach Jessica for a day or two, so I''m over here wondering if I pissed her off or if something happened.


    Yet, if you can''t reach Anne either, then those two are probably hanging out and ignoring us. How about this-we''ll call Joel and Carter and go grab a drink?"


    Zane had already made peace with the situation, but Jonathan hadn''t.


    He still wasn''t in the mood. His reply came out slow and t.


    "No." And with that, he hung up.


    He rechecked WhatsApp-still no reply from Anneliese. Unease gnawed at him, so he dialed another number.


    "Is Mrs. Fullbuster asleep?" His voice was low and steady, and the call connected instantly.


    On the other end, the bodyguard who had been waiting outside Maple Bay all day, even during the holidays, slid out of the car, craning his neck to peek upstairs.


    "Mr. Fullbuster, Mrs. Fullbuster is probably still talking with Ms. Sweeting. Want me to go upstairs and check?"


    "No, that''s fine. Thanks." Jonathan hung up, pressing his thumb against the tense ridge of his forehead.


    The girl has time to chat with her bestie, but can''t bother to answer my calls or WhatsApp. Seriously... this is all Zane''s fault! How does he even let someone like Jessica slip through, allowing her to cling to my Anneliese?


    ...


    Zane had just settled at the game table when his WhatsApp pinged. His eyes lit up immediately. He checked it right away, expecting a reply from someone, but it wasn''t.


    It was Jonathan sending him a message. The message was just an emoji-ten fingers pointing down, dripping with pure disdain.


    Zane felt a flicker of confusion.


    Meanwhile, Jonathan put his phone down and caught Felyxia sneaking nces at him. She probably didn''t expect him to turn around so fast. Panicking, she quickly averted her eyes and tried to slip away.


    "Hold up!" Jonathan said in a low, firm voice.


    She froze, stiffening her neck as she slowly turned back.


    She held up the fruit tter like a shield. "Jonathan, you... You done talking to Anneliese? Want a couple of slices of watermelon? They''re super sweet."


    I just can''t rx. After seeing Jonathan make the call, I get nervous they''re going to argue, so I sneak over pretending to bring some fruit. However, his expression is terrifying there''s no way he''s figured me out, right?


    Jonathan looked at Felyxia and couldn''t tell if it was just his bad mood today, but everything about her rubbed him the wrong way.


    His thin lips twitched for a moment, then he said nothing.


    He just waved his hand.


    Felyxia nced at him cautiously, trying to read him, but came up empty. Still, under the weight of his intense presence, any thought of confessing vanished. Forget it. Maybe I''m overthinking. I''ll just get through New Year''s Eve for now.


    ...


    The next morning, Anneliese woke up feelingpletely drained, her body heavy, like she''d been asleep forever.


    The night before, she and Jessica had stayed upte, keeping watch until the early hours. By the time she got back to her room, exhaustion had hit hard, and she''d fallen asleep almost instantly.


    The dream she had wasn''t pleasant, though.


    In it, a grand wedding was taking ce inside a stunning castle with a foreign style, every detail perfect and breathtaking.


    Jonathan stood across from her, dressed in a ssic ck suit. She wore a wedding dress, her pregnant belly unmistakable beneath the fabric. They looked at each other with pure happiness in their eyes.


    Then, just as the officiant dered them husband and wife, a young woman in a white dress appeared out of nowhere.


    Her face was blurred, and she shouted at the top of her lungs. "I object! Jonathan, don''t you remember me?"